The Heart of Recovery

By Jesus ‘Chuy’ Garcia

“Heart of Recovery is a weekly meeting that joins Buddhist meditation and Twelve Step work in order to connect to and engage in a commitment to recovery from addiction, addictive behaviors and patterns in our lives.” This is the basic description of the Heart of Recovery, which are meetings that take place all over the country at many Shambhala meditation centers. Shambhalians in recovery started these meetings to support their spiritual practice in a non-theistic setting.

The Heart of Recovery meeting at Seattle Shambhala re-started in late summer of 2019 after a hiatus of about a year. Attendees do not have to be Buddhists, meditators, or recovering addicts. While we focus on offering a safe and supportive space for anyone to explore the connections between meditation, Buddhism, and recovery from addictive behaviors and patterns, all are welcome.

Our meetings begin with brief meditation instruction followed by 15 minutes of sitting. We then gather in a circle for short introductions. There is usually a short reading, often a Buddhist take on recovery, followed by open sharing. All are welcome to talk about the reading or anything they need to share. We conclude the meeting with the Shambhala Dedication of Merit.

Here is an excerpt from our introductory reading:

“This group is an evolution of a Shambhala study group called Sarpashana, for members suffering from alcoholism and addiction. Sarpashana is a Sanskrit term meaning “poison eater.” The symbol for our group is the peacock. According to ancient mythology, the peacock acquires its brilliant plumage from its ability to transform poison into beauty. In our practice, we transform the poison of addiction into a spiritual medicine, which we call recovery. Then, with genuine pride in being fearlessly human, and at home in the world, we can offer what we have learned with others who suffer.”

If you are in a recovery program, it is important to note that our group is intended as a supplement to your recovery program of choice. We recommend you fully engage in a vibrant personal program of recovery. Heart of Recovery has no formal program to follow, it is simply a space to support and deepen one’s spiritual practice.

Heart of Recovery is part of a burgeoning movement that bridges Buddhism and recovery from addiction. An increasing number of books have been published on the topic in recent years. Currently, Seattle’s Heart of Recovery is reading Kevin Griffin’s pioneering book “One Breath at a Time: Buddhism and the Twelve Steps.” Griffin points out that there are many parallels between Buddhism and Twelve Step programs (the bondage of self, craving as a source of suffering, helping others to be free of suffering). Mindfulness is often used as a tool by many in recovery programs, in and out of Buddhism.

It is exciting to be part of this growing movement that looks to Buddhism and mindfulness as tools to alleviate suffering in the world.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *