Practicing Mindfulness seems to be all the rave these days, we hear a lot about it and it seems to be everywhere, but why?
People have been practicing mindfulness for many years and in recovery it has been a theme since the beginning. We have had slogans floating around to remind us to be in the moment in recovery groups forever: One Day at a Time; Just for Today; The Power of Now; One Breath at a Time; HALT; Acceptance is the Answer; Live and Let Live; Be in the Moment; Right Here, Right Now; Let Go, Let God; Keep it Simple; and If You Have One Foot in the Past and One Foot in the Future, You’re Wasting Away Today.
The thing is, when using substances people often experience a sense of time either standing still or just passing us by. When in active addiction you want to escape reality or at least the moment you’re in. When faced with the reality of life, it can be painful, overwhelming, or a flood of emotions that can be common when getting sober and even into long term recovery for some.
Practicing Radical Acceptance and Mindfulness, pure awareness and acceptance in the moment from a non-judgmental place, we can grow and learn to have compassion for ourselves and others.
As we begin to recognize and pay attention to our thoughts, emotions and body sensations, we can learn to detect where we may need to make shifts in our lives.
As we practice sitting quietly we can use this intuition to guide us to wiser decisions.
“Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift That’s why it’s called the present.” – Alice Morse Earle
Kristin Colton, CADC II, CATC II
Addiction Counselor
AToN Center 888-535-1516
