Father Bill W.

Fr. Bill and Dr. James Ryan, PhD author of a new book titled Recovery Writing finish up their discussion of how writing can be an aid in finding and building a deeper relationship with the Divine. Show Notes: ∙       Recovery Writing: Discovery and Healing in the Twelve Steps by James Ryan. ∙       Step Study website: www.StepStudy.org

 Fr. Bill and Dr. James Ryan, PhD author of a new book titled Recovery Writing finish up their discussion of how writing can be an aid in finding and building a deeper relationship with the Divine. Show Notes: ∙       Recovery Writing: Discovery and Healing in the Twelve Steps by James Ryan ∙       Step Study website: www.StepStudy.org

Fr. Bill continues his interviews with James Ryan, PhD author of a new book titled Recovery Writing. The series explores effective writing techniques used in 12 Step and other recovery modalities. James is in long term recovery with a strong interest in spirituality and in the Pioneer program of Alcoholics Anonymous. His website  www.StepStudy.org provides links to books and articles helpful for those ready to go deeper into AA history and recovery spiritually. James worked for several years in the addiction treatment field and now teaches writing at the University of Alaska. In this fourth episode, James shares from his research how writing can aid in connecting an addict with the realm of the divine.  Show Notes: Recovery Writing: Discovery and Healing in the Twelve Steps by James Ryan Step Study website: www.StepStudy.org The Voices Within and How We Talk to Ourselves by Charles Fernyhough (Lots of used copies available) More than Real: A History of the Imagination in South India  by David Shulman  (Worth reseaching sources – this book is pricey) 

 Fr. Bill continues his interviews with James Ryan, PhD author of a new book titled Recovery Writing. The series explores writing techniques that have proved effective in 12 Step and other recovery modalities. James is in long term recovery with a strong interest in spirituality and in the Pioneer program of Alcoholics Anonymous. His website titled www.StepStudy.org provides links to books and articles helpful for many wanting to go deeper into AA history and recovery spiritually. James worked for several years in the addiction treatment field and now teaches writing at the university level. In this third episode, James begins to explore the four major “take-aways” from his research beginning with “How Writing Helps Us Get Honest.”  Show Notes: ∙      Recovery Writing: Discovery and Healing in the Twelve Steps by James Ryan. ∙      Step Study website: www.StepStudy.org

Fr. Bill interviews James Ryan, PhD author of a new book titled Recovery Writing. The series explores writing techniques that have proved effective in 12 Step and other recovery modalities. James is in long term recovery with a strong interest in spirituality and in drawing insights from the Pioneer program of Alcoholics Anonymous. His website titled www.StepStudy.org provides links to books and articles helpful for many wanting to delve deeper into AA history and recovery spiritually. Clinically, James worked for several years in the addiction treatment field and now teaches writing at the university level. In this second episode, James continues sharing his recovery story and how it shaped his interest in writing.  Focus is on how writing benefits honesty.  Show Notes: ∙      Recovery Writing: Discovery and Healing in the Twelve Steps by James Ryan. ∙      Step Study: www.StepStudy.org

Fr. Bill begins a new series on the benefits of writing in recovery. His guest is James Ryan, PhD author of a new book titled Recovery Writing. The series will explore several writing techniques that have proved effective in 12 Step and other recovery modalities. James is in long term recovery himself with a strong interest in spirituality and in the Pioneer program of Alcoholics Anonymous. Over the years, he’s grown a website titled www.StepStudy.org providing links to books and articles helpful for many wanting to delve deeper into AA history and recovery spiritually. James worked for several years in the addiction treatment field and now teaches writing at the university level. In this first episode, James shares his recovery story and early interest in writing.   Show Notes: Recovery Writing: Discovery and Healing in the Twelve Steps⁠, by James Ryan. Here's the Book's website: ⁠https://www.recoverywriting.org/ (it includes a contact form where people can share their stories about recovery writing practices that are valuable to them) and The Blog: ⁠https://recoverywriting.substack.com/⁠ (where you can find new articles about recovery writing practices that were not covered in the book)

Jean Brown, a life-long member of the Oxford Group (now known as Initiatives of Change) sheds more light on the program and principles that gave birth to Alcoholics Anonymous. In this episode, Jean describes the original Quiet Time and Two Way Prayer practices of the Oxford Group that underlie the 11th Step. Jean is the author of “A Serious Guide to Remaking the World.” A free copy of this informative pamphlet is available in the Show Notes. Show Notes: ·     A Serious Guide to Remaking the World, 2007 - by Jean Brown ·     The Listening to God Pamphlet by Chaplain John Batterson ·     How to Practice Two Way Prayer ·     Initiativesof Change https://iofc.org/en ·     If this episode has been helpful to you, please share and consider making a donation.

Jean Brown from Adelaide, Australia traces her life-long connection to the Oxford Group back for three generations. The Group later became known as Moral Rearmament and still operates as Initiatives of Change. In this two-part interview, Jean shares her personal story of change while shedding light on the original principles and practices that gave birth to the program of Alcoholics Anonymous. Jean is the author of “A Serious Guide to Remaking the World.” A free copy of this informative pamphlet is available below. Show Notes: ·     A Serious Guide to Remaking the World, 2007 -  by Jean Brown

Psychologist Dr. Bruce P. from Los Angeles, California leads Fr. Bill and listeners through a series of brief meditations focused on the teachings of Eckhart Tolle. Several one-minute exercises bring the teachings alive in ways you won’t want to miss. A guide to the exercises is included in the Show Notes. Show Notes: The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle - Purchase or find an online pdf version available free. Contact Dr. Bruce at: powerofnowtherapist@gmail.com Power of Now Lab Notes from Dr. Bruce Overview: (1)  The Purpose of these Practices (2)  The Obstacles to Practice (3)  The Benefits of the Practices (4)  The Duration and Use of These Practices in Daily Life One-Minute Thoughtless Awareness Practices (1)  Observing the Breath without thought (2)  Observing an Inner Body Sensation without thought (3)  Listening without thought (4)  Seeing without thought Self Observation Practices “Am I at ease?” “Am I treating this moment as a means to an end?” “Have I been thinking of the future or the past?” “Am I wanting to be somewhere other than Where I am now?” The Welcoming Prayer for Presence: Request a copy from Dr. Bruce

Psychologist Dr. Bruce P. from Los Angeles, California helps relate the works of Eckhart Tolle with the world of 12-Step recovery. Negative emotions are problems for many people but perhaps especially for addicts. AA co-founder Bill Wilson struggled with depression for many years after getting sober. His letter sharing his experience on the subject is in the Show Notes. Dr. Bruce explores the troubling world of emotions offering us a solution to our pain through accessing the Power of Now. Show Notes: Bill Wilson’s 1953 letter on Emotional Sobriety Eckhart Tolle Key Quotes on Emotions: Pain is inevitable as long as you are identified with your mind. I am talking here primarily of emotional pain…Resentment, hatred, self-pity guilt, anger, depression, jealousy, and so on, even the slightest irritation, are all forms of pain. There are two levels to your pain: the pain you create now and the pain from the past that still lives on in your mind and body. As long as you are unable to access the power of the Now, every emotional pain that you experience leaves behind a residue of past pain that lives on in you. It merges with the pain from the past, which was already there, and becomes lodged in your mind and body. This includes the pain you suffered as a child, caused by the unconsciousness of the world into which you were born. This accumulated pain is a negative energy field that occupies your mind and body. The emotional pain-body has two modes of being: dormant and active. It may be dormant 90 percent of the time. In a deeply unhappy person it can be active 10 percent of the time. Some people only experience it in certain situations such as intimate relationships, or situations linked with past loss or abandonment, physical or emotional hurt, and so on. Anything can trigger it, particularly if it resonates with a pain pattern from your past…even a thought or an innocent remark made by someone close to you can activate it. Some pain bodies are obnoxious but relatively harmless, like a child who won’t stop whining. Others are vicious and destructive monsters. Some are physically violent, many more are emotionally violent. Some will attack people around you or close to you, while others may attack you, their host. Thoughts and feelings you have about your life then become deeply negative and self-destructive. The pain-body doesn’t want you to observe it directly and see it for what it is. The moment you observe the pain-body, feel its energy within you, and take your attention into it, the identification is broken. A higher dimension of consciousness has come in, I call it Presence. You are now the witness or the watcher of the pain-body. You have found your innermost strength. Watch out for any sign of unhappiness in whatever form---it may be the awakening pain body. This can take the form of irritation, impatience, a somber mood, a desire to hurt, anger, rage, a need to have some drama in your relationship and so on. Catch it the moment it awakens from its dormant state. Focus attention on the feeling inside you. Know that it is the pain-body. Accept that is there. Don’t think about it--don't let the feeling turn into thinking. Don’t judge or analyze. Stay present and continue to be the observer of what is happening inside you. Allow the pain to be transmuted into peace.