| CHRISTIAN MEDITATION AS AN ELEVENTH STEP PRACTICE |
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The World Community for Christian Meditation 11th Step Practice St. Mark's, Myddelton Square London EC1R 1XX England, UK +44 0207 278 2070 Email: info@christianmeditation11step.org www.christianmeditation11step.org |
| My name is Anne and I’m an alcoholic. I have been a teacher for the past 25 years and continue to teach in fact. I came into recovery in 1990. After a difficult first year, I had 3 years of sobriety before suffering a relapse in 1994. Since May 3, 1994, I have been clean and sober. I would be very happy to share my 11th step experience with anyone who feels drawn to meditation within the Christian tradition. I am able to share in English and French (fluent) and in Italian (imperfect but adequate!) |
When I was asked to write about my experience with the 11th step, many
thoughts and ideas immediately tumbled into my mind. And then one particular
thought dominated all the others: KEEP IT SIMPLE. So that is what I will try to do.
I started along the long road to recovery from addiction in February of 1990 and
came into contact with 12 step recovery programmes. As I had had a rather
traditional religious upbringing, I was instantly drawn to steps 3 and 11 – a sort of
homecoming in a way. I was, however quickly to discover that my “traditional”
values would not suffice. They had not protected me from active addiction and
would not be enough to catapult me into that place of serenity I was so
desperately looking for. So I began to meditate. For several years I participated
actively in a meditation group in my local yoga centre believing that meditation
could only be practised within the Eastern traditions. Later I was to discover that
meditation was in fact a Christian tradition also, dating back to the time of the
Desert Fathers. This was the beginning of my practice of the 11th step within the
framework of Christian meditation. From that moment about 10 years ago, my life
began to change. The process was slow and sometimes painful to begin with. I
wanted results and I wanted them quickly! I had to learn to simply follow the
path, to be content to be on the way, not to look for results but to live each
moment to the full. It was difficult and sometimes still is. But I have come to
appreciate the image that is sometimes given to help others understand – that of
the ocean. On the surface, my life, like the ocean, may shows signs of turbulence,
of storms, of tidal waves even. The depths however are calm. Christian meditation
has taught me that all is well, that all WILL be well, that nothing can separate me
from the One from whom I came and to Whom I am going.
There is nothing to fear, nothing that I need to run from, nothing that I need to
protect myself from. I have come to understand that the years of active addiction
were, for me, necessary to bring me into the space where I find myself today. I
have much to be grateful to Christian meditation for and consider it a privilege to
have the opportunity to point others in this direction. On a deep level, under the
surface turbulence of the ocean, I am in a space where what I most want in life is
“knowledge of God’s will for me and the power to carry that out.” This, for me, is
real progress.
thoughts and ideas immediately tumbled into my mind. And then one particular
thought dominated all the others: KEEP IT SIMPLE. So that is what I will try to do.
I started along the long road to recovery from addiction in February of 1990 and
came into contact with 12 step recovery programmes. As I had had a rather
traditional religious upbringing, I was instantly drawn to steps 3 and 11 – a sort of
homecoming in a way. I was, however quickly to discover that my “traditional”
values would not suffice. They had not protected me from active addiction and
would not be enough to catapult me into that place of serenity I was so
desperately looking for. So I began to meditate. For several years I participated
actively in a meditation group in my local yoga centre believing that meditation
could only be practised within the Eastern traditions. Later I was to discover that
meditation was in fact a Christian tradition also, dating back to the time of the
Desert Fathers. This was the beginning of my practice of the 11th step within the
framework of Christian meditation. From that moment about 10 years ago, my life
began to change. The process was slow and sometimes painful to begin with. I
wanted results and I wanted them quickly! I had to learn to simply follow the
path, to be content to be on the way, not to look for results but to live each
moment to the full. It was difficult and sometimes still is. But I have come to
appreciate the image that is sometimes given to help others understand – that of
the ocean. On the surface, my life, like the ocean, may shows signs of turbulence,
of storms, of tidal waves even. The depths however are calm. Christian meditation
has taught me that all is well, that all WILL be well, that nothing can separate me
from the One from whom I came and to Whom I am going.
There is nothing to fear, nothing that I need to run from, nothing that I need to
protect myself from. I have come to understand that the years of active addiction
were, for me, necessary to bring me into the space where I find myself today. I
have much to be grateful to Christian meditation for and consider it a privilege to
have the opportunity to point others in this direction. On a deep level, under the
surface turbulence of the ocean, I am in a space where what I most want in life is
“knowledge of God’s will for me and the power to carry that out.” This, for me, is
real progress.
| THE WORLD COMMUNITY FOR CHRISTIAN MEDITATION |