What is Deep Sobriety?

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Deep sobriety is learning to recognize and live from the fundamental well-being that is our true nature.  For those of us who have been through the wringer that is alcoholism and addiction, that notion can seem foreign, maybe even nonsensical.  But what if our intentions to escape ourselves weren’t inherently problematic, but misdirected?  What if we were looking in the wrong direction?

 

We live in a world that is bombarding us with messages telling us that what we “need” is outside ourselves. If that were really the answer, wouldn’t we have found it by now?  Simultaneously, contemplative practices have, for centuries, revealed that what we’ve been seeking has always been closer than we imagined.

 

If we learn to look experientially rather than analytically, we can begin to see a steady, abiding awareness amid the seeming chaos of the mind.  When we recognize this alive, expansive, and inclusive presence, it becomes clear that while thoughts come and go, awareness remains. What follows is a natural questioning of the transient experiences we’ve taken to be ourselves and an opening to the recognition of what we truly are.

 

This is the realm of deep sobriety: seeing beyond the storied self so that we can recognize the fullness of our being. It’s not about creating a new narrative or becoming a “new you.” It’s about coming to know and rest as the vessel that is larger than any of your ephemeral experiences.  

 

Deep sobriety is for those of us in recovery who have always had the hunch that there is something more, that “this can’t be it.”  There is more, and for the earnest who are willing to plunge into the depths of their being, it can be discovered.  In doing so, we also discover that the limited ideas that we thought defined us don’t. And, we find that love, joy, and peace are more immediate and abundant than we have ever imagined.  

 

This work has emerged from my own path: being sober and exploring contemplative practices since 2003.  Having studied many different paths, I found that the direct approach teachings, which stem from Dzogchen, the Mahamudra, and Advaita Vedanta, afforded me a freedom I had always sought, and I’m excited to share it with those who are interested.  

 

If you count yourself among those deeply committed to meditative explorations, this course will complement your practices.  We will explore ways to immediately glimpse our true nature as awareness and, in the process, learn to skillfully work with the parts of ourselves that tend to obscure it.  It’s the chance to align your life in a way that opens you to the wholeness of who you are, and to shift out of the battle of continually trying to improve yourself.

 

If you’re interested in joining the next Deep Sobriety series, I’d welcome you to email me via the contact form on this site.  We can set up a free 30-minute consultation to discuss the course and whether it would be a match for what you are looking for.  Below you’ll find some answers to general questions about the series.

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