La Hacienda

Yoga and Recovery

I recently completed my 200 yoga teacher training. I didn’t quite know what I was getting into and if I had, I probably wouldn’t have done it!! The one thing that surprised me the most were the many parallels between yoga and recovery. Many times I felt like the teachers were talking like we do in AA! Like recovery, yoga is a journey, not a destination. You do not get to a point where you have learned all you need to learn and graduate. You will have good and bad days; you may seek help from a teacher that has gone on before you much like we seek help from our sponsors. There are some days I can’t hold a basic pose for the life of me and other days I am rocking in a crazy pose I have never been able to do before. In AA, I am not always perfect, or in a good place, or not on the “beam”, as they say. Then there are the days I am skipping in the Sunlight of the Spirit!!

Foundation is important in AA and yoga. On pg. 75 of the Big Book it talks about foundation. After we complete the 5^th Step we return home to be quiet and reflect: Is our work solid so far? Are the stones properly in place? Have we skimped on the cement put into the foundation? In yoga, teachers talk a lot about the foundation of poses, rooting down to the earth, your feet strong and solid; you don’t have a pose if the foundation isn’t strong. AA is the foundation for my life much like I have a foundation for my yoga practice.

When I get on my mat, I am on my mat. I am in the moment, focused on the present and the practice. The same thing happens when I sit down across from another alcoholic. I can be so self-absorbed on what is going on in my life that I may think I have nothing to offer, until I sit down and the magic, God’s power, starts to come alive. After working with another alcoholic, all the obsessions and problems that I had before lose their power. Everything just doesn’t feel like that big of a deal, I am back to the present, everything is alright already. My heart opens up to love again for my fellows and myself.

One of the biggest misconceptions of yoga is that it is a religion. Sometimes AA gets this label as well or sometimes even worse, it is referred to as a cult. Like AA, yoga is a spiritual practice. Both were created in countries that have different, dominant religions and, of course, those religions have a strong influence. I think what scares people the most, which is the case in all forms of fear, is the unknown. Think about your first AA meeting; maybe it felt like the people in the room were talking in a foreign language. What about all the laughing at what most people would consider an inappropriate time?? In yoga, the music is different and the words most often used are in a foreign language we are not familiar with. However, all of us use words in English that have the same meaning. Also, faith and your belief system are meant to be brought into all areas of life. Just like in AA, I bring my beliefs to my yoga practice. Sometimes they are like yours and sometimes they are not but we can embrace the differences and not the judgment. AA and yoga encourage people to live the fullest expression of their life and to be connected—body, mind and spirit.

(Source: lahacienda.com)

The new alumni nesletter is posted!

Soulshine Sobriety

I think every human at one time wonders and asks God to show them what their purpose is and it is usually a constant question. I am blessed in my sobriety to be given my purpose — to stay sober and help other alcoholics. It’s actually pretty easy since I have experience in this area. I don’t have to go to school, read a book or figure it out. I know what it is like. Now, my experience cannot be all things to all people; there is nothing in this world that can be all things to all people.

For full article click here

This is exciting – The Huffington Post has an Addiction and Recovery Section.  There are some great blogs on all sorts of addictions; chemical dependency, food, sex, sugar and exercise.

October 27, 2012 - November 1, 2012 

• Progresso, Yucatan, Cozumel
• Interior cabin is $425, Ocean View is $495, Balcony is $605
  
  For more information on the sober group contact Joe, 210-861-4161 or jmayer3@satx.rr.com.
  
  For cruise information or to book the cruise contact Lance Jones, 800-819-3902 ext. 85130, ljones@carnival.com. Be sure to mention Joe Mayer/Sober Cruise to get the above rates and dinner seating together.

Thankfulness

A belief in the basic spirituality of life has grown and with it
belief in a supreme and guiding power for good…
As a result of this experience I am convinced that to seek is to find,
to ask is to be given.
The day never passes that I do not silently cry out in thankfulness,
not merely for my release from alcohol but even more for a change
that has given life new meaning, dignity, and beauty.

- Experience, Strength and Hope, p. 107

picture provided by Sherry Price, La Hacienda employee

Cup of Joe

Good morning alumni!  It has been crazy busy up here on the hill!  However, I recently ran across a story my sponsor gave me early in sobriety.  It really hit home.

God Bless,

Peace, Love, Joe

A drunk fell in a hole and couldn’t get out.

A businessman went by.  The drunk called out for help.  The businessman threw some money and told him to get himself a ladder.  But the drunk could not find a ladder in this hole he was in.

A doctor walked by.  The drunk said, “Help, I can’t get out.”  The doctor gave him drugs and said, “Take this, it will relieve the pain.”  The drunk said thanks, but when the pills ran out, he was still in the hole.

A renowned psychiatrist rode by and heard the drunk crying for help.  He stopped and said, “How did you get there?  Were you born there?  Were you put there by your parents?  Tell me about yourself; it will alleviate your sense of loneliness.”  So the drunk talked with him for an hour, then the psychiatrist had to leave, but he said he’d be back next week.  The drunk thanked him, but he was still in his hole.

A priest came by and the drunk called for help.  The priest gave him a bible and said, “I’ll say a prayer for you.”  He got down on his knees and prayed for the drunk, then left.  The drunk was very grateful; he read the bible but was still stuck in the hole.

A recovering alcoholic happened to be passing by and the drunk cried out, “Hey, help me, I’m stuck in this hole.”  Right away, the recovering alcoholic jumped in the hole with him.  The drunk said, “What are you doing?  Now we are both stuck in here.”

But the recovering alcoholic said, “It’s okay, I’ve been here before; I know the way out.”