The Recovering Body

“The Recovering Body” will be presented on Tuesday May 24, 2016, from 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm; by Jennifer Matesa; author, educator and speaker. There will be a reception preceding the presentation from 6:30 to 7:30 pm, with snacks, beverages, and an opportunity to meet and socialize. Most discussions of abstinent addiction recovery focus strictly on developing spiritual approaches to life’s problems and challenges. But, this virtually ignores the experience of the body. The facts are that the body undergoes serious changes and damage during active addiction, and many recovering people wind up frightened that they have wrecked their neurology permanently. Full recovery asks us to change the ways we relate to our bodies, beginning with the discipline of resisting the mind’s obsession about external “solutions” and grounding oneself inside one’s body, which lives only in the present. This presentation will explore five approaches to addiction recovery that combine physical practices with the traditional spiritual enlargement of 12-step abstinent recovery. These approaches have abundant scientific research backing them, making them not only a way to gain confidence and “feel better” in recovery but also to prevent relapse and become fit to contribute to society. This program is part of the Dawn Farm Education Series, a FREE, annual education series developed to provide accurate, helpful, hopeful, practical, current information about chemical dependency, recovery, family and related issues; and to dispel the myths, misinformation, secrecy, shame and stigma that prevent chemically dependent individuals and their families from getting help and getting well. The Education Series is designed to help people with alcoholism or other drug addictions to achieve, maintain and strengthen their recovery; assist family members and friends to understand and support recovery in people they care about as well as maintain their own health and well-being; aid professionals and students in various disciplines to work effectively with people with addictions and their families and support their recovery process; and contribute to a community culture supportive of recovery. All programs are free and open to anyone interested. Registration is not required. 1.5 hours of free C.E. approved by NAADAC (National Association for Addiction Professionals) and MCBAP (Michigan Certification Board for Addiction Professionals) is offered for each program. A certificate to document attendance is provided on request. The Education Series is organized by Dawn Farm, a non-profit community of programs providing a continuum of chemical dependency services.