Starting Monday, April 11, we’re going to begin reading William Alexander’s Ordinary Recovery: Mindfulness, Addiction, and the Path of Lifelong Sobriety at the Tricycle Book Club. It’s the story of an alcoholic on the path to recovery. By using mindfulness, story, and meditation, Alexander teaches us how we can use the present moment to start the healing process. 

From Ordinary Recovery:

We are building an altar at every moment. Every moment can be a moment of transformation if we can learn to live voluntarily. When the rush of traffic has your brain in a swirl, build an altar at the corner. When you are angry at your spouse, build an altar in the kitchen and breathe, in and out. When you see the devils, transform them. As you read on you will see how it has worked for me and for others and how it can work for you. There are altars at every turn when you know how to look for them.

As times change and the spiritual focus shifts, there are many recovering people who, like me, are looking for a more meaningful spiritual practice. Buddhist practice, Anglicanism, and AA are not the same, but they are not different. They share a common ground of awareness of suffering and the relief of suffering through persistent spiritual practice. Ordinary Recovery is just such a practice.

Hope to see you there!