September 24th - September 30th

September is National Recovery Month here in the US. It’s a time to shine a light on recovery – to highlight resources and recovery pathways, and to inspire hope for individuals, families, and communities struggling with addiction and mental health challenges.

According to SAMSHA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration) recovery is defined as:

"Recovery is a process of change through which people improve their health and wellness, live self-directed lives, and strive to reach their full potential.” (SAMSHA.GOV)

As you can see this is a broad definition focused on health and well-being. It may include recovery from addiction, mental health or other behavior or even health challenges. And NAMI, the National Alliance for Mental Illness, states that:

“Recovery is unique to each individual. It is an ongoing process or journey of change, healing and growth. Recovery focuses on what the individual defines for themselves as living a full, meaningful, productive and satisfying life while living with a mental health challenge. Recovery is about realizing one’s full potential and not being defined by any illness. It is learning to live well.” (NAMI.ORG)

Now what about Resilience? It is defined as the ability to:

• recover and continue on in the face of adversity without being overwhelmed or responding in unhealthy ways

• become strong, healthy and successful again after something difficult or challenging happens.

• recover from setbacks and adapt well to change and crisis.

It’s pretty clear that there is a connection between recovery and resilience. So, why not explore them together?

In honor of National Recovery Month, I’ll be offering a special 7-Day Recovery & Resilience Challenge from September 24th to September 30th.

Whether you are a person in long-term recovery, or someone who is curious about what recovery is or might look like in your own life; or if you are a family member or ally supporting someone else, it’s important to explore what recovery and resilience mean and looks like for you.

There are so many types of recovery and pathways of recovery and resilience. This can even include exploring different areas of your life or wellness domains that could benefit from transformation and healing by entering into a recovery or resilience process that you define for yourself.

· A daily reflection to help you explore recovery and resilience.

· A contemplative or well-being practice to support your exploration

· Writing prompts to help guide you on the journey

· Community connection spaces to share reflections, insights and questions

Daily posts, emails and sharing space will be hosted here through my Heart of Awakening Community. There will also be some activities in my Holistic Recovery Pathways Facebook Group.

We’ll finish with a live Council of the Heart Gathering focused on Recovery & Resilience on Saturday, September 30th at 10:30 AM ET via Zoom.

Come explore!