SAFE & SECURE
a 7 week meditation course for people WHOSE lives have been impacted by a loved one’s addiction
“Reality is always more kind than your fear.”
It is my great honor to combine my years of experience with meditation, one-on-one mentorship and my spiritual journey with the work of supporting others who, like me, have experienced the grief/stress/trauma that comes with loving someone who struggles with addiction.
The skills and perspectives in the course are those I wish I had growing up with my mother, who's struggled with alcoholism and mental illness the majority of her life. They are also skills that have become invaluable in helping me become someone who can feel safe and secure within myself, others and in the world, which was the opposite of how I felt for many years, as a result of having a parent who was a violent alcoholic.
I believe that the practice of being still, present and compassionate with ourselves is a necessary tool for healing, insight and self realization, especially for those of us who have experienced the conflict and confusion that comes from these complicated relationships. My hope is to be able to help others who are interested in this path.
Addiction affects so many people, and as the partners/friends/family/loved ones of addicts, we have a unique experience that, when used constructively, can be the source of so much growth and liberation 👁 🌱
I am excited to gather a community of people with this shared experience. As past students have said, being seen and heard while also learning from other folks who understand our challenge is deeply validating and healing. It is a privilege to walk alongside you as you let go of what’s no longer needed and sink into the truth of yourSelf.
Topics we will cover & skills you will learn
How to drop and befriend the mind for less anxiety, fear, worry and more calm, ease and clarity
How to connect with and live more in your body, for more clarity, empowerment and trust
Setting healthy boundaries, how to preserve your energy and sovereignty
How to live more in the present moment
Trusting yourself, your intuition and tools for finding clarity
How to effectively process emotions, a necessary skill for dealing with life-stressors in a safe and secure way
How to address the common challenges of feeling overly responsible, caretaking, codependency, resentment etc
Compassion, loving kindness (for the self and others) and living a more open-hearted life
And sooo much more...
Program Outline
Subject to change depending on the overall needs of the class
Week 1: Introductions + connection. Why we’re here and how meditation can help those impacted by alcoholism/addiction
Week 2: Mindfulness of thoughts and beliefs & how to find safety in the mind
Week 3: Mindfulness of the body & and how to feel secure in our bodies
Week 4 Mindfulness of emotions & and how to feel safety in big, complicated feelings
Week 5: Remembering our innate goodness, our Buddha nature
Week 6: Boundaries, energy preservation and sovereignty
Week 7: Compassion, loving kindness & reclaiming our innate goodness
““We were sharing and healing from profound pain/suffering that many of us had never shared in this way before, and you navigated that space for us with incredible proficiency and sensitivity. The ways in which you grasped our struggles and also shared from your personal experiences created a powerful environment for our learning. This is really lifec hanging work…”
Who this course is for:
Anyone who has experienced the pain and stress of growing up with or caring for an alcoholic/addict, either currently or in the past. There’s a good chance you may have gone to therapy and done some of the work, but you find there are still things you struggle with as a result of this experience (ie anxiety, fear, boundaries, caretaking, relationship issues) that you would like to look deeper into
Past students were people who had partners, ex-partners, children, parents, or friends who had alcohol, drug and/or porn addictions
This class is best suited for those who are spiritually inclined and receptive to new ideas and spiritual teachings. You are earnest and passionate about deepening your spiritual Self
You are looking forward to connecting with, and learning from, others who have had similar experiences to you. The topic of our loved ones addiction can be difficult and isolating and a part of you know that connecting with others who get it could be really helpful
You have tried Alanon, but it wasn’t for you and are looking for something Alanon adjacent (disclaimer: this course does not take the place of Alanon, which is a much more in depth, life long journey)
details:
Begins Thursday April 20th, 2023. Ends Thursday June 1st, 2023
Meets online every Thursday at 4:00 pm PDT/ 7:00 pm ET (this time is tentative and may change according to when most people can attend)
Class length: 1.5-2 hours
Included: Voice memo support with the group via a private app
No prior meditation experience necessary
Strongly recommended: Enough space and time to carve out approximately 10-20 minutes a day to meditate
Cost:
This course is offered on a sliding scale:
$550 - $750
Payment plans are available
No one will be turned away for lack of funds
“I find my life, heart, and spirit lifted by the work that you do. The nuance, insight, and humor that you brought into each class were only matched by your compassion, care, and clarity. Not only does your communication reflect such deep listening and comprehension, but models what courage and vulnerability can look like. I have learned more than I ever anticipated, and I am forever grateful for the shifts catalyzed by the gift of working together. Thank you *so* much.”
““I have had so many aha moments, even though I’ve done lots of work prior to this. Pretty much every time we have a meeting the next day with my journaling and meditation, I honestly go from breakdown to breakthrough.”
“This training for those affected by alcoholism, helped me acknowledge what I’ve been through instead of shrugging it off & saying “it could have been worse”. It helped me gain a deeper understanding how I’ve learned to cope with an alcoholic in unhealthy ways & what I can do differently from now on. I’ve created a meditation practice from scratch & am now consistently practicing. So grateful to have signed up for this, thank you so much Eva!”
“I want to just give a shout out to how difficult it can be to have conversations related to the impact of being involved with addicts, alcoholics, whether they’re still in our life or not. But to be able to do this with these other women has warmed my heart because I believe healing happens in community. It’s felt really special.”
““From this course, I’m coming to understand that I can’t love someone out of their shame. If that is an identity that they have adopted, that’s not something I can take as my responsibility to love them out of. These past few weeks have surpassed what I even expected this course could be. And I don’t want to say more, because I’ll dissolve into tears, but from the bottom of my heart, thank you so much. I am so infinitely grateful to Eva and this group.” ”
