Step 11: On Awakening

This practice invites us to keep coming back to our acknowledgement of a higher power. During this meditation, Sadie will read from page 86-87 of the big book "Alcoholics Anonymous. " This will be followed by a meditation practice that aims to allow you to rid your mind of negative thoughts and relax into a state of groundedness.

Transcript

Hi guys,

Good morning.

This is Sadie Barr and I'm honored to be your meditation tour guide.

Please find a comfortable seat and close your eyes.

We'll start with a reading from the big book of Alcoholics Anonymous and transition into a meditation intended to start your day off on the right foot.

Page 86 and 87.

On awakening,

Let us think about the 24 hours ahead.

We consider our plans for the day.

Before we begin,

We ask God to direct our thinking,

Especially asking that it be divorced from self-pity,

Dishonest or self-seeking motives.

Under these conditions,

We can employ our mental faculties with assurance for after all,

God gave us brains to use.

Our thought life will be placed on a much higher plane when our thinking is cleared of wrong motives.

In thinking about our day,

We may face indecision.

We may not be able to determine which course to take.

Here we ask God for inspiration,

An intuitive thought or a decision.

We relax and take it easy.

We do not struggle.

We are often surprised how the right answers come after we have tried this for a while.

What used to be the hunch or the occasional inspiration gradually becomes a working part of the mind.

Being still inexperienced and having just made conscious contact with God,

It is not probable that we are going to be inspired at all times.

We may pay for this presumption in all sorts of absurd actions and ideas.

Nevertheless,

We find that our thinking will,

As time passes,

Be more and more on the plane of inspiration.

We come to rely upon it.

So let's begin to break these directions and promises down into smaller chunks.

Before considering your plans for the day,

Begin with rooting and grounding into the present moment.

Start by noticing what's present for you here and now.

Check in with your state of mind.

If your thoughts were a body of water,

What would the surface look like?

What residual emotions have carried over into this new day?

Now check in with your body.

Starting at the top of your head and working your way down your face,

Throat,

Shoulders,

Chest.

Is your heart heavy,

Tight,

Open,

Relaxed?

Just notice there's no right or wrong.

Now move down to your belly.

Is it tight or relaxed?

Your hips,

Thighs,

Shins,

And feet.

Notice the toes,

The bottom of your feet,

Your calves,

Back of the thighs,

Buttocks,

Low back,

Mid back,

Upper back,

And shoulder blades.

The neck and the back of your head.

What parts of your body feel tense,

Tight,

Even painful?

What parts of your body feel more relaxed,

Free,

Or open?

And what parts are neutral?

Take a moment to notice.

Now turn your attention to your breath.

Don't change it.

Just notice it.

Is it shallow,

Deep,

Rapid,

Slow?

What part of your torso is your breath landing?

Noticing doesn't mean judging.

It's just observing.

Now that you've brought awareness to your present state of mind,

Body,

And breath,

Begin to root into the seat beneath you by noticing what parts of your body make contact with that which supports you.

Rest your awareness there for several moments.

Remember,

If your mind starts to slip away,

Just keep coming back to the sensation of gravity,

A power greater than yourself,

Rooting you into your seat.

Now begin to consider your plans for the day.

Where are you going?

Who might you cross paths with?

What action might you take to get out of yourself to benefit another?

You might send someone a quick text just letting them know you appreciate them.

Perhaps you tell them face to face.

Or maybe you choose to take action and be of service to someone in a bigger way.

So let's take a moment to sit in silence and let something emerge organically in the way of serving others.

Next we relax and take it easy.

We do not struggle.

We do this through the body.

Remember,

Take the body and the mind will follow.

So relax your mind.

Relax the space between your eyebrows,

Your jaw,

And your tongue.

Relax even your inner ear and inner jaw.

Allow all of the muscles of the face and the head soften completely into a state of ease and relaxation.

Relax your shoulders and your heart,

Your belly,

Hips,

Legs,

And feet.

Turn your palms upward into a gesture of surrender with the intention to let go of anything that's not serving your serenity.

As you relax your body,

Breathe deep,

Deep down into your belly.

On your inhale you might say the word peace and on your exhale ease or any choice of words that bring you comfort.

If your awareness slips away into thought,

Worry,

Remorse,

Anxiety,

Just gently usher it back to your relaxation,

To your breath,

To those two words.

As we go through the day,

We pause when agitated or doubtful.

We relax and take it easy.

We do not struggle.

Throughout the day you can continue to make a conscious contact with your higher power by coming back to any of these 11 step directions.

So when you're ready you may open your eyes.

Please move forward throughout your day with ease of mind and a tender heart.

Namaste.

Reviews

Awesome body scan just a wee bit fast ? Thank you for this opportunity

I thought this was a great melding of basic mindfulness of body/breath and 12-Step concepts of surrender and service. Thank you!

Thank you Sadie! I love the simplicity and gentleness of your sessions and particularly appreciate that they are 12 step focussed.

Perfect. Just what I needed. Thank you so much for your beautiful meditation on this material!

Wonderful, somatic approach to the morning 11th Step! I love it! This will be a daily go-to for me! 💜

An insightful and enlighting meditation to the senses.

I feel inspired with your humility and intention to recover and help others in my heart this morning as I go forward with calm and purpose.

Great way to start my day on awakening❣️. Namaste❤️

Sadie has gotten me through such tough days being a sober alcoholic with stage 4 non curable cancer. I am at the beginning of the end according to my oncologist so there is a lot of acceptance that I have to swallow. I feel centered and in a place of possible service after listening to this 11thstep and Sadie being an amazing tour guide which I’ve been doing for the years of my diagnosis. I can get through taking medication that I have to and to stay sober I believe, because I listen to this every morning and am set in good orderly direction got whatever comes my way.
Thank you Sadie.

Really helpful addition to my 12 step programme. Gives me guidance on how to start my day. Beautiful thank you Sadie. 🙏🏽Namaste 💜☀️

I love Sadie and how calm her voice is. She's a wonderful guide.

a great start to the day. for me, the ending was a little abrupt

Love this and the Big Book! It has changed my life. Ty🥰🦋🙏☮️

This was amazing, just what I need to start my day. Thank you

Perfect morning meditation especially when I’m short of time.

A grounding and peaceful interpretation of the 11th step. Thank you.

This is an important daily reading for me. Thank you.

Lovely! I love how you've Integrating other aspects into the 11th step meditation. Thank you!

Thank you for the combination of BB teachings and yoga meditation. I will do this for my morning practice. Many thanks Namaste…

Thank you so much i feel so enlightened ready to see what the next 24 hours holds Nameste 🙏🏼