Freedom Beyond Recovery Program Update

Freedom Beyond Recovery Program update September 2024

A lot of exciting developments have unfolded over the past 7 or so months, and I would like to take this opportunity to update the community on some of these flowerings!

As some of you know, for the majority of 2024 my primary focus within Awakening Clarity Now has been the Freedom Beyond Recovery program, which officially launched this past March. The program aims to provide a supportive and structured environment for students and community members to address the primary source of psychological suffering, our addiction to the belief in being a self. FBR's focus is the same as anything else offered through Awakening Clarity Now – to help people wake up to their True Nature, and guide them through the Clearing process.

The program has consisted of the following offerings so far:

1. Free Meetings
   1. For community members who have had a history with conventional addiction of any kind, we hold free FBR meetings every Wednesday and Saturday @1pm Eastern Time. These meetings operate within a rotating format; some meetings explore nonduality or addiction topics, some focus on Fred's book Beyond Recovery: Nonduality and the Twelve Steps, and others involve guided experiential practices specific to The Living Method. The last meeting of each month functions as a Q&A, where community members can get feedback or guidance on whatever is present for them at that time. I highly recommend joining this community! We've gotten a lot of tremendous, positive feedback, and a beautifully diverse and committed community has developed as time has gone on.
2. Monthly YouTube Live Q&A
   1. Starting in July, we now host a 45-minute YouTube Live session on the third Monday of every month @2:30pm Eastern Time. During these sessions, students and community members are welcome to ask me questions about all things related to Freedom Beyond Recovery, The Living Method, nonduality, and more. We've gotten all sorts of questions, such as:
      1. How to approach shadow-work with TLM?
      2. What's "Backward Inquiry," and how is it different from other inquiry methods?
      3. What are the phases of the Realization process?
      4. How can I integrate nondual insight into my involvement with 12-step recovery?
   2. All are welcome, regardless of their experience with conventional addiction.

As Freedom Beyond Recovery has developed, and the community's enthusiasm for this expression of The Living Method has grown, Louise and I have planned three new small group offerings. They will become available starting in the next month or so, and those who are interested are welcome to sign up ahead of time.
Here's a little bit about each small group:

1. Guided Inquiry & Contemplation
   1. This small group is dedicated to unraveling the core beliefs, assumptions, and points of resistance that everyone encounters throughout their journey from Realization to Abidance.
      Examples of topics:
      1. Misidentification with the body/mind & Oscillation
      2. How to approach inquiry in the style of The Living Method
      3. Integrative & Disintegrative Inquiry movements
      4. Nondual sense perception
2. The Essentials of Nondual Realization
   1. Utilizing the model established in the Freedom Beyond Recovery program, this small group explores the Nondual Realization process from the understanding that psychological suffering is perpetuated by our addiction to the belief in being a self and dependency on thought. Here, participants have the opportunity to engage in the Clearing process with the added benefit of utilizing a structured methodology and being connected to a supportive community. This group is open to anyone, regardless of prior experience with conventional addiction.
      Examples of focus:
      1. TLM practices specific to each Essential of Nondual Realization.
      2. Working through intense emotions, sensations, and shadow-work through The Living Method.
      3. Avoidance patterns & subtle egoic structures.
      4. Exploration of nondual qualities within the felt sense of Experiencing.
3. Conscious Living Beyond Recovery
   1. This small group is essentially the same offering as "The Essentials of Nondual Realization," with the caveat that it is limited to members of the community that have had a history of addiction. Participants may choose this group if they want an offering that emphasizes emotional support, and/or would like to have a safe space to share about their experience with conventional addiction and explore it through the lens of nonduality.
      Examples of focus:
      1. Limiting beliefs that drive maladaptive behaviors like codependence, binge-eating, and drug use.
      2. Patterns of guilt, shame, and fear of vulnerability.
      3. Integrating nondual insight into 12-step or dualistic recovery support structures.
      4. Selfless Service, volunteering, and activism.

Thank you for exploring with me and committing to this process! I'm so inspired by the beautiful work that's unfolded over the past few months through working with the ACN community on an individual and small group basis, and look forward to discovering what the rest of the year brings.

With Tenderness and Infinite Peace,
-Boh
boh@awakeningclaritynow.com