Session Five Centering Practice

For the third step of this process, I’m going to ask you a series of questions. We’ll use the answer to these questions in step four.

Step three is really a contemplative process more than it is just a step. Take a few days here if you need it. Write every answer you can imagine.

For step three in your process, you will begin with step one, saying “It’s not like me to…” any time you have a craving to engage in your addiction.

Following that statement, you will name five things you don’t like about having the addiction or using your addictive substance.

You will then follow your five things with positive questions and listen. Some of the positive questions you might ask are:

– Question One – Why am I having a craving right now? Do I have a problem I need to solve? What is the best solution?
 – Question Two(a) – What do I really want? Do you want to feel safe, calm, happy, or relieved?
 – Question Two(b) – What is a better way to fill this need? What healthy thing is available instead?

Other questions you can ask yourself include:

 – Question Three – What serves my healthiest life?
 – Question Four – What serves a healthy life for the people around me?
 – Question Five – Everyone in my life deserves to be happy. This includes me but isn’t exclusive to me. What is the best thing to do to serve the happiness of everyone?

Write your answers below. When you feel like you have a good list of options, you can move onto step four.