Recovering Spirituality: Achieving Emotional Sobriety in Your Spiritual Practice
"This much-needed and deeply important book offers profound insight into the human mind and heart. It looks deeply into the practice of spiritual bypassing--the use of spiritual ideas and practices to attempt to sidestep one's own unfinished emotional business. In unraveling some of the mysteries of relapse and stalled recovery, it also offers an entirely unexpected twist on spiritual bypassing itself. A very valuable book for anyone in recovery--and anyone with a spiritual practice."--Scott Edelstein, author ofSex and the Spiritual Teacher "Recovering Spiritualityis a rich and provocative read for anyone in recovery who (knowingly or unknowingly) has wished for a spiritual escape from the difficulties of life. Instead, Ingrid Mathieu offers an authentic, spiritual path of living in the here-and-now and being present to this wonderful, precious life. Don't miss this book."--Térèse Jacobs-Stewart, author ofMindfulness and the 12 Steps "With great compassion and wisdom, Dr. Mathieu points out how walking the spiritual path in general, and specifically as a tool of recovery from addiction in any form, is a very subtle process with sidetracks, bypasses, and self-deceptions into which aspirants may fall, challenges which are common within all spiritual practices.Recovering Spiritualityis a powerful, loving guide to spiritual maturity, psychological self-reliance, and emotional clarity. I highly recommend it."--Michael Bernard Beckwith, author ofSpiritual Liberation: Fulfilling Your Soul's Potential "A very important, lucid contribution to recovery literature, clearly exposing the very real problems that spiritual bypassing (the use of spiritual beliefs/practices to avoid dealing with pain and unresolved issues) pose in organizations like AA. For anyone involved in any way with AA, this is a book that should be carefully read and taken to heart."--Robert Augustus Masters, Ph.D, author ofSpiritual Bypassing: When Spirituality Disconnects Us From What Really MattersandMeeting the Dragon: Ending Our Suffering By Entering Our Pain "Recovering Spiritualityis a remarkable book. Ingrid Mathieu uncovers aspects of spirituality and recovery that clarify many of the struggles addicts--both clean and not so clean--deal with. Her insights into "spiritual bypass," its dangers and potential, will inform my own teaching and recovery. If you are in recovery and wondering why you feel stalled, or if you are working with someone who is struggling with their program, read this book. It will open doors you didn't even know were there."--Kevin Griffith, author ofOne Breath at a Time:Buddhism and the 12 Steps, andA Buring Desire: Dharma God & The Path of Recovery