Freedom From Addiction
Hannah Green
Dear Community,
Happy Spring! I am feeling so incredibly grateful for my community - thank you for the work you do, the way you show up and for beingyou. I have been really feeling the magic in my work with clients lately and the big themes in my life and work have been:
Letting go of the illusion of control whopeeeeee!
Remembering that all we need is love. No one wants to be approached as a problem to be solved. Love is what heals and expands.
For this months email I chose a subject close to my heart: addiction and recovery. It is my experience that addiction holds the key to uncovering our path to fulfillment. Underneath any addiction powerful forces churn: the desire to be free, to expand, to go beyond thought, to connect, to feel relief, to be in the flow and to feel alive! Powerful stuff! If we want feel free and expansive and our attempts are failing or short lived - we may be stuck in an addictive cycle. Lets get those deeper needs met for real....
Wether an addiction is to a substance that temporarily makes us feel better, or to getting a little attention from Mr/Mrs/Mx Wrong, to the high of accomplishment, to over-working or to hanging on to a resentment - we need to go deeper to quench our desire for wholeness. The substance, person or behavior promises fulfillment but in reality the high it brings us is fleeting and can leave us feeling bereft.
If we recognize our deep spiritual thirst for wholeness and connection we can get honest about how to fulfill those needs for real. This frees us to be in balance with and to enjoy pleasures and distractions for what they are: the fleeting gifts of the third dimension. We can enjoy food, money, sex etc without relying on it because we know true fulfillment comes from deep inside.
I am a person and I get to work with people who strive for balance and want to be fulfilled for real. It is part of my job to tune in to those deep longings and help make them increasingly conscious. It is also my job to help clients explore how they can quench this spiritual thirst for fulfillment.
I find that there are four main ways people meet these deeper needs and free themselves from addiction:
Connecting with nature
Connecting with community
Spiritual practice
Personal creativity
Everyone has their favorite. What is yours?
In Nature, I love to connect with the elements. I love immersing myself in the ocean around Point Reyes Sea Shore or in the bubbling, healing waters in Calistoga. I take a long bath every single night. Driving up to Twin Peaks or walking up Bernal hill connects me with the air and elevates my spirit. Going up on my roof for 10 minutes with a cup of coffee and staring at the clouds does the same. I love connecting to the cleansing power of fire. Homemade candles and palo santo are my favorites. You can go next door to Scarlet Sage Apothecary to find goodies that help to connect with the elements.
What makes you feel grounded?
Community is essential to recovery and to wellness. Many people say connection with people is the antidote to addiction. I find a fountain of connection through 12 step community. Many people believe you have to be at deaths door to attend a 12 step group but that is not true. 12 step groups are rich and diverse here in San Francisco and there are literally hundreds of meetings a day. Check out these websites AA, SLAA, SAA, ALANON and know that you are welcome at any meeting.
Where do you feel at home?
My spiritual practice is grounded in 12 step participation but the options are endless! We live in San Francisco - it is a spiritual mecca! Some of my favorites are Against the Stream, The SF Zen center, singing Kirtan at Laughing Lotus yoga studio or indulging in 10 days of silence at a Vipasana Retreat.
Where do you feel the magic?
Creativity is anything that connects us with ourselves and our environment and gives us that feeling of being in the flow. My favorites are collaging, cooking, writing and working with clients. I recently took up paddle boarding!
What makes you feel alive?
Recovery is about feeling connected and alive. Here is a fun video where comedian and recovering addict Russell Brand explains addiction and recovery succinctly and hilariously.
For some people, tending to the deeper spiritual needs will seamlessly treat addiction and bring them into balance. Some of us need a jump start or a radical change. For these folks, in-patient treatment can be life changing. My two favorite addiction treatment centers are:
The meadows also has incredible week long workshops that enhance recovery profoundly. You can explore those here.
Remember that letting go of addiction is not about being good. Recovery is about truly enjoying life. The more I let go of addiction the wilder I get.
Reach out today if I can support you, your loved ones or clients in letting go of addiction and going deeper.
Sending love!