Those things are mentioned as tools to keep sober. Like Melissa, I don't actually have a lot of time to meditate in my daily life. However, when I go to yoga classes there is plenty of time to do that and even dedicated time for that. I find that when I go for a run, I spend productive time working things out in my brain. Not exactly meditation, but my form of meditation and it helps me.
I don't find prayer very useful, either, though I have recently gotten more spiritual. I like to believe there is something or someone watching over me, even if I don't have any proof of it. I am not religious, but when I attended my last AA meeting I found a lot of parallels with AA philosophy and my yoga philosophy -- re: acceptance, things are unfolding exactly as they should, there are no accidents, etc. It's a nice and comforting belief and it helps me. There is some meaning and it's not all just random. Of course we don't know this for sure, but it's comforting for me to think this way.
While I was at my yoga retreat a few weekends ago, I took lots of time to be by myself, walking in the woods, thinking, even praying for resolution to some of the things in my life that trouble me. Alcohol is one of them, a certain person is another. I have faith that things are going to work out. I put in "my requests" so to speak.
Heavy thoughts for the holiday weekend... now off to the pool
