Hello and welcome.
Step 2.
Came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could
restore us to sanity.
This meditation,
Which centers on Step 2 in Alcoholics Anonymous's
Suggested Recovery Program,
Is offered in two parts.
The first,
Which is common to most
of the meditations shared here,
Focuses on becoming grounded in your breath and settling
your body into a state of relaxation and openness.
The second part discusses Step 2 as mainly
a decision,
Based on your experience and current life conditions.
Making that decision may
be difficult for people who have had underlying issues of faith and self-esteem since earlier
in life,
But there are tools available which,
If practiced regularly,
Help address and restore
those qualities and make the Step 2 decisions easier.
As with most meditations,
Let's begin
by getting grounded,
Settled,
Focused.
Find a comfortable posture.
If you are sitting,
Your feet are flat on the floor.
It helps to be upright and find some balance,
Noticing
if you are balanced right to left and front to back.
Just becoming very grounded in your
seat.
If you are lying down,
Your arms may be by your side or gently resting on your
tummy.
Most people sit,
So we will continue describing that position.
Feel your whole
body be at ease,
With hands resting on your thighs or lap if seated,
Your palms may be
up,
Which is a receptive position,
Or the palms down,
Which is more grounded.
Keep your
back straight and your front soft.
You are sitting up straight,
But in a relaxed position,
Letting your face and your whole body soften and relax.
Let your upper eyelids rest gently
on your lower eyelids.
Your lips may be gently touching or apart,
With your jaw relaxed.
Feel your muscles becoming heavy and settled.
Breathing allows your body to teach your mind
to be relaxed and open.
Bring your attention to your breath.
Take a deep,
Slow breath through
your nose,
Pause,
Release slowly through your mouth.
Again,
Take a deep,
Slow breath
in through your nose,
Pause,
Release slowly through your mouth.
Continue with that breathing
pattern.
If your mind wanders,
Focus again on your breath.
Deep,
Slow breaths in through
your nose,
Release slowly through your mouth.
Now gently close your mouth and let your breathing
resume its normal rhythm.
Step two is stated as a single sentence,
But it can be broken
down into three core questions.
Can you come to believe?
Can you accept the idea of a higher
power?
Can you accept that you can be restored to sanity?
For some,
These questions may be difficult
to answer or accept.
They are often at odds with experiences and feelings formed earlier in life,
Especially in childhood.
To help identify these feelings,
There are questions you may ask yourself
to help develop awareness of those feelings.
Let's begin.
As you hear each question,
Pause and
let your answer,
If there is one,
Just rest in your awareness.
It's okay not to have an answer,
Too.
Do you struggle with the concept of a higher power?
Do you ever feel like someone in your
family had authority over you and abused it?
How does that make you feel about the concept of a
higher power?
Do you attempt to justify your inability to believe?
Are you fearful of believing
in a higher power?
What are your experiences of a higher power in your life,
Both in childhood and
the present?
Are you holding on to a sense of,
I can do it alone?
Breathe through your nose,
Pause,
Release slowly through your mouth.
Can you be open to the possibility of a higher power and
let the final answer work itself out over time?
Step two suggests that you acknowledge that your
behavior has not been sane.
This destructive behavior caused by your addiction,
This destructive
behavior could be eliminated by developing a belief of a power greater than yourself.
Let's consider some typical behaviors that many consider to be the opposite of sane.
What things
have you done that you would not do if you hadn't been using alcohol or drugs?
Did you have periods
of memory loss when drinking or using substance or another addictive process?
Did you consider
this normal behavior?
Pause and consider what these questions may mean to you.
Ultimately,
The decisions you make rest internally on how you feel about the underlying parts of those
decisions and in turn depend on how you feel about yourself.
With practice and awareness,
These deeper resistive barriers can be lessened.
To help reduce those barriers,
It is helpful to use affirmations or what is called meta meditation.
Meta meditations state
a desire to have a positive attitude about a given situation.
This kind of meditation can
be practiced to help reduce those barriers.
Because affirmations encourage a positive
openness about your behavior and your awareness,
They should be repeated many times daily.
Affirmations like these reduce negative self-talk and over time enhance your experience of humility,
Trust,
And willingness.
Ongoing daily practice is essential to long-term success and change.
Here are some examples of openness to practice,
Which you can say out loud with me now or silently
across the day later.
Today,
I am willing.
Today,
I am willing.
Today,
I am open minded.
Today,
I am open minded.
Today,
I am grateful.
Today,
I am grateful.
As you move forward,
If practiced daily,
These open-ended qualities will support your step two decisions.
As we come back to this room,
Shift your awareness to your body and breathe deeply.
Feeling your belly and your chest expanding and relaxing,
Relax the shoulders,
The hands,
The arms.
Relax the body.
Very slowly start to move your body.
Feel your feet.
Move your toes.
Gently move your fingers.
Roll your neck side to side and front to
back.
And when you are ready,
Slowly open your eyes.
Thank you for your kind attention.
I wish
you many blessings along with the willingness and courage as you proceed one day at a time.
