Today we are going to do a meditation for Refuge Recovery mentor training.
I wrote this especially for those in Refuge Recovery considering or already mentoring other members.
To give those interested space and suggestions to help you explore for yourselves if being a mentor is right for you.
I'm not here to tell you anything but to simply guide you through a meditation that will hopefully allow you to see clearly what is right today for you and possibly tomorrow.
So thanks for taking time to do this.
The training which we have written and if you are interested can be had by contacting me with a message.
This meditation is not about me telling or deciding if you are ready or not.
That's not something I can do because this decision is not just if you are ready and not just at the moment but also just as important if you have the desire and intention to mentor and again simply at this moment.
Things always change.
Just because one might have the needed experiences,
Sober time and basic knowledge to mentor doesn't mean they automatically should.
This is what meditation will hopefully parse out for yourself if you feel ready and you want to.
Knowing your intention is important.
Sometimes it takes deep thought to actually know our intention,
Other times it's clear as day.
Some of you are ready right now and some will be ready soon and some of you may choose to never mentor and all of those three choices are okay.
It is not a requirement for Refuge Recovery to mentor another member.
It's a big responsibility and while it comes with great rewards,
One needs to have the time,
Energy as well as the intention to work with another recovering person.
There are other ways to be of service as well and none of this is about making judgments.
It's just to help us see clearly what your reality is in regards to mentoring.
So with this said,
Let's take a few moments to meditate on becoming a mentor.
You'll find a comfortable way to sit in a chair or a cushion and just take a moment to settle.
Keep your back straight without being stiff or uncomfortable and let your hands rest where it feels natural.
Allow your breath to also find its flow and notice your abdomen rising and falling each time you breathe.
Maybe place your hand there and actually feel the physical rising and falling.
So now take a deep slow breath through your nostrils and let it fill your belly.
Feel that your hand is lifted by this inhale and hold for just a moment and as you do,
Try to notice the slight pause and then release.
Release your breath through your mouth and as you exhale at the end,
Hold for just a moment.
Then repeat this two or three more times with gentle but deliberate breaths.
Now that you're beginning to relax on the cushion,
Think for a moment of what Refuge Recovery means to you.
What being on this freely given path to liberation means to you and consider how it has enhanced your sobriety or put you on the path to it.
The Excel lifted throughout the rest of the session.
Now think of the faces you have seen,
The people you have met,
The places you have been,
And the experiences you've had so far in refuge recovery.
And when considering these questions,
Try to see where you feel it.
Are these simple thoughts in your head,
Or do you actually feel them in your body?
Take a few moments and see if you can notice these thoughts and feelings in your body.
If you have a benefactor,
Mentor,
Teacher,
Or simply someone who is helping you on this path,
Are you grateful for their presence in your life?
Do you notice what their mentoring has brought to your practice and sobriety?
Now,
Think of what being a mentor is.
What does a mentor to another member mean to you?
And where do you feel this?
Is it all cerebral?
Or maybe you feel this as well in your body?
Take a moment and see where that comes up.
Now,
Bring to mind some words when you consider responsibilities of mentorship.
And these words that come to mind,
How do they make you feel?
Do you feel the idea of responsibility anywhere in the body?
And does that feeling feel energizing to consider?
Maybe it's overwhelming,
Fun,
Scary.
What comes up for you?
Now,
I will go through a number of questions I feel you need to ask yourself.
Some of these will be simple yes or no's,
And some will have you thinking deeper.
Do I have a daily meditation practice?
Or am I working on developing one?
And how committed am I to that practice?
Do I trust the process of meditation and the Eightfold Path to end my suffering and to help me heal physically,
Emotionally,
And spiritually?
How committed am I to the Refuge Recovery Program?
And am I willing to continue to work with my mentor to meditate and study to grow my practice?
Do I feel ready and willing to be there for another member who is working to achieve sobriety?
How willing am I to give a portion of my free time to this individual without feeling resentful?
Am I willing to listen?
And do I feel that I'm a good listener?
If I'm not,
Am I willing to learn to become a good listener?
And maybe most importantly,
Do I have an open,
Compassionate heart?
Do I feel secure today in my sobriety?
Do I have reservations about my sobriety?
And do I believe that I am on the right path?
When it comes to reservations,
Do I have any about being a mentor?
Or is this idea of mentoring another individual completely comfortable?
Or maybe it's just somewhere in the middle?
There isn't a wrong answer to this question.
The right answer is whatever is in your heart.
Do I really understand what mentorship encompasses?
Am I willing to be patient and kind even when a mentee is being difficult,
When a mentee relapses,
When a mentee is argumentative?
We need to have an open and compassionate heart to be effective.
Am I willing to investigate and ask questions when I don't know the answer?
Think about these questions and see what arises.
Try to go over that list and whatever comes up,
Go a little deeper and take some time.
Ready?
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