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Study Suggests Spirituality is Key to AA

According to new research, spirituality may be a key part of what makes Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) effective, Health Day reported Dec. 14. Investigators tracked 1,726 adults through their recovery from alcohol dependence for 15 months. According to the study abstract, attending AA meetings resulted in “increases in spiritual practices,” and spirituality played a part in reduced use…

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On-line 11th Step Meditation Meeting

The website www.11thstepmeditation.org just announced the continuation of their monthly online 11th Step Meditation meeting. The meeting is held on the 3rd Sunday of the month at 5:OO P.M. (Pacific time). You are invited to attend!  Please connect to the link below to register:http://www.11thstepmeditation.org/welcome.php 11th Step Meditation now has two CD’s available. The SpiritStep One CD…

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New Bestselling Books on World Wisdom

An Illustrated Introduction to Taoism: The Wisdom of the Sages by Jean C Cooperedited by Joseph A. FitzgeraldThis beautifully illustrated book introduces the reader to the history and development of Taoism, one of the great religious and philosophical movements in Chinese thought. Chapters include discussions on the concept of the Tao (or Way), the symbolism of…

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Book Review: Divine Therapy & Addiction

Centering Prayer and the Twelve Stepsby Father Thomas Keating In this major new work, Father Thomas Keating reflects on the wisdom and legacy of the AA Twelve Step method and its connections to, and similarities with, the Christian mystial traditions of centering prayer and Lectio Divina.  In conversation with a long-time member of AA meetings,…

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Recovery Apps for your Phone

iRecovery – Addiction Recovery TrackerBy Hope & Freedom Counseling Services Finally there is a tool that will help you track your recovery from addiction—any addiction. iRecovery assigns recovery points for various recovery activities and then tracks your progress week by week. You may add your own activities to truly customize your own recovery program. The…

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How Meditation May Change the Brain

January 28, 2011, 10:29 AMThe New York TimesHealth How Meditation May Change the BrainBy Sindya N. Bhanoo Over the December holidays, my husband went on a 10-day silent meditation retreat. Not my idea of fun, but he came back rejuvenated and energetic. He said the experience was so transformational that he has committed to meditating…

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Depression, Psychotherapy & Divine Therapy

The Next Frontier: Emotional Sobrietyby Bill Wilson I think that many oldsters who have put our AA “booze cure” to severe but successful tests still find they often lack emotional sobriety. Perhaps they will be the spearhead for the next major development in AA — the development of much more real maturity and balance (which…

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Book Review: Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life

by Richard HollowayThe Observer, Sunday 19, December 2010Article history It feels irreverent, if not actually blasphemous, to question a work by Karen Armstrong. Since her book A History of God was published in 1993, she has established herself as a historian of religion of magisterial authority. A one-woman industry on the subject, she has produced…

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Alcoholics Anonymous Membership Survey

In 2007 more than 8,000 A.A. members from the U.S. and Canada participated in a random survey of the membership. Similar studies have been conducted every three years since 1968 by the General Service Office. Alcoholics Anonymous conducts this survey to keep members informed on current trends in membership characteristics. The survey also provides information about…