11th Step Practices

[sugErspun]

Over the last 3 weeks, I have read my inventory with my sponsor, moved through through steps 6 and 7 (got on knees and said the seventh step prayer with my sponsor - after doing exactly what it said to do in the book). I have my list of people on 3x5 cards along with my amends that I am going to be making, and am seeking those people/institutions out to make direct amends, praying over each before I move forward.

My sponsor thought it would be helpful to move forward into 10 and 11 during this time. Rather, there is no reason not to move forward into daily practice.

This inquiry is specific to step 11. What are some of your daily practices (specific, not general) What prayers do you use? Do you write everything out each day? Did you at one time write things out and found that you moved past that and can still effectively practice morning and evening prayer and meditation.

I feel like reins have been lifted from me and I am free to seek out a daily practice that works..thought I would ask here what people do each day, to get centered before setting forth..and each night in reviewing your day.


Thanks

~A

[miss communicat]

I am Hindu, so I combine the Christian Lord's Prayer in my morning prayers with 2 Hindu prayers. If you are interested in their translations, I'd be happy to share them.

Basically my morning worship includes prayers of invocation and devotion. The prayers may vary, but they establish the willingness to deepen my love for God, and to strenghten my resolve to do God's will. I follow the prayers with sitting meditation for 12-20 minutes, followed by yoga asana practice.

Throughout the day I find myself making prayers of invocation, such as the Serenity Prayer, invoking God's peace in my life, or a Lakshmi prayer, invoking compassion and forgiveness in my relationships.

In the evening, I offer prayers of Thanksgiving before sleep. Sometimes I include prayers of confession or lamentation, if I've acted badly that day so that I can change my behaviour.

[CarolD]

Hmmm.
I have never written down prayers.
I do have contacts with God during the day...
I prefer to think of this as conversations.

Before sleep, I mentally review the days events.
Then it's my personal prayer list
ending with
"In the name of the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit.

As kneeling is no longer an option for me...
I close my eyes and raise my arms in supplication.

Step 11 is great for keeping me in emotional balance.

[barb dwyer]

I journal.
Everything in my journal .. is a prayer.

To each their own, I reckon. I have some fairly decent concentration difficulties, and writing focuses thought into something .. linear for me.

[findingout]

Serenity prayer every morning as I stand in the shower, followed by meditation on where in my life I'm not applying it and where I am applying it. I also use my drive time on the way back from meetings to reflect on the message I just heard. My higher power speaks to me through others but I don't always get message until I'm halfway home. Especially when another person at a table says something which challenges what I think I know to be absolute truth.

[barb dwyer]

I also read that 'meditations for women' book in the morning, living at the base of the Rocky Mountains, it doesn't take much more than a look out the window to connect with a Power Greater than myself, ya know?

WHen I take my breaks at work - I go outside and look at the same mountains and pray. Or watch the stars. The God of my Understanding made the stars. Fairly hard for me not to connect when out there.

[bballdad]

I try and follow pages 84-88 of the big book each morning first thing.Some mornings I read the 24 hour a day book in additon.

I have about 4 little small notebooks full of daily guidance,each dated and shared with another AA.Bill D shares his guidance with me and I with him allmost every day.We then try and follow it.
We do this in accordance with the "how to listen to God phamplet"

My friend Bill D is practing some Buddist medatation and sits every morning.I sit some times,and I really like it.To sit and be still,and listen...and slow down..sharpens and quitens my mind...I feel more focused

I sometimes write down prayers or thoughts during the day as they come,as barb says.I see them as prayers and then I sat quitely and write down the "answers as they came" ... awesome!


at first it was kinda hard,but now it comes easy
I have found that by doing this I have formed a attitude of prayer during the day

[RufusACanal]

On waking, I thank God for another day to learn and enjoy. I read something concerning this new life before leaving for work and on weekends. During the day I pray the Serenity Prayer to get my butt out of the many cracks I get myself into. At night I thank God for another day of life. I am never pious, but I work on remembering the gift of a new life. I do not stumble over false modesty, God made me and knows me, I just need to remind him that I now know.

[Rob B]

I follow the instructions out of the book as a starter. I like to get on my knees first thing when I get out of bed, (my Dog always wonders what I'm doing.) I consider my plans for the day ahead, I consider my motives using the Oxford group absolutes as a guide, I say several prayers, but it ussualy boils down to asking God to guide my thoughts and my actions thoroughout the day, to relieve me of the bondage of self.

The Big Book writing on steps 10 and 11 can be turned into prayer. for example I might pray, When faced with indecision please provide me with an intuitive thought. Show me throughout the day how to be of maximum service to all I may encounter. I will then sit quietly for a minimum of ten minutes, no matter how busy my mind tells me I am. receiving fomal meditation instructions and working with breath has been very valuable to me in developing a closer relationship to the great reality deep within. I can always go to breath, it's always there, gets me present and connected. I also write guidance down, I do not do this everyday, but I am attempting to improve my practice.

I like to work with words, meditation isn't something I do in the am, and then return to at night, rather I try to be conscious all day. Working with the words, watch, pause, ask, and turn throughout the day has been helpful. A non AA book called The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle has been a tremendous tool for my meditation life as well, it has helped me detach from my mind made (ego) sense of false self.

At night I do my review using the Big Book principles, some times I have to write inventory, other days not. I sit and get quiet, get on my knees and say a prayer, I ussually end with "thank you for this day, thank you for this second chance, thank you for my life" After my spiritual awakening as a results of these steps I have never said those words at night and not felt my heart grow strong with love for God. It's all good stuff, my friend.

[Sugah]

My meditative practices change as the seasons change. In the spring, summer, fall, I prefer to have my quiet time out of doors, bird watching and walking or just sitting under the willow. Wintertime is a little different, and though I have certain sitting practices that can be done nearly anywhere, about this time of the year, I have trouble sitting.

So, today, I've begun something I hope I will finish, dependent upon when I run out of steam: I'm doing a year-end clean out. I'm a clutterbug, and my bedroom got the worst of it this year. There's something cleansing about sorting through things, reflecting on where I've been, where my family's been, and where we're hoping to go. I discover things that have been neglected, and I pray on whether they're still worthwhile, if I need to make some amends for not having done them. I'm a true believer in "walking in prayer," conversing, like Carol said, with my HP all day long. In the process of this clean-out, I'm looking at concrete items in my inventory. It may not seem like a spiritual practice, but for me, it's very spiritual. I see my clinging to things -- those things that have passed away, are no longer useful, but for some reason, I felt the need to keep. I ask my HP to release me from "wrongful clinging" and make me fertile for those things that today has brought my way. I try to let go of those things that I keep because I fear lack tomorrow. And, at the same time, I get some clear space and a sense of accomplishment!

So, there's my two cents for today. I have long suggested to newcomers who get bored to clean out a drawer! Pray while they're doing it! It keeps the hands busy, occupies the mind away from troubles and on solutions, and it brings about a sense of good-tired at the end of the day.

Peace & Love,
Sugah

[Treasure2Find]

In the 12 and 12 page 98....

The actual experience of meditation and prayer accross the centruries is of course immense. The worlds libraries and places of worship are a treasure trove for all seekers.

Be still and know that I am God......

[sugErspun]

Originally Posted by Treasure2Find

In the 12 and 12 page 98....

The actual experience of meditation and prayer accross the centruries is of course immense. The worlds libraries and places of worship are a treasure trove for all seekers.

Be still and know that I am God......

Yes!..That is why I thought I could ask what people do each day specifically, I love to hear about this stuff and it might be helpful in my daily practice which right now is in the infant stage..

Thank you everyone for posting such personal stuff.

[GrouchoTheCat]

When I awaken, I usually roll out of bed onto my knees. I don't have a set memorized prayer but I always ask God to direct my thoughts words and actions for the day. I also ask to be shown how to, and to be given the opportunity to be useful to others. I always ask for knowledge of his will for me and the power, strength, courage, and protection to carry out His will. Some days I will read from a daily meditation book I have (365 Tao).

Before I retire, I again get on my knees and I give thanks for another sober day and for all that God has done, and continues to do for me, and I reflect on the utterly amazing things He has done in my life. It's a gratitude thing.

Another thing that I have done is to become active in my church. It's just something that is deeply, personally, important to me.

I guess it really boils down to:
Wake up
Say "Help"
(stuff happens)
Say "Thank you"
go to sleep

[jimhere]

In AA I've heard that "Prayer is talking and meditation is listening." That is true to an extent, but there is so much more.

I basically follow the directions on pages 84-88 of the book. But I couldn't begin to really be still until I had begun to clear away the wreckage of the past. We often talk of the still suffering alcoholic. I believe some times we are suffering because we can't be still.

Page 84: This thought brings us to Step Ten. It could say this thought brings us to NOW. I can't live now if yesterday is eating my lunch and I'm terrified of next week. The first nine steps, particularly steps 4-9 bring me into the reality of now. Why is now so important? Well there is One who has all power, that One is God. May you experience him now. Now is the only time to experience God. Teachers have been teaching us that since the beginning of time.

Steps 10, 11, & 12 keep me in the now. Step 11 is about what I do in the morning and at night and step, with 11 being intertwined is about staying in prayer, or staying awake throughout the day. Step 10 says that I commence to live this way of life as I begin to make amends. There are some pretty rigourous disciplines involved here, disciplines that I will never perfect. At best I am a beginner.

What are some of the practices involved in Steps 10 & 11? The first one is watching. I pay attention to what goes on in my head. Invariably resentment, dishonesty, fear, or the like will crop up during the course of a day. When they do, I am not to fight or resist them, but to simply recognize them for what they are. The next practice is prayer. I ask God at once to remove them. Next is action-I resolutely turn my thoughts. This practice I call turning. I found something by Emmett Fox to be helpful. It is called "The Golden Key." In it, Fox says that when negative thought occur, to resolutely turn away from them and replace them with God. In other words, I think God thoughts. Any thought or consideration along these lines is prayer. And of course, if I'm wrong and have harmed anyone, I'm to promptly admit it. I'm wrong quite often.

I do not by any means, practice these disciplines to perfection. That is not the point. The point is that I am willing to grow along spiritual lines. It says this is not an overnight matter, that it should continue the rest of my life. Actually I get excited about that. I've heard it said that 10, 11, & 12 are the maintenance steps. Well to me they are the growth steps. I've got lots of room to grow-the whole universe in fact, and I've only scratched the surface.

Another reason why these are the growth steps-I'm either removing what blocks me from my next drink or removing what blocks me from God. It is about transformation-change or die. If I am still the same person in two years that I am right now, I could be drinking. Some people seek God out of virtue. It is not my virtues that bring me to God. Some people seek God from the goodness of their hearts. Not me. It is a life-and-death errand. But what a blessing! The same things that drive me to what can kill me now drive me to the source of my life.

I think I will extend this into another post, as this is getting wordy.
Jim

[jimhere]

More on Step 11. In the above post I mentioned that about all that you usually hear in AA about this is that prayer is talking and meditation is listening. True, but it goes much deeper.

I follow the simple directions given on pages 86-88 for Step 11. One thing that baffled me for a long time is why when we retire at night came before upon awakening. Then it came to me-what I go to bed with is what I sleep with and what I get up with. Self-examination, including making amends for harm done is vital to keeping the channel to God open. I write the questions on page 86. This followed by meditation and a prayer.

Upon awakening: When the alarm goes off, I try to turn my thoughts immediately to God. There are prayers I use, sometimes just the word God. Then it is up, get the coffee going, hit the bathroom and then into my little corner where I sit for twenty minutes. I practice Centering Prayer, a form of contemplative prayer. For anyone interested, a place to start is a little book called "Open Heart, Open Mind," by Father Thomas Keating. Keating is a Trappist monk who develped the method of centering prayer from an book written by an anonymous English monk in the fourteenth century called "The Cloud of Unknowing." Other books I've found helpful are "New Seeds of Contemplation" by Thomas Merton, and "The Power of Now" by Eckhart Tolle. A sidenote-I have found it difficult to find spiritual direction within AA, so I've found it necessary to seek direction from outside AA. But I'm still in AA because it is part of my 11th Step practice.

Other practices are waiting when in doubt. Hard for me. My first impluse is not to wait, but to run in circles, scream and shout, figure it out, fix it. Next is pausing and asking, which are interlocked with the practices of watching and turning. In pausing, I try to use what centers me in the morning, so I pause several times during my usually hectic days. And of course there is asking, which to me is simply prayer.

All of this is of no use if it doesn't bear fruit in my life. But what I've found is that if I can live in 10 & 11, 12 happens.
Jim