<![CDATA[The Sober Shaman]]>a00d52d6-be80-52ef-90ec-fe7dc09ff53dSat, 30 May 2026 11:43:47 +0000Captivate.fmTransforming addiction by making the spiritual practical.
www.thesobershaman.com]]>https://artwork.captivate.fm/35232114-ca8e-40f6-904f-3f466fe0137d/New-Podcast-Cover-tiny-thumb.pngThe Sober ShamanTransforming addiction by making the spiritual practical.Transforming addiction by making the spiritual practical.Spiritual practices that transform addiction into long-term, successful recovery. https://www.thesobershaman.com/s/podcast?utm_medium=podcast (www.thesobershaman.com)https://www.thesobershaman.com/s/podcastfalseepisodichttps://feeds.captivate.fm/thesobershaman/nopodcastAddiction & Adderall: The Cost of SpeedingAddiction & Adderall: The Cost of SpeedingIn this episode, I ask a few questions that always seem to hit a nerve, reveal definitive opinions and ignite interesting conversation.

To begin, I start with, "What are the long term effects of Adderall?"

There's a lot to look at there.

Then, I visit a question that I'm often asked, which is: "If I'm diagnosed with ADHD, prescribed Adderall by a licensed psychiatrist, and taking it as I should be, is this still an addiction?"

I take a look at these from a Chinese medicine perspective, which Adderall, and any amphetamine, is simply a form of Fire. Speed makes us go faster, and as is the nature of things that make us go faster, certain universal laws come into effect.

And the last one, which is something I ask of every prescription, "Where's the off ramp?" Which is my way of exploring when is enough going to be enough, the "problem" finally fixed, and we can stop taking the medicine.

These are the questions not enough people seem to be asking, which is why I'm kicking up the dirt here. It's a discussion that needs to keep being revisited.

Links referenced in this episode:


]]>In this episode, I ask a few questions that always seem to hit a nerve, reveal definitive opinions and ignite interesting conversation.

To begin, I start with, "What are the long term effects of Adderall?"

There's a lot to look at there.

Then, I visit a question that I'm often asked, which is: "If I'm diagnosed with ADHD, prescribed Adderall by a licensed psychiatrist, and taking it as I should be, is this still an addiction?"

I take a look at these from a Chinese medicine perspective, which Adderall, and any amphetamine, is simply a form of Fire. Speed makes us go faster, and as is the nature of things that make us go faster, certain universal laws come into effect.

And the last one, which is something I ask of every prescription, "Where's the off ramp?" Which is my way of exploring when is enough going to be enough, the "problem" finally fixed, and we can stop taking the medicine.

These are the questions not enough people seem to be asking, which is why I'm kicking up the dirt here. It's a discussion that needs to keep being revisited.

Links referenced in this episode:


]]>6f89ba63-7d8a-4da8-b836-7b36f1869decThu, 28 May 2026 07:20:00 +070045:14falsefull6969A Shamanic View of IllnessA Shamanic View of Illness“There is no chemical solution to a spiritual problem.”

You’ve probably heard this one, as it’s one of the most quoted lines in recovery. Maybe you’ve even said it a few times yourself. But here’s the thing:

What exactly is the spiritual problem?

Because if we can’t name it and we can’t map it, then the saying is just a groovy bumper sticker. True, sure, but not particularly useful.

In this episode, I’ll be nailing down exactly what the spiritual problem is through an introduction to the core shamanic model of illness. It provides answers and gives us a solid framework for understanding addiction,

This isn’t one culture’s tradition or one religion’s perspective. It’s a structure that’s found on every continent of the world that points to the same three root causes for all disease. And when I applied these to addiction, something fit into place where nothing else had clicked before.

The shamanic map finally made sense of the spiritual territory.

The three reasons, in order:

  • Power Loss — We are all born with spiritual help. Whatever you call it. That connection gets severed when the TAHL hits — the Trauma, Abuse, Heartbreak, and Loss that overwhelms every defense we have. Power Loss isn’t weakness. It’s a severed connection.
  • Soul Loss — When the pain becomes too much to be present for, a piece of us leaves. Psychology calls this dissociation. Shamanism calls it Soul Loss. Basically the same thing, different language. That piece takes qualities with it, our innocence, trust & childlike-joy, and leaves a void where those blessings used to be.
  • Spiritual Intrusion — The void doesn’t stay empty. It never does. Something moves in. It’s pain-fear-based, hungry, and perfectly fed by your drug of choice. This is the spell of addiction. And the only reason it works is because we believe the lie it tells us about who we are.

You don’t have to frame any of this in spiritual terms if that’s not your language. The concepts hold whether you call it a spirit, a belief, a pattern, or a spell. What matters is recognizing the sequence and understanding that recovery, at its core, is about reversing it.

Stop feeding the intrusion. Court your soul back. Reclaim your power.

That’s the treatment plan. And this episode is where it starts.

With Blessings,

Randal

thesobershaman.com

]]>“There is no chemical solution to a spiritual problem.”

You’ve probably heard this one, as it’s one of the most quoted lines in recovery. Maybe you’ve even said it a few times yourself. But here’s the thing:

What exactly is the spiritual problem?

Because if we can’t name it and we can’t map it, then the saying is just a groovy bumper sticker. True, sure, but not particularly useful.

In this episode, I’ll be nailing down exactly what the spiritual problem is through an introduction to the core shamanic model of illness. It provides answers and gives us a solid framework for understanding addiction,

This isn’t one culture’s tradition or one religion’s perspective. It’s a structure that’s found on every continent of the world that points to the same three root causes for all disease. And when I applied these to addiction, something fit into place where nothing else had clicked before.

The shamanic map finally made sense of the spiritual territory.

The three reasons, in order:

  • Power Loss — We are all born with spiritual help. Whatever you call it. That connection gets severed when the TAHL hits — the Trauma, Abuse, Heartbreak, and Loss that overwhelms every defense we have. Power Loss isn’t weakness. It’s a severed connection.
  • Soul Loss — When the pain becomes too much to be present for, a piece of us leaves. Psychology calls this dissociation. Shamanism calls it Soul Loss. Basically the same thing, different language. That piece takes qualities with it, our innocence, trust & childlike-joy, and leaves a void where those blessings used to be.
  • Spiritual Intrusion — The void doesn’t stay empty. It never does. Something moves in. It’s pain-fear-based, hungry, and perfectly fed by your drug of choice. This is the spell of addiction. And the only reason it works is because we believe the lie it tells us about who we are.

You don’t have to frame any of this in spiritual terms if that’s not your language. The concepts hold whether you call it a spirit, a belief, a pattern, or a spell. What matters is recognizing the sequence and understanding that recovery, at its core, is about reversing it.

Stop feeding the intrusion. Court your soul back. Reclaim your power.

That’s the treatment plan. And this episode is where it starts.

With Blessings,

Randal

thesobershaman.com

]]>ff3d6bcd-b2c6-4b32-b1d3-c691d8f76fa6Fri, 22 May 2026 03:40:00 +070046:01falsefull6868The Spell of Power: Man-Made Authority vs. the Living WebThe Spell of Power: Man-Made Authority vs. the Living WebKevin O'Leary is making the rounds, and his case for the Stratos Hyperscale Data Center is polished, confident, and deeply unsettling. Not because he's lying — but because he's telling the truth about exactly what kind of world we're choosing to build.

In this episode, we pull apart the reasoning behind "we need this" and ask a harder question: need it for what, exactly? And according to whose values?

Some of O'Leary's foundational pillars — national security, medical advancement, and job creation — sound like progress. But look closer and you'll find the same engine running all three: fear. Fear of enemies. Fear of disease. Fear of falling behind. When fear is the foundation, the structure it builds is one of control, dependence, and hierarchy — not human flourishing.

We look at what it means to place data centers on top of farmland, possibly permanently. That isn't a neutral infrastructure decision — it's a declaration that our relationship to data is more important than our relationship to food. And when tech inevitably offers lab-grown food as the solution to the food problem it helped create, we'll have traded another living thread for a managed one.

We talk about medicine — and the empowered patient that this model of "advancement" continues to leave out of the equation. We talk about community — what Main Street actually gave us, and what we quietly surrendered when big business became the default form of human organization.

And we talk about power. Not the kind that flows through server farms, but the kind that flows through relationship — with nature, with neighbors, with your own body and choices.

Two kinds of power are on the table right now. One is being built with billions of dollars and the full force of fear. The other lives in the choices you make every single day.

Which one are you feeding?

Takeaways:

  • The "if we don't, our enemies will" argument behind Kevin O'Leary's Stratos Data Center is the same fear-based logic that drove the nuclear arms race — and it's still building the wrong world for the wrong reasons.
  • When we place data centers on farmland, we're making a values statement: that our relationship to technology matters more than our relationship to nourishing, living food.
  • Modern medicine's promise to "advance through AI" continues to disempower the patient — ignoring that the vast majority of chronic disease is lifestyle-dependent and entirely within each person's own control.
  • Big Business as community — built on competition, hierarchy, and dependence on billionaire infrastructure — is one model, not the only model; Main Street, reciprocity, and relationship-based commerce existed, and can exist again.
  • Every strand we hand over to a tech system — food, health, commerce, human connection — is another thread removed from the Web of Life, and the cost doesn't show up until the web starts to tear.

Links referenced in this episode:


]]>Kevin O'Leary is making the rounds, and his case for the Stratos Hyperscale Data Center is polished, confident, and deeply unsettling. Not because he's lying — but because he's telling the truth about exactly what kind of world we're choosing to build.

In this episode, we pull apart the reasoning behind "we need this" and ask a harder question: need it for what, exactly? And according to whose values?

Some of O'Leary's foundational pillars — national security, medical advancement, and job creation — sound like progress. But look closer and you'll find the same engine running all three: fear. Fear of enemies. Fear of disease. Fear of falling behind. When fear is the foundation, the structure it builds is one of control, dependence, and hierarchy — not human flourishing.

We look at what it means to place data centers on top of farmland, possibly permanently. That isn't a neutral infrastructure decision — it's a declaration that our relationship to data is more important than our relationship to food. And when tech inevitably offers lab-grown food as the solution to the food problem it helped create, we'll have traded another living thread for a managed one.

We talk about medicine — and the empowered patient that this model of "advancement" continues to leave out of the equation. We talk about community — what Main Street actually gave us, and what we quietly surrendered when big business became the default form of human organization.

And we talk about power. Not the kind that flows through server farms, but the kind that flows through relationship — with nature, with neighbors, with your own body and choices.

Two kinds of power are on the table right now. One is being built with billions of dollars and the full force of fear. The other lives in the choices you make every single day.

Which one are you feeding?

Takeaways:

  • The "if we don't, our enemies will" argument behind Kevin O'Leary's Stratos Data Center is the same fear-based logic that drove the nuclear arms race — and it's still building the wrong world for the wrong reasons.
  • When we place data centers on farmland, we're making a values statement: that our relationship to technology matters more than our relationship to nourishing, living food.
  • Modern medicine's promise to "advance through AI" continues to disempower the patient — ignoring that the vast majority of chronic disease is lifestyle-dependent and entirely within each person's own control.
  • Big Business as community — built on competition, hierarchy, and dependence on billionaire infrastructure — is one model, not the only model; Main Street, reciprocity, and relationship-based commerce existed, and can exist again.
  • Every strand we hand over to a tech system — food, health, commerce, human connection — is another thread removed from the Web of Life, and the cost doesn't show up until the web starts to tear.

Links referenced in this episode:


]]>227a1831-6115-4f9b-ade3-fdda683eceb2Sat, 16 May 2026 02:00:00 +070035:11falsefull6767Is Ozempic an Addiction? A Chinese Medicine & Shamanic PerspectiveIs Ozempic an Addiction? A Chinese Medicine & Shamanic PerspectiveWhat if the problem with Ozempic isn’t the drug itself — but what it says about our relationship with hunger?

In this episode, I’m sharing my first take on one of the most loaded topics in wellness right now: Ozempic and addiction. And just for a heads-up, my angle might surprise you.

I hear people talk about Ozempic quieting “food noise” or reducing cravings. While that’s great, when I look at it through the lens of Chinese medicine and shamanic tradition, I see something different: a drug that solves hunger by treating hunger as the problem.

Here’s why that matters. Hunger isn’t just a body signal — it’s a sacred function. It’s our daily act of communion with the Earth, with nourishment, with life itself. When we chemically suppress that, we don’t just suppress cravings. We weaken the very muscle that allows us to say yes to what truly nourishes us.

And that, by the Alchemist Recovery definition, starts to look a lot like addiction — the patterned and repetitive use of any substance or action that attempts to fill a void, but instead reinforces the origins of the pattern.

We’ll walk through each element of that definition and apply it directly to Ozempic. We’ll talk about rituals of communion, the archetypal wound of disconnection from nature, and why…

your daily pill may have replaced your daily bread.

This is not medical advice. This is a perspective — one I hope sparks some open thinking & honest conversation.

Important discussions like…who makes the best stuffed noodle? Wontons vs. ravioli vs. pierogis. Let’s sit down, disagree, and figure it out together.

🎙️ The Sober Shaman Podcast — making the spiritual practical.

You can listen to the audio of this episode here:

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thesobershaman.com/subscribe

]]>What if the problem with Ozempic isn’t the drug itself — but what it says about our relationship with hunger?

In this episode, I’m sharing my first take on one of the most loaded topics in wellness right now: Ozempic and addiction. And just for a heads-up, my angle might surprise you.

I hear people talk about Ozempic quieting “food noise” or reducing cravings. While that’s great, when I look at it through the lens of Chinese medicine and shamanic tradition, I see something different: a drug that solves hunger by treating hunger as the problem.

Here’s why that matters. Hunger isn’t just a body signal — it’s a sacred function. It’s our daily act of communion with the Earth, with nourishment, with life itself. When we chemically suppress that, we don’t just suppress cravings. We weaken the very muscle that allows us to say yes to what truly nourishes us.

And that, by the Alchemist Recovery definition, starts to look a lot like addiction — the patterned and repetitive use of any substance or action that attempts to fill a void, but instead reinforces the origins of the pattern.

We’ll walk through each element of that definition and apply it directly to Ozempic. We’ll talk about rituals of communion, the archetypal wound of disconnection from nature, and why…

your daily pill may have replaced your daily bread.

This is not medical advice. This is a perspective — one I hope sparks some open thinking & honest conversation.

Important discussions like…who makes the best stuffed noodle? Wontons vs. ravioli vs. pierogis. Let’s sit down, disagree, and figure it out together.

🎙️ The Sober Shaman Podcast — making the spiritual practical.

You can listen to the audio of this episode here:

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thesobershaman.com/subscribe

]]>substack:post:196743263Tue, 12 May 2026 06:14:00 +070043:05falsefull6666Addiction is Possession: A Modern Shamanic TakeAddiction is Possession: A Modern Shamanic Takehe Sober Shaman Podcast #65

Addiction is Possesssion: A Modern Shamanic Take

Let’s clear up what we mean by possession. We can start with what it’s not, which is the sensationalized version we’ve been shown in the exorcism movies.

Overwhelmingly, and almost exclusively, that’s not the case.

So, what exactly is it?

What is doing the possessing?

Who and what is being possessed?

How do we unravel all of this?

And especially as it relates to our modern take on addiction?

That’s what we’ll be diving into and the questions we’ll be answering in today’s episode.

thesobershaman.com

]]>he Sober Shaman Podcast #65

Addiction is Possesssion: A Modern Shamanic Take

Let’s clear up what we mean by possession. We can start with what it’s not, which is the sensationalized version we’ve been shown in the exorcism movies.

Overwhelmingly, and almost exclusively, that’s not the case.

So, what exactly is it?

What is doing the possessing?

Who and what is being possessed?

How do we unravel all of this?

And especially as it relates to our modern take on addiction?

That’s what we’ll be diving into and the questions we’ll be answering in today’s episode.

thesobershaman.com

]]>69ed13a5-571a-4205-accf-069516dfd722Sun, 26 Apr 2026 03:35:00 +070046:20falsefull6565Addiction in Reality: Psychedelics & The Shamanic JourneyAddiction in Reality: Psychedelics & The Shamanic JourneyExplore the nature of reality through the lens of psychedelics and shamanic journeys, and their potential in addiction recovery. Discover insights on how these experiences alter perception, foster trust with spirits, and support healing.

keywords:

reality, psychedelics, shamanic journey, addiction, consciousness, spiritual healing, perception, non-ordinary reality

key topics:

The nature of reality and perception

Differences between psychedelic and shamanic journeys

The role of trust and relationship with spirits

Impact of experiences on addiction beliefs

The importance of intention and partnership in journeys

sound bites

"Reality isn't as cut and dry as I thought it was."

"Psychedelics can help dissolve limiting beliefs."

"Both realities are true and valuable for healing."

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Reality and Psychedelic Perspectives

01:21 Perception of Reality During Psychedelic Experiences

02:30 Living in Different Dimensions: From 2D to 3D to Higher Realms

04:10 Shamanic Journeys and the Experience of the Other

06:08 Differences Between Psychedelic and Shamanic Experiences

09:35 Control and Agency in Psychedelic vs. Shamanic Practices

11:57 Partnership and Trust with Spirit Guides

14:14 Thresholds, Dismemberment, and Transformation

15:27 Impact of Experiences on Identity and Beliefs

23:44 Psychedelics and the Dissolution of Limiting Beliefs

29:46 Using Shamanic Journeys for Specific Intentions

36:48 Integrating Multiple Realities for Healing and Growth

37:57 Conclusion and Future Directions for Healing with Psychedelics and Shamanism

Website - thesobershaman.com

]]>Explore the nature of reality through the lens of psychedelics and shamanic journeys, and their potential in addiction recovery. Discover insights on how these experiences alter perception, foster trust with spirits, and support healing.

keywords:

reality, psychedelics, shamanic journey, addiction, consciousness, spiritual healing, perception, non-ordinary reality

key topics:

The nature of reality and perception

Differences between psychedelic and shamanic journeys

The role of trust and relationship with spirits

Impact of experiences on addiction beliefs

The importance of intention and partnership in journeys

sound bites

"Reality isn't as cut and dry as I thought it was."

"Psychedelics can help dissolve limiting beliefs."

"Both realities are true and valuable for healing."

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Reality and Psychedelic Perspectives

01:21 Perception of Reality During Psychedelic Experiences

02:30 Living in Different Dimensions: From 2D to 3D to Higher Realms

04:10 Shamanic Journeys and the Experience of the Other

06:08 Differences Between Psychedelic and Shamanic Experiences

09:35 Control and Agency in Psychedelic vs. Shamanic Practices

11:57 Partnership and Trust with Spirit Guides

14:14 Thresholds, Dismemberment, and Transformation

15:27 Impact of Experiences on Identity and Beliefs

23:44 Psychedelics and the Dissolution of Limiting Beliefs

29:46 Using Shamanic Journeys for Specific Intentions

36:48 Integrating Multiple Realities for Healing and Growth

37:57 Conclusion and Future Directions for Healing with Psychedelics and Shamanism

Website - thesobershaman.com

]]>00513c2e-7436-4870-820d-0539f8005548Sun, 19 Apr 2026 03:35:00 +070040:06falsefull6464Breaking Lifelong Addiction Blocks: Lessons on Commitment from Jesus & the BuddhaBreaking Lifelong Addiction Blocks: Lessons on Commitment from Jesus & the BuddhaWhat happens when we commit 100% to breaking through a lifelong block?

In this episode of The Sober Shaman, we dive into the "ceilings" we all hit in recovery. Especially those stubborn, recurring patterns involving the "Big Three": Food, Sex, and Money.

Even after years of sobriety, many of us find ourselves still enchanted by the Spells of our solidified beliefs. They validate themselves on our past experiences but because we believe them, they predetermine our future outcomes.

We'll explore why taking a journey or working the steps or reading self-help isn't always enough to shatter these specific blocks.

The missing ingredient? 100% Commitment.

In this episode, we explore:

  • The Big Three: Why food, sex, and money are the usual ceilings we hit in our next level of spiritual growth.
  • The Anatomy of a Spell: How your current beliefs are actually sabotaging your future potential.
  • The Power of 100%: Lessons from Jesus and the Buddha on what it truly looks like to "say no to the Devil".

Whether you are struggling with sugar, finances, or love in all of its forms, this episode provides the spiritual medicine needed to breakthrough those self-imposed ceilings we've all manifested.

Connect with the Journey:

Ready to take the spiritual medicine into your daily life? Visit us at thesobershaman.com for more resources, episodes, and guidance on your path to recovery.

]]>What happens when we commit 100% to breaking through a lifelong block?

In this episode of The Sober Shaman, we dive into the "ceilings" we all hit in recovery. Especially those stubborn, recurring patterns involving the "Big Three": Food, Sex, and Money.

Even after years of sobriety, many of us find ourselves still enchanted by the Spells of our solidified beliefs. They validate themselves on our past experiences but because we believe them, they predetermine our future outcomes.

We'll explore why taking a journey or working the steps or reading self-help isn't always enough to shatter these specific blocks.

The missing ingredient? 100% Commitment.

In this episode, we explore:

  • The Big Three: Why food, sex, and money are the usual ceilings we hit in our next level of spiritual growth.
  • The Anatomy of a Spell: How your current beliefs are actually sabotaging your future potential.
  • The Power of 100%: Lessons from Jesus and the Buddha on what it truly looks like to "say no to the Devil".

Whether you are struggling with sugar, finances, or love in all of its forms, this episode provides the spiritual medicine needed to breakthrough those self-imposed ceilings we've all manifested.

Connect with the Journey:

Ready to take the spiritual medicine into your daily life? Visit us at thesobershaman.com for more resources, episodes, and guidance on your path to recovery.

]]>a65bf032-ae6b-4220-9c3e-8c593b06ff8dSun, 12 Apr 2026 03:30:00 +070031:17falsefull6363Getting Unstuck with Surrender: Why trying harder isn't the answerGetting Unstuck with Surrender: Why trying harder isn't the answerWhen faced with the fact that we’ve come up short, It’s normal to think that if we just planned better, woke up earlier, and tried a little harder, then we would have succeeded.

But what happens when we realize that we’ve said that, and done that, and still ended up in this exact spot, more than once before?

Trying harder, and of all the mind’s controlled thinking, planning and judging, can actually be the cement that hardens a long-standing pattern into place.

So, for these people, which are most people, surrender is the way out.

But what exactly is surrender? Who is doing it? And what are we surrendering to?

Don’t worry, this isn’t about defeat - it’s actually about scoring a victory for the forces of innocence, love, spirit and the Heart.

Check out how we do this in the latest episode of The Sober Shaman Podcast

Takeaways

  • Cycles of addiction and mental health struggles can lead to feelings of being stuck and repeating patterns.
  • The interplay between surrender and discipline, and the longing of the heart for connection, are key elements in getting unstuck.

Chapters

  • 00:00 Getting Unstuck in Recovery and Mental Health
  • 09:26 The Pull of Surrender and Discipline
  • 19:39 The Role of Identity and Purpose
  • 26:41 The Power of Surrender and the Heart's Longing
  • 32:28 Breaking Free from Limiting Core Beliefs

thesobershaman.com

]]>When faced with the fact that we’ve come up short, It’s normal to think that if we just planned better, woke up earlier, and tried a little harder, then we would have succeeded.

But what happens when we realize that we’ve said that, and done that, and still ended up in this exact spot, more than once before?

Trying harder, and of all the mind’s controlled thinking, planning and judging, can actually be the cement that hardens a long-standing pattern into place.

So, for these people, which are most people, surrender is the way out.

But what exactly is surrender? Who is doing it? And what are we surrendering to?

Don’t worry, this isn’t about defeat - it’s actually about scoring a victory for the forces of innocence, love, spirit and the Heart.

Check out how we do this in the latest episode of The Sober Shaman Podcast

Takeaways

  • Cycles of addiction and mental health struggles can lead to feelings of being stuck and repeating patterns.
  • The interplay between surrender and discipline, and the longing of the heart for connection, are key elements in getting unstuck.

Chapters

  • 00:00 Getting Unstuck in Recovery and Mental Health
  • 09:26 The Pull of Surrender and Discipline
  • 19:39 The Role of Identity and Purpose
  • 26:41 The Power of Surrender and the Heart's Longing
  • 32:28 Breaking Free from Limiting Core Beliefs

thesobershaman.com

]]>fcbc3f96-1d0b-4581-9631-99a737b48f15Sun, 05 Apr 2026 03:25:00 +070037:07falsefull6262Can an Online Space Save Sacred Wisdom? Scottie Schneider on Healing Through the Ocoyai CommunityCan an Online Space Save Sacred Wisdom? Scottie Schneider on Healing Through the Ocoyai CommunityThe conversation delves into the world of Okoye, a living school rooted in indigenous wisdom and community building. It explores the incorporation of indigenous elders, preservation of languages, and the impact of remote work on indigenous communities.

The discussion also highlights the challenges and growth of community building, emphasizing the importance of relationship and the medicine of community.

The conversation delves into the changing nature of communication and community, the role of AI in community building, the concept of home and community acceptance, creating safe spaces and deep work with medicine, the purpose of joining an online community, in-person immersion experiences and community expansion, the responsibility of community stewardship, empowering visionaries and building a sustainable community, and inviting individuals to join the community.

Takeaways

  • Community Building
  • Indigenous Wisdom Community Building
  • Holistic Healing

Chapters

  • 00:00 Challenges and Growth of Community Building
  • 23:53 The Changing Nature of Communication and Community
  • 30:30 Creating Safe Spaces and Deep Work with Medicine
  • 35:56 The Responsibility of Community Stewardship
  • 45:04 Inviting Individuals to Join the Community

https://www.skool.com/ocoyai-ancestral-school

thesobershaman.com

]]>The conversation delves into the world of Okoye, a living school rooted in indigenous wisdom and community building. It explores the incorporation of indigenous elders, preservation of languages, and the impact of remote work on indigenous communities.

The discussion also highlights the challenges and growth of community building, emphasizing the importance of relationship and the medicine of community.

The conversation delves into the changing nature of communication and community, the role of AI in community building, the concept of home and community acceptance, creating safe spaces and deep work with medicine, the purpose of joining an online community, in-person immersion experiences and community expansion, the responsibility of community stewardship, empowering visionaries and building a sustainable community, and inviting individuals to join the community.

Takeaways

  • Community Building
  • Indigenous Wisdom Community Building
  • Holistic Healing

Chapters

  • 00:00 Challenges and Growth of Community Building
  • 23:53 The Changing Nature of Communication and Community
  • 30:30 Creating Safe Spaces and Deep Work with Medicine
  • 35:56 The Responsibility of Community Stewardship
  • 45:04 Inviting Individuals to Join the Community

https://www.skool.com/ocoyai-ancestral-school

thesobershaman.com

]]>21f8c172-584e-4751-901c-2ea1b3da797eThu, 26 Mar 2026 03:20:00 +070049:14falsefull6161Opening the Eyes of the Heart - an Introduction to this powerful & ancient medicineOpening the Eyes of the Heart - an Introduction to this powerful & ancient medicineWhen I'm asked, "What do you do?" the most accurate answer is…

"I help people Open the Eyes of their Heart.”

Of course, that response raises more questions than it answers but sometimes...isn't that the point?

Which is why in this episode of the podcast, I answer this question in detail and provide the what, how and why of this powerful approach and time-less medicine.

Join us & experience what it's all about

thesobershaman.com

]]>When I'm asked, "What do you do?" the most accurate answer is…

"I help people Open the Eyes of their Heart.”

Of course, that response raises more questions than it answers but sometimes...isn't that the point?

Which is why in this episode of the podcast, I answer this question in detail and provide the what, how and why of this powerful approach and time-less medicine.

Join us & experience what it's all about

thesobershaman.com

]]>9397fb53-4f06-47d4-9fbe-79faed21766aSat, 21 Mar 2026 03:15:00 +070024:41falsefull6060Why Understanding Is Not EnoughWhy Understanding Is Not EnoughThe podcast explores the limitations of understanding and the need for the four medicines to treat addiction and trauma. It emphasizes the importance of experience, connection, and practice in transforming old beliefs and behaviors.

Takeaways

  • Understanding alone is not enough
  • The four medicines (awareness, experience, connection, practice) are essential for transformation

Chapters

  • 00:00 Understanding is Not Enough
  • 07:02 The Medicine of Experience
  • 14:36 The Path of Mastery

thesobershaman.com

]]>The podcast explores the limitations of understanding and the need for the four medicines to treat addiction and trauma. It emphasizes the importance of experience, connection, and practice in transforming old beliefs and behaviors.

Takeaways

  • Understanding alone is not enough
  • The four medicines (awareness, experience, connection, practice) are essential for transformation

Chapters

  • 00:00 Understanding is Not Enough
  • 07:02 The Medicine of Experience
  • 14:36 The Path of Mastery

thesobershaman.com

]]>4a14fe25-22b5-48a3-b607-ca7045e118e2Sat, 14 Mar 2026 03:15:00 +070025:10falsefull5959Inspiration: Breathing Beauty into Addiction RecoveryInspiration: Breathing Beauty into Addiction RecoveryThe conversation explores the interconnectedness of inspiration and mastery, emphasizing their role in personal transformation and empowerment. It delves into the power of inspiration in guiding individuals towards authenticity and value, highlighting the significance of breathing in the divine and the impact of inspiration on empowerment and transformation.

Takeaways

  • Inspiration and mastery are interconnected
  • The power of inspiration in transformation

Chapters

  • 00:00 The Path of Mastery and Transformation
  • 10:46 Breathing in the Divine
  • 19:30 The Power of Inspiration
  • 26:02 Empowerment and Transformation

]]>The conversation explores the interconnectedness of inspiration and mastery, emphasizing their role in personal transformation and empowerment. It delves into the power of inspiration in guiding individuals towards authenticity and value, highlighting the significance of breathing in the divine and the impact of inspiration on empowerment and transformation.

Takeaways

  • Inspiration and mastery are interconnected
  • The power of inspiration in transformation

Chapters

  • 00:00 The Path of Mastery and Transformation
  • 10:46 Breathing in the Divine
  • 19:30 The Power of Inspiration
  • 26:02 Empowerment and Transformation

]]>e26689e6-a4b6-4aeb-8671-bb5e46c07a1fSat, 07 Mar 2026 03:10:00 +070034:54falsefull5858Addiction Recovery using Tai Chi, Mastery & CannolisAddiction Recovery using Tai Chi, Mastery & CannolisThe latest surge in all-things-Chinese-health-related, gives me both hope and disappointment.

Because I know that this medicine is exactly what's needed right now and the surge will introduce its wonders to many.

And at the same time, I know that the appeal will quickly fade once people realize there's no hack, short-cut or quick-fix anywhere to be found.

It's a path of skill, dedication and mastery.

And it doesn't have to be mastery in Tai Chi or anything obviously health related. It could be...cannolis ; )

See how & let me know your thoughts.

Blessings!

Randal

Takeaways:

  • The practice of Tai Chi serves as a profound method for cultivating self-discipline and mastery in one's life.
  • Achieving mastery in any discipline requires unwavering dedication and the willingness to engage in repetitive practice over an extended period.
  • The disparity between internal worth and external validation significantly contributes to the challenges encountered in the realm of addiction.
  • Mastery enables individuals to establish meaningful connections with others through the sharing of acquired skills and knowledge.
  • The journey of mastery is analogous to the adage of 'chop wood, carry water,' emphasizing the importance of consistent effort in all endeavors.
  • In the pursuit of mastery, one learns that the process of continuous improvement is intrinsically valuable in itself.

Chapters:

  • 00:00 - The Surge of Interest in Tai Chi
  • 01:01 - The Journey into Tai Chi
  • 05:07 - The Journey of Mastery
  • 07:01 - Exploring Internal vs External Validation
  • 11:23 - The Path to Mastery
  • 12:38 - Exploring Paths of Mastery

]]>The latest surge in all-things-Chinese-health-related, gives me both hope and disappointment.

Because I know that this medicine is exactly what's needed right now and the surge will introduce its wonders to many.

And at the same time, I know that the appeal will quickly fade once people realize there's no hack, short-cut or quick-fix anywhere to be found.

It's a path of skill, dedication and mastery.

And it doesn't have to be mastery in Tai Chi or anything obviously health related. It could be...cannolis ; )

See how & let me know your thoughts.

Blessings!

Randal

Takeaways:

  • The practice of Tai Chi serves as a profound method for cultivating self-discipline and mastery in one's life.
  • Achieving mastery in any discipline requires unwavering dedication and the willingness to engage in repetitive practice over an extended period.
  • The disparity between internal worth and external validation significantly contributes to the challenges encountered in the realm of addiction.
  • Mastery enables individuals to establish meaningful connections with others through the sharing of acquired skills and knowledge.
  • The journey of mastery is analogous to the adage of 'chop wood, carry water,' emphasizing the importance of consistent effort in all endeavors.
  • In the pursuit of mastery, one learns that the process of continuous improvement is intrinsically valuable in itself.

Chapters:

  • 00:00 - The Surge of Interest in Tai Chi
  • 01:01 - The Journey into Tai Chi
  • 05:07 - The Journey of Mastery
  • 07:01 - Exploring Internal vs External Validation
  • 11:23 - The Path to Mastery
  • 12:38 - Exploring Paths of Mastery

]]>8869a869-385a-4156-a45c-a6f03e704e34Sun, 01 Mar 2026 03:10:00 +070013:32falsefull5757We've been here 1,000 times before...We've been here 1,000 times before..."I've been here 1,000 times before."

"We've been here 1,000 times before."

"What do you say? Ready to try something different?"

For those of us who've battled addiction, or loved someone with an addiction, or are a professional medical or mental healthcare provider helping someone with addiction...

"We've been here 1,000 times before."

Principle #2 of The Alchemist Recovery Program states, "Addiction is a Cycle," and while that may not seem revelatory, there are a few things we recognize differently.

Because addiction is a cycle, and because we've been here 1,000 times before, we know with certainty what comes next.

The Cycle is repetitive, unoriginal and quite boring, actually!

So, when we shine the light of truth onto the situation and provide a clear off-ramp to the person struggling, why don't they take it?

Because they know if they do, it will never be the same. Something will change forever and something will die.

That "something" can be called denial, the ego, the Pericardium, the spirit of addiction, or the devil himself.

Whatever "It" is, "It" knows it will die.

And when something knows death is nye, there is the most violent of thrashings for survival.

That's what we're up against. And that's what we're talking about in this episode.

Links referenced in this episode:


]]>"I've been here 1,000 times before."

"We've been here 1,000 times before."

"What do you say? Ready to try something different?"

For those of us who've battled addiction, or loved someone with an addiction, or are a professional medical or mental healthcare provider helping someone with addiction...

"We've been here 1,000 times before."

Principle #2 of The Alchemist Recovery Program states, "Addiction is a Cycle," and while that may not seem revelatory, there are a few things we recognize differently.

Because addiction is a cycle, and because we've been here 1,000 times before, we know with certainty what comes next.

The Cycle is repetitive, unoriginal and quite boring, actually!

So, when we shine the light of truth onto the situation and provide a clear off-ramp to the person struggling, why don't they take it?

Because they know if they do, it will never be the same. Something will change forever and something will die.

That "something" can be called denial, the ego, the Pericardium, the spirit of addiction, or the devil himself.

Whatever "It" is, "It" knows it will die.

And when something knows death is nye, there is the most violent of thrashings for survival.

That's what we're up against. And that's what we're talking about in this episode.

Links referenced in this episode:


]]>ab8f3e24-9f82-4939-b54c-43c7a8ef1cc7Sat, 21 Feb 2026 03:05:00 +070027:18falsefull5656The Formula & Requirements for Success in SobrietyThe Formula & Requirements for Success in SobrietySuccess.

What does this look like?

And specifically, what does it look like in sobriety?

I’ve got a simple 3-part formula to begin the conversation.

When you hear it, it may very well land with you as simplistic, which for me is awesome, but it also demands that we apply two kinds of medicine.

The first is a ruthless honesty of awareness

And the second is a generous heart of compassion.

Holding these two together, simultaneously, is the way we can accurately assess the ingredients that go into real, lasting success.

That’s what we dive into in this episode of The Sober Shaman Podcast.

Join us in the next Live Session of the Lesson of the Week - where it’s always completely anonymous - and guaranteed to introduce you to a few new ways of viewing some old problems.

Links referenced in this episode:


]]>Success.

What does this look like?

And specifically, what does it look like in sobriety?

I’ve got a simple 3-part formula to begin the conversation.

When you hear it, it may very well land with you as simplistic, which for me is awesome, but it also demands that we apply two kinds of medicine.

The first is a ruthless honesty of awareness

And the second is a generous heart of compassion.

Holding these two together, simultaneously, is the way we can accurately assess the ingredients that go into real, lasting success.

That’s what we dive into in this episode of The Sober Shaman Podcast.

Join us in the next Live Session of the Lesson of the Week - where it’s always completely anonymous - and guaranteed to introduce you to a few new ways of viewing some old problems.

Links referenced in this episode:


]]>24e2b560-d2d5-4aa3-bf38-500d3575f19cSun, 01 Feb 2026 03:00:00 +070033:44falsefull5555Addiction Recovery & How it Takes a New Experience to Change the Old BeliefAddiction Recovery & How it Takes a New Experience to Change the Old BeliefOn The Sober Shaman Podcast this week, we take a fresh look at the work the we perform within Lesson #4: Definitions: Medicine - Part 2.

We start with an online back-and-forth between myself and an MD about the basics: what medicine is and what medicine is not.

For me, medicine absolutely is something that encompasses approaches beyond what he proposed as outside agents, such as pills, and procedures, such as surgery. Specifically, this Lesson shows how awareness, experience, connection and practice are four examples of this - and how each directly applies to a particular aspect of the whole person.

Next, I provide two client cases of how the medicine of experience is applied in addiction treatment. I have a saying…

It takes a new experience to change an old belief

In these examples, we show how a conscious, connecting, new experience that is put into practice, is the exact medicine to transform the old, outdated limiting core beliefs that lie at the core of an addiction.

Links referenced in this episode:


]]>On The Sober Shaman Podcast this week, we take a fresh look at the work the we perform within Lesson #4: Definitions: Medicine - Part 2.

We start with an online back-and-forth between myself and an MD about the basics: what medicine is and what medicine is not.

For me, medicine absolutely is something that encompasses approaches beyond what he proposed as outside agents, such as pills, and procedures, such as surgery. Specifically, this Lesson shows how awareness, experience, connection and practice are four examples of this - and how each directly applies to a particular aspect of the whole person.

Next, I provide two client cases of how the medicine of experience is applied in addiction treatment. I have a saying…

It takes a new experience to change an old belief

In these examples, we show how a conscious, connecting, new experience that is put into practice, is the exact medicine to transform the old, outdated limiting core beliefs that lie at the core of an addiction.

Links referenced in this episode:


]]>e97e04a8-e05f-4564-be9e-6d4a13acaa0bSat, 24 Jan 2026 03:00:00 +070036:19falsefull5454Understanding the Void: It's the Pull at the Core of AddictionUnderstanding the Void: It's the Pull at the Core of AddictionHave you ever felt a deep sense of "not enough" or an "insatiable pull from somewhere inside" that you just couldn't quite name?

A feeling that something essential is missing, driving you to seek comfort or escape?

Introducing "The Void": Today, we're diving into a core concept from Alchemist Recovery's definition of addiction: "The Void." In plain English, "The Void" is that profound internal emptiness that addiction desperately tries to fill.

It's a central piece of the puzzle in understanding why addiction takes hold and what drives the "patterned use" we discussed in previous lessons.

Takeaways:

  • The profound internal emptiness, referred to as the void, is a central concept in understanding addiction.
  • This void is often expressed as an insatiable craving to be filled, stemming from trauma and loss.
  • The metaphor of a meteor crashing into the earth illustrates how trauma impacts the soul, creating a deep emotional crater.
  • Addiction arises as a misguided attempt to fill the void, driven by core beliefs of inadequacy and brokenness.

Links referenced in this episode:


]]>Have you ever felt a deep sense of "not enough" or an "insatiable pull from somewhere inside" that you just couldn't quite name?

A feeling that something essential is missing, driving you to seek comfort or escape?

Introducing "The Void": Today, we're diving into a core concept from Alchemist Recovery's definition of addiction: "The Void." In plain English, "The Void" is that profound internal emptiness that addiction desperately tries to fill.

It's a central piece of the puzzle in understanding why addiction takes hold and what drives the "patterned use" we discussed in previous lessons.

Takeaways:

  • The profound internal emptiness, referred to as the void, is a central concept in understanding addiction.
  • This void is often expressed as an insatiable craving to be filled, stemming from trauma and loss.
  • The metaphor of a meteor crashing into the earth illustrates how trauma impacts the soul, creating a deep emotional crater.
  • Addiction arises as a misguided attempt to fill the void, driven by core beliefs of inadequacy and brokenness.

Links referenced in this episode:


]]>9dc5eb98-7fe1-4b80-a2d2-e0f687eb4a19Sat, 10 Jan 2026 02:55:00 +070028:03falsefull5353Addiction to Identity: Who I Am & Who I Am NotAddiction to Identity: Who I Am & Who I Am NotThe primary focus of this podcast episode is the exploration of identity in the context of recovery from addiction, particularly as we embark upon the new year of 2026.

We delve into the significance of defining key terms such as "alcoholic" and "addict," examining their implications both personally and within broader societal frameworks.

As we reflect on the cyclical nature of time and personal growth, we emphasize the importance of approaching recovery with a mindset that embraces ongoing introspection and transformation.

Through this lens, we encourage listeners to confront their beliefs and attachments to their identities, which may hinder their progress in recovery.

Ultimately, this episode serves as a foundational lesson that invites a deeper understanding of oneself, paving the way for a more meaningful journey toward sobriety.

Takeaways:

  • The commencement of the year serves as a pivotal moment for introspection and self-improvement.
  • In recovery, understanding the definitions of addiction and identity is paramount for personal growth.
  • Holistic perspectives in recovery emphasize the cyclical nature of personal development and transformation.
  • It is essential to differentiate between individual identity and addiction, recognizing the nuances involved.
  • The exercise of defining oneself can either empower or disempower individuals in their recovery journey.
  • Embracing the universality of addiction fosters connection and facilitates meaningful dialogues among individuals.

Links referenced in this episode:


Companies mentioned in this episode:

  • Dr. Dana Lee Lyons / Perfect Hunger

]]>The primary focus of this podcast episode is the exploration of identity in the context of recovery from addiction, particularly as we embark upon the new year of 2026.

We delve into the significance of defining key terms such as "alcoholic" and "addict," examining their implications both personally and within broader societal frameworks.

As we reflect on the cyclical nature of time and personal growth, we emphasize the importance of approaching recovery with a mindset that embraces ongoing introspection and transformation.

Through this lens, we encourage listeners to confront their beliefs and attachments to their identities, which may hinder their progress in recovery.

Ultimately, this episode serves as a foundational lesson that invites a deeper understanding of oneself, paving the way for a more meaningful journey toward sobriety.

Takeaways:

  • The commencement of the year serves as a pivotal moment for introspection and self-improvement.
  • In recovery, understanding the definitions of addiction and identity is paramount for personal growth.
  • Holistic perspectives in recovery emphasize the cyclical nature of personal development and transformation.
  • It is essential to differentiate between individual identity and addiction, recognizing the nuances involved.
  • The exercise of defining oneself can either empower or disempower individuals in their recovery journey.
  • Embracing the universality of addiction fosters connection and facilitates meaningful dialogues among individuals.

Links referenced in this episode:


Companies mentioned in this episode:

  • Dr. Dana Lee Lyons / Perfect Hunger

]]>a4006d1f-8ade-4f42-9708-16486fac01deFri, 02 Jan 2026 02:50:00 +070028:16falsefull5252Is Addiction a Form of Possession?Is Addiction a Form of Possession?This week’s episode of The Sober Shaman Podcast dives into a big one — possession — and how it connects to the experience of addiction.

We explore how this is not the Hollywood version with demons and exorcisms… but rather the more insidious and self-perpetuated kind. The kind that happens when our own addictive thoughts, beliefs and feelings grab hold of the wheel and take over the driving. Looking back, we wonder exactly when it was we handed over the keys.

In this episode, we'll go into:

  • What possession really means in shamanic and recovery terms
  • How thought forms — energetic creations born from focused intention and strong emotions — can take on a life of their own
  • Why addiction is predictable and cyclical, and what it means when we lose choice
  • How to dissolve these patterns and begin feeding the helping & compassionate spirits of healing, gratitude, and recovery

It’s a subject that causes reflexive reactions and that's exactly why I'm diving in. This is a conversation about reclaiming power through awareness and by taking responsibility earlier in the process of manifestation.

We go into exactly where these parasites of possession begin their attachment to our thoughts, beliefs, and feelings, and explore how we can disentangle ourselves from them and their destructive outcomes.

Links referenced in this episode:


]]>This week’s episode of The Sober Shaman Podcast dives into a big one — possession — and how it connects to the experience of addiction.

We explore how this is not the Hollywood version with demons and exorcisms… but rather the more insidious and self-perpetuated kind. The kind that happens when our own addictive thoughts, beliefs and feelings grab hold of the wheel and take over the driving. Looking back, we wonder exactly when it was we handed over the keys.

In this episode, we'll go into:

  • What possession really means in shamanic and recovery terms
  • How thought forms — energetic creations born from focused intention and strong emotions — can take on a life of their own
  • Why addiction is predictable and cyclical, and what it means when we lose choice
  • How to dissolve these patterns and begin feeding the helping & compassionate spirits of healing, gratitude, and recovery

It’s a subject that causes reflexive reactions and that's exactly why I'm diving in. This is a conversation about reclaiming power through awareness and by taking responsibility earlier in the process of manifestation.

We go into exactly where these parasites of possession begin their attachment to our thoughts, beliefs, and feelings, and explore how we can disentangle ourselves from them and their destructive outcomes.

Links referenced in this episode:


]]>662875bc-a37a-4d51-a9ce-3e0ecdad172aSat, 08 Nov 2025 02:45:00 +070057:24falsefull5151Possessing Beauty: Courting, Competition & MasteryPossessing Beauty: Courting, Competition & MasteryA Call for Mastery and Men's Ability to Court

When we grow into adulthood without a guide that can lead us to mastery of a skill that enhances our community, speaks to our hearts, and promotes the healthiest aspects of our culture...

We feel the Void this leaves behind. Then, how do we respond to the pull of this Void?

In this episode of The Sober Shaman Podcast, we take a look at exactly what happens here, the damage that is caused as a result - and what we can do about it.

___________________

This is a big subject - and one that can be approached from many directions. So today, we enter into it from our current culture's relationship to beauty, courting, and the dance of Yin Yang and male female.

As always, please hit the Like & Subscribe buttons, and send me any comments or questions you have.

With blessings,

Randal

------------------------

Takeaways:

  • The Sober Shaman Podcast delves into the intersection of spirituality and practical recovery methods for addiction.
  • Understanding the societal and cultural roots of addiction can help illuminate personal struggles and pathways to healing.
  • Mastery and the ability to create beauty are essential components that can fill the existential void in individuals, particularly men.
  • The lack of guidance and mentorship in young men's lives contributes significantly to their feelings of emptiness and subsequent addiction issues.
  • A clear transition from adolescence into adulthood, facilitated by mentorship, is crucial for developing skills necessary for mastery and personal fulfillment.
  • The podcast emphasizes the importance of expressing and appreciating beauty as a fundamental human experience essential for recovery and growth.

Links referenced in this episode:


]]>A Call for Mastery and Men's Ability to Court

When we grow into adulthood without a guide that can lead us to mastery of a skill that enhances our community, speaks to our hearts, and promotes the healthiest aspects of our culture...

We feel the Void this leaves behind. Then, how do we respond to the pull of this Void?

In this episode of The Sober Shaman Podcast, we take a look at exactly what happens here, the damage that is caused as a result - and what we can do about it.

___________________

This is a big subject - and one that can be approached from many directions. So today, we enter into it from our current culture's relationship to beauty, courting, and the dance of Yin Yang and male female.

As always, please hit the Like & Subscribe buttons, and send me any comments or questions you have.

With blessings,

Randal

------------------------

Takeaways:

  • The Sober Shaman Podcast delves into the intersection of spirituality and practical recovery methods for addiction.
  • Understanding the societal and cultural roots of addiction can help illuminate personal struggles and pathways to healing.
  • Mastery and the ability to create beauty are essential components that can fill the existential void in individuals, particularly men.
  • The lack of guidance and mentorship in young men's lives contributes significantly to their feelings of emptiness and subsequent addiction issues.
  • A clear transition from adolescence into adulthood, facilitated by mentorship, is crucial for developing skills necessary for mastery and personal fulfillment.
  • The podcast emphasizes the importance of expressing and appreciating beauty as a fundamental human experience essential for recovery and growth.

Links referenced in this episode:


]]>132ff539-bd96-4ec1-a54e-8063f9b0fb5aSat, 25 Oct 2025 02:40:00 +070028:14falsefull5050Trauma, Addiction & Power Loss: How does a victim become the perpetrator?Trauma, Addiction & Power Loss: How does a victim become the perpetrator?Every victim does not become the perpetrator but…nearly every perpetrator has been the victim.

How does one go from being a victim, from being the recipient of horrendous pain, to then inflicting that same brand of pain upon another?

How does this happen?

In shamanism, it’s starts with Power Loss.

And in this episode of The Sober Shaman Podcast, we'll examine how and why this happens, what are the results, and then, what we can do about it to regain our power back and heal.

Here’s the breakdown:

The 3 kinds of shamanic illness

  • Power Loss
  • Soul Loss
  • Spiritual Intrusion

TAHL: Trauma, Abuse, Heartbreak & Loss

Abuse that can cause Power Loss:

  • Sexual
  • Physical
  • Verbal

How do we get it back?

  • There’s a bad way…”The same way it was taken from me!”
  • We’ll talk about this and why it doesn't work.

  • And a good way…”Re-connection and a place to put my gift.”
  • We’ll talk about this.

I love how shamanism can take important, powerful and deeply painful forms of illness, and create clear and simple-languaged ways of explaining the healing path ahead.

With blessings,

Randal

To learn more about this subject, check out Lesson #21 on The Alchemist Recovery Program: https://www.thesobershaman.com/p/lesson-21-a-shamanic-view-of-illness

As always, please subscribe to the podcast, the newsletter, and send me any questions you may have: https://www.thesobershaman.com/

]]>Every victim does not become the perpetrator but…nearly every perpetrator has been the victim.

How does one go from being a victim, from being the recipient of horrendous pain, to then inflicting that same brand of pain upon another?

How does this happen?

In shamanism, it’s starts with Power Loss.

And in this episode of The Sober Shaman Podcast, we'll examine how and why this happens, what are the results, and then, what we can do about it to regain our power back and heal.

Here’s the breakdown:

The 3 kinds of shamanic illness

  • Power Loss
  • Soul Loss
  • Spiritual Intrusion

TAHL: Trauma, Abuse, Heartbreak & Loss

Abuse that can cause Power Loss:

  • Sexual
  • Physical
  • Verbal

How do we get it back?

  • There’s a bad way…”The same way it was taken from me!”
  • We’ll talk about this and why it doesn't work.

  • And a good way…”Re-connection and a place to put my gift.”
  • We’ll talk about this.

I love how shamanism can take important, powerful and deeply painful forms of illness, and create clear and simple-languaged ways of explaining the healing path ahead.

With blessings,

Randal

To learn more about this subject, check out Lesson #21 on The Alchemist Recovery Program: https://www.thesobershaman.com/p/lesson-21-a-shamanic-view-of-illness

As always, please subscribe to the podcast, the newsletter, and send me any questions you may have: https://www.thesobershaman.com/

]]>a89abf76-ad71-4835-a2ab-8a269b3b0b6fSat, 11 Oct 2025 02:30:00 +070038:53falsefull4949Stuck & Waiting for the Lightning Bolt, The Spell of Time, Breaking Bad BeliefsStuck & Waiting for the Lightning Bolt, The Spell of Time, Breaking Bad BeliefsThanks for joining me once again for another episode of The Sober Shaman Podcast.

In this one, I address a few areas where we can get stuck. We find ourselves repeating patterns, feeling familiar resistances and experiencing the same ineffectual results.

These are aspects of The Story we tell ourselves, about ourselves, and whether consciously or subconsciously, are participating in for its ongoing perpetuation.

Yup. We all do it.

Here's how I've broken down this episode & the way we phrase it...

In each one of the above examples, we can go down deep caves of exploration and follow them into all kinds of revelatory passageways.

Give the episode a listen and then let me know...

  • Does any one stand out for you?
  • Are you stuck there now?
  • Have you been stuck in the past and are now on the other side? If so, how'd you do it?

I'd love to know what you experienced!

Links referenced in this episode:


]]>Thanks for joining me once again for another episode of The Sober Shaman Podcast.

In this one, I address a few areas where we can get stuck. We find ourselves repeating patterns, feeling familiar resistances and experiencing the same ineffectual results.

These are aspects of The Story we tell ourselves, about ourselves, and whether consciously or subconsciously, are participating in for its ongoing perpetuation.

Yup. We all do it.

Here's how I've broken down this episode & the way we phrase it...

In each one of the above examples, we can go down deep caves of exploration and follow them into all kinds of revelatory passageways.

Give the episode a listen and then let me know...

  • Does any one stand out for you?
  • Are you stuck there now?
  • Have you been stuck in the past and are now on the other side? If so, how'd you do it?

I'd love to know what you experienced!

Links referenced in this episode:


]]>fd2b9c91-6edf-4d95-b49e-81ef0b2fb1ddFri, 03 Oct 2025 02:30:00 +070032:03falsefull4848Addiction, Forgiveness, Karma & Reincarnation: Life Explained with Hans WilhelmAddiction, Forgiveness, Karma & Reincarnation: Life Explained with Hans WilhelmTakeaways:

  • The Sober Shaman Podcast delves into the intertwining of spirituality and practical recovery from addiction and trauma.
  • Hans Wilhelm, a prolific author and mystic, has created numerous resources to explain spiritual laws visually.
  • The understanding of reincarnation and karma provides clarity on life's injustices and personal challenges we face.
  • Forgiveness is essential for emotional freedom and healing, benefiting the person who forgives more than the one forgiven.

Website: www.LIFEexplained.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lifeexplainedvideos

With Blessings

thesobershaman.com

]]>Takeaways:

  • The Sober Shaman Podcast delves into the intertwining of spirituality and practical recovery from addiction and trauma.
  • Hans Wilhelm, a prolific author and mystic, has created numerous resources to explain spiritual laws visually.
  • The understanding of reincarnation and karma provides clarity on life's injustices and personal challenges we face.
  • Forgiveness is essential for emotional freedom and healing, benefiting the person who forgives more than the one forgiven.

Website: www.LIFEexplained.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lifeexplainedvideos

With Blessings

thesobershaman.com

]]>d2b067fe-2c20-44f1-aefe-b04a922c34f4Wed, 24 Sep 2025 02:20:00 +070058:47falsefull4747A Spiritual Passage: In Conversation with Rand TimmermanA Spiritual Passage: In Conversation with Rand TimmermanThis episode of The Sober Shaman Podcast is a conversation with Rand Timmerman.

Rand is a retired attorney who is a recovered alcoholic that hiked the Appalachian Trail at 72 years old with his younger brother (71) and then wrote a book with 500 pictures, called "A Spiritual Passage" describingl the difficulties and problems they encountered doing such an arduous hike while dealing with issues of grief, overcoming addiction and inspiring, spiritual growth even as we get older.

Takeaways:

  • The Sober Shaman Podcast delves into the intersection of spirituality and practical recovery methods, emphasizing the therapeutic potential of nature.
  • Rand Timmerman shares his profound experiences hiking the Appalachian Trail as a form of spiritual passage, marking his journey of recovery from alcoholism.
  • The episode explores themes of grief, resilience, and the transformative power of physical challenges in the context of personal healing and recovery.
  • Rand discusses the importance of faith and higher powers in overcoming addiction, as well as the personal challenges he faced throughout his journey.
  • Listeners learn about the intricate relationship between nature and spirituality, as Rand reflects on how the beauty of the Appalachian Trail inspired profound spiritual revelations.
  • The conversation highlights the significance of community and support in recovery, illustrating how shared experiences can lead to mutual healing and inspiration.

Links referenced in this episode:


]]>This episode of The Sober Shaman Podcast is a conversation with Rand Timmerman.

Rand is a retired attorney who is a recovered alcoholic that hiked the Appalachian Trail at 72 years old with his younger brother (71) and then wrote a book with 500 pictures, called "A Spiritual Passage" describingl the difficulties and problems they encountered doing such an arduous hike while dealing with issues of grief, overcoming addiction and inspiring, spiritual growth even as we get older.

Takeaways:

  • The Sober Shaman Podcast delves into the intersection of spirituality and practical recovery methods, emphasizing the therapeutic potential of nature.
  • Rand Timmerman shares his profound experiences hiking the Appalachian Trail as a form of spiritual passage, marking his journey of recovery from alcoholism.
  • The episode explores themes of grief, resilience, and the transformative power of physical challenges in the context of personal healing and recovery.
  • Rand discusses the importance of faith and higher powers in overcoming addiction, as well as the personal challenges he faced throughout his journey.
  • Listeners learn about the intricate relationship between nature and spirituality, as Rand reflects on how the beauty of the Appalachian Trail inspired profound spiritual revelations.
  • The conversation highlights the significance of community and support in recovery, illustrating how shared experiences can lead to mutual healing and inspiration.

Links referenced in this episode:


]]>9ec0cd06-1848-468e-ad3c-59fc10b239bfFri, 12 Sep 2025 02:20:00 +070058:26falsefull4646From Pain to Purpose: The Healing Path That Changes EverythingFrom Pain to Purpose: The Healing Path That Changes EverythingThis episode of the Sober Shaman Podcast presents a profound dialogue with Jennifer Pilates, an esteemed intuitive medium and spiritual thought leader.

Central to our discussion is the transformative journey that emerges from the intersection of spirituality and physical wellness, particularly through the lens of Pilates as a healing modality. With over 25 years of experience, Jennifer articulates how her personal encounter with a life-altering car accident catalyzed her awakening and subsequent dedication to helping others align their body, mind, and spirit.

Together, we delve into the nuanced relationship between physical ailments and energetic blockages, emphasizing the importance of holistic healing approaches that integrate emotional and spiritual dimensions. This enlightening conversation not only underscores the significance of empowerment in the recovery process but also invites listeners to reflect on their own paths toward healing and self-discovery.

Takeaways:

  • The Sober Shaman Podcast delves into the intersection of spirituality and practical recovery methods for addiction and trauma.
  • Jennifer Pilates, a highly esteemed intuitive medium, shares her transformative journey through hardships and healing practices.
  • The podcast emphasizes the importance of aligning body, mind, and spirit through practices such as Pilates and Reiki healing.
  • Listeners are encouraged to embrace their fears and trust their inner guidance as they navigate personal transformations and spiritual growth.

Links referenced in this episode:


]]>This episode of the Sober Shaman Podcast presents a profound dialogue with Jennifer Pilates, an esteemed intuitive medium and spiritual thought leader.

Central to our discussion is the transformative journey that emerges from the intersection of spirituality and physical wellness, particularly through the lens of Pilates as a healing modality. With over 25 years of experience, Jennifer articulates how her personal encounter with a life-altering car accident catalyzed her awakening and subsequent dedication to helping others align their body, mind, and spirit.

Together, we delve into the nuanced relationship between physical ailments and energetic blockages, emphasizing the importance of holistic healing approaches that integrate emotional and spiritual dimensions. This enlightening conversation not only underscores the significance of empowerment in the recovery process but also invites listeners to reflect on their own paths toward healing and self-discovery.

Takeaways:

  • The Sober Shaman Podcast delves into the intersection of spirituality and practical recovery methods for addiction and trauma.
  • Jennifer Pilates, a highly esteemed intuitive medium, shares her transformative journey through hardships and healing practices.
  • The podcast emphasizes the importance of aligning body, mind, and spirit through practices such as Pilates and Reiki healing.
  • Listeners are encouraged to embrace their fears and trust their inner guidance as they navigate personal transformations and spiritual growth.

Links referenced in this episode:


]]>1a090c3b-7fd0-4e5d-96d0-485e86e83c7aThu, 04 Sep 2025 02:15:00 +070057:09falsefull4545When the Doctor is the Addict: Coming Full-Circle with Dr. Brett CordesWhen the Doctor is the Addict: Coming Full-Circle with Dr. Brett CordesEven with all of the advances we've made in today's world of addiction treatment, there are some subjects that still hold the power of taboo. One of these is the doctor who is also the addict,

Which is why I am excited to share my latest talk with Dr. Brett Cordes. He is a recently retired ear, nose, and throat physician, who tells his remarkable journey of recovery from addiction and then how he found his current work in coaching fellow physicians struggling with burnout and substance abuse.

Dr. Brett emphasizes the widespread issues surrounding burnout in the medical profession, and particularly the stigma and secrecy that often accompany physicians seeking help. We explore the nuances of his transition from clinical practice to coaching, shedding light on the vital need for support within the medical community.

Ultimately, this episode is an important reminder of the intersection between personal well-being and professional fulfillment for all of us who serve (or have loved ones that do!) in the demanding landscape of healthcare.

Takeaways:

  • Dr. Brett Cordes shares his journey from having a thriving medical practice, the fall into addiction, then onto long-term successful recovery.
  • Dr. Cordes discusses his transition from practicing medicine to coaching other physicians experiencing burnout.
  • Dr. Cordes highlights how his personal experiences with addiction have informed his coaching approach.
  • We take a deep-dive into the stigma surrounding mental health and addiction in the medical profession.
  • A key takeaway is that burnout is prevalent among physicians, often stemming from systemic issues in healthcare.

Links referenced in this episode:


With Blessings,

Randal Lyons

]]>Even with all of the advances we've made in today's world of addiction treatment, there are some subjects that still hold the power of taboo. One of these is the doctor who is also the addict,

Which is why I am excited to share my latest talk with Dr. Brett Cordes. He is a recently retired ear, nose, and throat physician, who tells his remarkable journey of recovery from addiction and then how he found his current work in coaching fellow physicians struggling with burnout and substance abuse.

Dr. Brett emphasizes the widespread issues surrounding burnout in the medical profession, and particularly the stigma and secrecy that often accompany physicians seeking help. We explore the nuances of his transition from clinical practice to coaching, shedding light on the vital need for support within the medical community.

Ultimately, this episode is an important reminder of the intersection between personal well-being and professional fulfillment for all of us who serve (or have loved ones that do!) in the demanding landscape of healthcare.

Takeaways:

  • Dr. Brett Cordes shares his journey from having a thriving medical practice, the fall into addiction, then onto long-term successful recovery.
  • Dr. Cordes discusses his transition from practicing medicine to coaching other physicians experiencing burnout.
  • Dr. Cordes highlights how his personal experiences with addiction have informed his coaching approach.
  • We take a deep-dive into the stigma surrounding mental health and addiction in the medical profession.
  • A key takeaway is that burnout is prevalent among physicians, often stemming from systemic issues in healthcare.

Links referenced in this episode:


With Blessings,

Randal Lyons

]]>3120953c-3356-4f7d-b6dc-46010e1efb51Fri, 22 Aug 2025 02:15:00 +070049:44falsefull4444Metamorphosis: Transforming Trauma One Soul at a Time with Soreya JamesMetamorphosis: Transforming Trauma One Soul at a Time with Soreya JamesHello All! I am excited to share this episode of the Sober Shaman Podcast, in which I have a conversation with Soraya James. She is a " guide through life’s deepest thresholds — grief, betrayal, identity loss, menopause, heartbreak, trauma and awakening." (From her website: https://soreya-james.mvt.so/meet-soreya )

In our talk, we explore the idea of alchemizing trauma, and h ere's an overview of our conversational path:

  • We delve into the integration of spiritual practices with recovery methodologies, particularly focusing on addiction and trauma healing.
  • Soreya emphasizes the importance of embodiment and physical awareness in the process of alchemizing trauma.
  • We explore the multifaceted nature of grief, suggesting that many individuals fear grief more than death itself due to its complex layers and emotional toll.
  • Soreya encourages listeners to recognize that transformation is a natural process, akin to metamorphosis, which occurs through various stages of personal and spiritual development.
  • The podcast stresses the significance of listening to one's body and emotions as vital components in the healing journey, advocating for a deeper connection with nature and self.
  • A unique aspect of the Metamorphosis series is its integration of a companion app that provides therapeutic resources, allowing viewers to engage with their healing process actively.
  • You can click here to listen from the website, or the pic above to watch on YouTube, or go to your favorite podcast platform to give it a listen there - and please hit the Like or Subscribe if you're so inclined!.

]]>Hello All! I am excited to share this episode of the Sober Shaman Podcast, in which I have a conversation with Soraya James. She is a " guide through life’s deepest thresholds — grief, betrayal, identity loss, menopause, heartbreak, trauma and awakening." (From her website: https://soreya-james.mvt.so/meet-soreya )

In our talk, we explore the idea of alchemizing trauma, and h ere's an overview of our conversational path:

  • We delve into the integration of spiritual practices with recovery methodologies, particularly focusing on addiction and trauma healing.
  • Soreya emphasizes the importance of embodiment and physical awareness in the process of alchemizing trauma.
  • We explore the multifaceted nature of grief, suggesting that many individuals fear grief more than death itself due to its complex layers and emotional toll.
  • Soreya encourages listeners to recognize that transformation is a natural process, akin to metamorphosis, which occurs through various stages of personal and spiritual development.
  • The podcast stresses the significance of listening to one's body and emotions as vital components in the healing journey, advocating for a deeper connection with nature and self.
  • A unique aspect of the Metamorphosis series is its integration of a companion app that provides therapeutic resources, allowing viewers to engage with their healing process actively.
  • You can click here to listen from the website, or the pic above to watch on YouTube, or go to your favorite podcast platform to give it a listen there - and please hit the Like or Subscribe if you're so inclined!.

]]>ff86f376-ef00-468e-b5e0-caaae6395240Fri, 15 Aug 2025 02:10:00 +070059:10falsefull4343From Military to Medicine: Scottie Schneider's Journey of Indigenous HealingFrom Military to Medicine: Scottie Schneider's Journey of Indigenous HealingIn today’s podcast, we’re going to hear Scotty Schneider tell a little of his personal story. It is one rich in experience, and focuses on dealing with PTSD with the healing potential of psychedelic medicines. Scotty, who has spent a decade in Colombia, recounts his training with indigenous traditions and the establishment of a self-sustaining community that honors both the past and the present.

In our conversation, Scotty details the Eagle and Condor prophecy, which embodies the hope for unity and shared knowledge between different tribes, different continents and different cultures. As we navigate the intricacies of community dynamics, Scotty illustrates the challenges and triumphs of fostering a collective spirit while being mindful of the delicate balance between tradition and evolution.

I personally loved this episode, as Scottie's vision for those seeking to reconnect with their humanity in an increasingly disconnected world provides practical insights into the transformative power of following one's spiritual calling.

Takeaways:

  • We emphasize the integration of spirituality into practical recovery methods for addiction and trauma.
  • How Scotty Schneider, a West Point graduate and former military officer, has now dedicated his life to holistic healing practices.
  • We discuss the importance of indigenous wisdom and plant medicines in modern therapeutic contexts.
  • The podcast offers veterans a way to explore alternative therapies, including psychedelics, for mental health challenges.

Links referenced in this episode:


]]>In today’s podcast, we’re going to hear Scotty Schneider tell a little of his personal story. It is one rich in experience, and focuses on dealing with PTSD with the healing potential of psychedelic medicines. Scotty, who has spent a decade in Colombia, recounts his training with indigenous traditions and the establishment of a self-sustaining community that honors both the past and the present.

In our conversation, Scotty details the Eagle and Condor prophecy, which embodies the hope for unity and shared knowledge between different tribes, different continents and different cultures. As we navigate the intricacies of community dynamics, Scotty illustrates the challenges and triumphs of fostering a collective spirit while being mindful of the delicate balance between tradition and evolution.

I personally loved this episode, as Scottie's vision for those seeking to reconnect with their humanity in an increasingly disconnected world provides practical insights into the transformative power of following one's spiritual calling.

Takeaways:

  • We emphasize the integration of spirituality into practical recovery methods for addiction and trauma.
  • How Scotty Schneider, a West Point graduate and former military officer, has now dedicated his life to holistic healing practices.
  • We discuss the importance of indigenous wisdom and plant medicines in modern therapeutic contexts.
  • The podcast offers veterans a way to explore alternative therapies, including psychedelics, for mental health challenges.

Links referenced in this episode:


]]>0cdaa0bc-e6c1-4b0c-a53a-aedd193560aeWed, 06 Aug 2025 02:05:00 +070058:08falsefull4242Unbroken: A Journey Through Trauma and ResilienceUnbroken: A Journey Through Trauma and ResilienceThe podcast delves into the profound narrative of Adriene Caldwell, author of 'Unbroken: Life Outside the Lines', who shares her tumultuous journey from a childhood marred by trauma to a life of resilience and self-discovery.

Throughout the discussion, Adriene candidly recounts her experiences with untreated mental illness, physical abuse, and the harrowing realities of foster care, offering listeners a stark insight into the complexities of survival in the face of adversity. The dialogue highlights the pervasive impact of these experiences on her psyche, illustrating how each trauma has shaped her identity and influenced her relationships.

Caldwell's account is not merely a recollection of suffering; it is a narrative of empowerment, emphasizing the importance of finding one's voice and reclaiming agency amidst the chaos.

Takeaways:

  • Adriene Caldwell's narrative illustrates the profound impact of childhood trauma on personal identity and relationships.
  • The book, Unbroken: Life Outside the Lines, addresses severe issues such as mental illness and abuse experienced during foster care.
  • Adriene emphasizes the significance of open communication in relationships, particularly in mitigating misunderstandings and fostering connection.
  • The discussion highlights the struggle for forgiveness, particularly towards those who inflicted deep emotional wounds, and its implications for healing.

Links referenced in this episode:


]]>The podcast delves into the profound narrative of Adriene Caldwell, author of 'Unbroken: Life Outside the Lines', who shares her tumultuous journey from a childhood marred by trauma to a life of resilience and self-discovery.

Throughout the discussion, Adriene candidly recounts her experiences with untreated mental illness, physical abuse, and the harrowing realities of foster care, offering listeners a stark insight into the complexities of survival in the face of adversity. The dialogue highlights the pervasive impact of these experiences on her psyche, illustrating how each trauma has shaped her identity and influenced her relationships.

Caldwell's account is not merely a recollection of suffering; it is a narrative of empowerment, emphasizing the importance of finding one's voice and reclaiming agency amidst the chaos.

Takeaways:

  • Adriene Caldwell's narrative illustrates the profound impact of childhood trauma on personal identity and relationships.
  • The book, Unbroken: Life Outside the Lines, addresses severe issues such as mental illness and abuse experienced during foster care.
  • Adriene emphasizes the significance of open communication in relationships, particularly in mitigating misunderstandings and fostering connection.
  • The discussion highlights the struggle for forgiveness, particularly towards those who inflicted deep emotional wounds, and its implications for healing.

Links referenced in this episode:


]]>a1f513a2-08fe-4dfd-b9a8-60790a0a49dfThu, 31 Jul 2025 02:00:00 +070001:06:04falsefull4141Breaking the Spell of LiesBreaking the Spell of LiesIn this episode, titled "Breaking the Spell of Lies," we delve into the intricate relationship between addiction, trauma, and the deceptive narratives we construct around our experiences.

We examine how these lies ensnare us in cycles of denial and dysfunction, particularly in the realm of addiction, where the implications of believing falsehoods can perpetuate suffering and hinder recovery.

Drawing from the thought-provoking work of M. Scott Peck, we engage in a nuanced discussion regarding the nature of lies, their emotional ramifications, and the profound impact they have on our identities and relationships.

We then emphasize the necessity of confronting these lies through a holistic approach, integrating mental, spiritual, emotional, and physical dimensions of healing.

Ultimately, we stress the importance of fostering new experiences that can dismantle entrenched beliefs, allowing for genuine transformation and recovery.

Takeaways:

  • The podcast discusses the integration of spirituality into the recovery process from addiction and trauma.
  • A recurring theme is the concept of lies and how they perpetuate cycles of addiction.
  • M. Scott Peck's work on narcissism and the psychology of evil is referenced as a valuable resource.
  • The episode emphasizes the necessity of new experiences to challenge and transform old beliefs.
  • The relationship between mental, spiritual, emotional, and physical aspects of addiction is examined thoroughly.
  • The necessity of community support in recovery is underscored, highlighting the importance of shared beliefs.

Links referenced in this episode:


]]>In this episode, titled "Breaking the Spell of Lies," we delve into the intricate relationship between addiction, trauma, and the deceptive narratives we construct around our experiences.

We examine how these lies ensnare us in cycles of denial and dysfunction, particularly in the realm of addiction, where the implications of believing falsehoods can perpetuate suffering and hinder recovery.

Drawing from the thought-provoking work of M. Scott Peck, we engage in a nuanced discussion regarding the nature of lies, their emotional ramifications, and the profound impact they have on our identities and relationships.

We then emphasize the necessity of confronting these lies through a holistic approach, integrating mental, spiritual, emotional, and physical dimensions of healing.

Ultimately, we stress the importance of fostering new experiences that can dismantle entrenched beliefs, allowing for genuine transformation and recovery.

Takeaways:

  • The podcast discusses the integration of spirituality into the recovery process from addiction and trauma.
  • A recurring theme is the concept of lies and how they perpetuate cycles of addiction.
  • M. Scott Peck's work on narcissism and the psychology of evil is referenced as a valuable resource.
  • The episode emphasizes the necessity of new experiences to challenge and transform old beliefs.
  • The relationship between mental, spiritual, emotional, and physical aspects of addiction is examined thoroughly.
  • The necessity of community support in recovery is underscored, highlighting the importance of shared beliefs.

Links referenced in this episode:


]]>0fcdeb03-c1da-4213-b88b-f9341216bae1Fri, 11 Jul 2025 01:45:00 +070043:41falsefull3939Ghosts: Do You Believe? And how does this help my addiction recovery?Ghosts: Do You Believe? And how does this help my addiction recovery?The belief in whether or not ghosts exist, is one we've been thinking about since we were kids.

So, what do you think nowadays? Yes? No?

And how could this possibly have something to do with your recovery?

In this episode of The Sober Shaman, I'll be going into all of it and showing exactly how it relates - and what our next steps could be.

Takeaways:

  • The exploration of spirituality can significantly enhance the process of addiction recovery by fostering deeper connections with oneself and others.
  • Beliefs in ghosts and spirits may provide a unique framework through which individuals can process grief and trauma related to addiction.
  • Understanding the cultural differences in perceptions of ghosts can inform recovery practices, as it emphasizes the importance of relationships beyond the physical realm.
  • Engaging in practices that honor the spirits of those lost to addiction can be a powerful tool in recovery, facilitating healing and closure for individuals and their communities.
  • The relationship with spirits and the idea of making merit for them can serve as a therapeutic avenue for those grappling with feelings of guilt or unresolved emotions from their past.
  • The importance of maintaining a curious and questioning mindset in recovery is essential, as it encourages continual growth and prevents stagnation.

Links referenced in this episode:

  • thesobershaman.com
  • https://danaleighlyons.substack.com/p/perfect-hunger-link-up-thai-ghosts
  • Peter Jenx: https://www.thethaioccult.com/

Thanks for listening & as always leave a comment or send any questions you may have.

With Blessings,

Randal

]]>The belief in whether or not ghosts exist, is one we've been thinking about since we were kids.

So, what do you think nowadays? Yes? No?

And how could this possibly have something to do with your recovery?

In this episode of The Sober Shaman, I'll be going into all of it and showing exactly how it relates - and what our next steps could be.

Takeaways:

  • The exploration of spirituality can significantly enhance the process of addiction recovery by fostering deeper connections with oneself and others.
  • Beliefs in ghosts and spirits may provide a unique framework through which individuals can process grief and trauma related to addiction.
  • Understanding the cultural differences in perceptions of ghosts can inform recovery practices, as it emphasizes the importance of relationships beyond the physical realm.
  • Engaging in practices that honor the spirits of those lost to addiction can be a powerful tool in recovery, facilitating healing and closure for individuals and their communities.
  • The relationship with spirits and the idea of making merit for them can serve as a therapeutic avenue for those grappling with feelings of guilt or unresolved emotions from their past.
  • The importance of maintaining a curious and questioning mindset in recovery is essential, as it encourages continual growth and prevents stagnation.

Links referenced in this episode:

  • thesobershaman.com
  • https://danaleighlyons.substack.com/p/perfect-hunger-link-up-thai-ghosts
  • Peter Jenx: https://www.thethaioccult.com/

Thanks for listening & as always leave a comment or send any questions you may have.

With Blessings,

Randal

]]>1b544dd7-977e-4f2f-a337-d17962353835Sat, 28 Jun 2025 01:40:00 +070037:10falsefull3838AI has no spirit / Old Testament Abraham and the sacrifices of gods & sonsAI has no spirit / Old Testament Abraham and the sacrifices of gods & sonsI have been listening to all of the latest predictions about Artificial Intelligence and how it’s going to change our lives.

Everything from how it will eventually take your job and end your career, to the ability to offer you a private therapy session with Carl Jung.

On top of that, the advancements in medicine are going to be massive. For example, you’ll be able to take a simple blood test to detect the first signs of cancer. That’s amazing!

But I’m skeptical of the application of this shiny new AI tool to the entire spectrum of medicine and how it will further shift the cultural perceptions of health.

Specifically, how this will relate to addiction?

Will AI:

  • Diminish or remove personal responsibility?
  • Eliminate desire for overcoming “character defects”?
  • Reduce the options for transforming trauma from a painful open wound into a wisdom-filled and experiential-informed scar?

And what of the role of spirit in all of this?

“…but it seems to me that AI has been developed by people who don’t understand things like compassion and random acts of kindness and these sorts of things. It seems like it’s entirely transactional and the AI lacks a spirit. I don’t care what they say. What is missing from AI? There’s no spirit to it.”

  • Dennis McKenna from the Brain Forest Cafe podcast with Paul Stamets

What does spirit do?

Transforms through surrender

Provides something bigger worthy to surrender to

Infuses the magic of healing that manifests as a new and never-before-seen, product of co-creation with us

Not a compilation from AI’s algorithm of past human input

  • From the Program’s Lesson #18: The Power of Surrender

Which Wolf do you feed?

  • Who are you in relationship with?
  • From the Program’s Lesson #16: The Story of the Two Wolves

Part 2:

Today is the Islamic Feast of the Sacrifice

Synchronicity with my son’s tattoo text

3 different religions, 3 different holidays, 3 different takes on the Old Testament story of Abraham

I’m not too keen of The Story and here’s why:

Sacrifice can be transactional and focused upon the reward

  • With God
  • With religion
  • Within our own beliefs

So, here’s another take:

What if…

Sacrifice was its own reward?

What would this look like and what’s the point?

As always, send me any questions you have and let me know your thoughts on this one.

With blessings,

Randal

]]>I have been listening to all of the latest predictions about Artificial Intelligence and how it’s going to change our lives.

Everything from how it will eventually take your job and end your career, to the ability to offer you a private therapy session with Carl Jung.

On top of that, the advancements in medicine are going to be massive. For example, you’ll be able to take a simple blood test to detect the first signs of cancer. That’s amazing!

But I’m skeptical of the application of this shiny new AI tool to the entire spectrum of medicine and how it will further shift the cultural perceptions of health.

Specifically, how this will relate to addiction?

Will AI:

  • Diminish or remove personal responsibility?
  • Eliminate desire for overcoming “character defects”?
  • Reduce the options for transforming trauma from a painful open wound into a wisdom-filled and experiential-informed scar?

And what of the role of spirit in all of this?

“…but it seems to me that AI has been developed by people who don’t understand things like compassion and random acts of kindness and these sorts of things. It seems like it’s entirely transactional and the AI lacks a spirit. I don’t care what they say. What is missing from AI? There’s no spirit to it.”

  • Dennis McKenna from the Brain Forest Cafe podcast with Paul Stamets

What does spirit do?

Transforms through surrender

Provides something bigger worthy to surrender to

Infuses the magic of healing that manifests as a new and never-before-seen, product of co-creation with us

Not a compilation from AI’s algorithm of past human input

  • From the Program’s Lesson #18: The Power of Surrender

Which Wolf do you feed?

  • Who are you in relationship with?
  • From the Program’s Lesson #16: The Story of the Two Wolves

Part 2:

Today is the Islamic Feast of the Sacrifice

Synchronicity with my son’s tattoo text

3 different religions, 3 different holidays, 3 different takes on the Old Testament story of Abraham

I’m not too keen of The Story and here’s why:

Sacrifice can be transactional and focused upon the reward

  • With God
  • With religion
  • Within our own beliefs

So, here’s another take:

What if…

Sacrifice was its own reward?

What would this look like and what’s the point?

As always, send me any questions you have and let me know your thoughts on this one.

With blessings,

Randal

]]>eb03af76-17f8-4325-8824-86b8d55b4a81Sat, 07 Jun 2025 01:35:00 +070038:57falsefull3737The Opposite of Addiction is…Sacrifice / It can Immediately break the cycleThe Opposite of Addiction is…Sacrifice / It can Immediately break the cycleThe opposite of addiction is sacrifice because it can immediately break the cycle at any point along the repeating pattern.

It can do this because addiction is all about my stuff:

  • my planning
  • my acquiring
  • my using
  • then my covering up
  • it’s all about me, me, me,

So the opposite of that is focusing upon someone else. And specifically, another person’s needs.

Quite simply:

Addiction is all about getting

Sacrifice is all about giving

This may sound simple, and it is, but the power behind it is profound.

The entire Cycle of Addiction is able to perpetuate itself because it keeps the energy flowing in one direction: getting my stuff.

This is Yin in nature, which is the negative polarity of magnet, which only imposes its force one way: pulling in.

This is perfectly personified by the Buddhist idea of The Hungry Ghost. This wandering spirit has a pin-hole sized mouth that is forever trying to suck in enough to fill its bottomless belly. Which of course, it can never do, which is why it remains hungry and why it remains a ghost. I can’t describe addiction any better than that.

Addiction

  • Me
  • Pulling in
  • Getting
  • Yin -/negative charge

Sacrifice

  • Other
  • Sending out
  • Giving
  • Yang +/positive charge

Listen to the rest of our exploration and explanation of how sacrifice immediately can break the cycle in the podcast.

Please leave a comment wherever you listen and as always, send me any questions you may have - I’d love to connect!

With Blessings,

Randal

]]>The opposite of addiction is sacrifice because it can immediately break the cycle at any point along the repeating pattern.

It can do this because addiction is all about my stuff:

  • my planning
  • my acquiring
  • my using
  • then my covering up
  • it’s all about me, me, me,

So the opposite of that is focusing upon someone else. And specifically, another person’s needs.

Quite simply:

Addiction is all about getting

Sacrifice is all about giving

This may sound simple, and it is, but the power behind it is profound.

The entire Cycle of Addiction is able to perpetuate itself because it keeps the energy flowing in one direction: getting my stuff.

This is Yin in nature, which is the negative polarity of magnet, which only imposes its force one way: pulling in.

This is perfectly personified by the Buddhist idea of The Hungry Ghost. This wandering spirit has a pin-hole sized mouth that is forever trying to suck in enough to fill its bottomless belly. Which of course, it can never do, which is why it remains hungry and why it remains a ghost. I can’t describe addiction any better than that.

Addiction

  • Me
  • Pulling in
  • Getting
  • Yin -/negative charge

Sacrifice

  • Other
  • Sending out
  • Giving
  • Yang +/positive charge

Listen to the rest of our exploration and explanation of how sacrifice immediately can break the cycle in the podcast.

Please leave a comment wherever you listen and as always, send me any questions you may have - I’d love to connect!

With Blessings,

Randal

]]>738544d3-ff01-4cce-8380-1b832786b36fSat, 31 May 2025 01:30:00 +070034:25falsefull3636Addiction, Soul & Home: "Give Me Your Tired...Addiction, Soul & Home: "Give Me Your Tired...To stay or leave one's Home is a decision that has profound consequences no matter which choice is made.

And it is a choice we all must make.

For those of us in recovery, we can look back into the past and explore the ramifications of our previous choice.

We can also evaluate the choice that presents itself right now.

And we can look into the future to see how the choices we make moving forward will effect the generations to come.

Big and important stuff.

At the base of the Statue of Liberty is enscripted the poem, The Colossus, with the famous line, "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free." It was a 19th century call to immigrants, who arriving at the USA's shores, were following The American Dream.

But what was left behind? What was lost?

As we explore this topic, I propose that you answer those questions for yourself, your family and maybe your culture treasures.

Join Us!

With blessings,

Randal Lyons

]]>To stay or leave one's Home is a decision that has profound consequences no matter which choice is made.

And it is a choice we all must make.

For those of us in recovery, we can look back into the past and explore the ramifications of our previous choice.

We can also evaluate the choice that presents itself right now.

And we can look into the future to see how the choices we make moving forward will effect the generations to come.

Big and important stuff.

At the base of the Statue of Liberty is enscripted the poem, The Colossus, with the famous line, "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free." It was a 19th century call to immigrants, who arriving at the USA's shores, were following The American Dream.

But what was left behind? What was lost?

As we explore this topic, I propose that you answer those questions for yourself, your family and maybe your culture treasures.

Join Us!

With blessings,

Randal Lyons

]]>0c026984-d78e-4cb4-8f48-9816c43d9f40Fri, 23 May 2025 23:10:00 +070048:38falsefull3535Addiction Is a SpellAddiction Is a SpellDefinition: Spell

a: a spoken word or form of words held to have magic power

b: a state of enchantment

I’ve been professionally helping others in recovery for almost as long as I’ve been clean and sober—no coincidence. From the start, I realized that for treatment to have any chance of success, I need to take what works from my esoteric Chinese medicine and core-shamanic approaches and explain addiction’s origins and mechanisms in a way people can understand.

On the other end, I’ve had to translate what I do for treatment centers, insurance companies, and licensing and accreditation boards, as well as to my medical and mental health colleagues—speaking in the “medical-ese” that checks diagnosis codes and reimbursement boxes.

Fun, right?

Now, I aim to strip away language that complicates an already complex issue. With that in mind, I propose…

Addiction is a SpellThis Spell is a LieThis Lie is a Belief

Let me explain.

Check out our exploration along this path to the core of an addiction. Hit the play button on the podcast audio at the top of the page, or check out the video embedded here:

And as always, please hit the little like button and send along any comments or questions you may have.

With blessings,

Randal



This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thesobershaman.com/subscribe]]>Definition: Spell

a: a spoken word or form of words held to have magic power

b: a state of enchantment

I’ve been professionally helping others in recovery for almost as long as I’ve been clean and sober—no coincidence. From the start, I realized that for treatment to have any chance of success, I need to take what works from my esoteric Chinese medicine and core-shamanic approaches and explain addiction’s origins and mechanisms in a way people can understand.

On the other end, I’ve had to translate what I do for treatment centers, insurance companies, and licensing and accreditation boards, as well as to my medical and mental health colleagues—speaking in the “medical-ese” that checks diagnosis codes and reimbursement boxes.

Fun, right?

Now, I aim to strip away language that complicates an already complex issue. With that in mind, I propose…

Addiction is a SpellThis Spell is a LieThis Lie is a Belief

Let me explain.

Check out our exploration along this path to the core of an addiction. Hit the play button on the podcast audio at the top of the page, or check out the video embedded here:

And as always, please hit the little like button and send along any comments or questions you may have.

With blessings,

Randal



This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thesobershaman.com/subscribe]]>substack:post:160050555Sat, 29 Mar 2025 12:11:00 +070032:22falsefullOn Being A Guest to The Spirits of This PlaceOn Being A Guest to The Spirits of This PlaceThis episode of The Sober Shaman podcast complements the recent written post entitled, “Dear the Spirits of This Place.” We delve into the Shamanic wRites prompt and explore three types of places where you can gain insight, connection, and healing power from being a good guest and responsible resident to the Spirits of Place.

Here are some of the three ways we look at this:

* The place of your birth: I spent years of my youth walking the streets of the island of Manhattan driven by a deep longing for belonging but without a guide to clarify my intentions.. This wRites exercise may help you just that.

* The place where you felt Home: I share a paragraph from the written post, which I later realized was part of my ongoing work in Soul Courting. Welcoming back a lost soul fragment—split off for survival due to TAHL (trauma, abuse, heartbreak, and loss)—is only the beginning. We must actively and continuously create a safe Home for this part. For me, that means providing a space where my 9- to 14-year-old self feels secure enough to stay. When I do, he returns with gifts only he can offer: innocence, wonder, passion, and heart-sourced curiosity, which infuses my present life with these powers and the deep recognition of their importance.

* The place where you are a guest right now: Wherever you are right now, how do interact with the spirits of this place? What is your relationship to the spirits of:

* Nature

* Elements

* Trees

* Mountains

* Bodies of water

* Guardians

* Thresholds

* Ancestors—familial, tribal, national

* Ghosts

* Deities

* Holy teachers

* Taboos

* Gateways to the Lowerworld and Upperworld

Join me as we explore how important it is to bring a guest’s humility to, and the expression of gratefulness for, being taken care of by the inhabitants and the Spirits of This Place.

You can read the full write-up in the written post here:

As always, please hit the ♥️ and subscribe if you feel called, and send along any questions or shares in the comments below, or reach out directly via email: Spirit@RandalLyons.com

With blessings,Randal



This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thesobershaman.com/subscribe]]>This episode of The Sober Shaman podcast complements the recent written post entitled, “Dear the Spirits of This Place.” We delve into the Shamanic wRites prompt and explore three types of places where you can gain insight, connection, and healing power from being a good guest and responsible resident to the Spirits of Place.

Here are some of the three ways we look at this:

* The place of your birth: I spent years of my youth walking the streets of the island of Manhattan driven by a deep longing for belonging but without a guide to clarify my intentions.. This wRites exercise may help you just that.

* The place where you felt Home: I share a paragraph from the written post, which I later realized was part of my ongoing work in Soul Courting. Welcoming back a lost soul fragment—split off for survival due to TAHL (trauma, abuse, heartbreak, and loss)—is only the beginning. We must actively and continuously create a safe Home for this part. For me, that means providing a space where my 9- to 14-year-old self feels secure enough to stay. When I do, he returns with gifts only he can offer: innocence, wonder, passion, and heart-sourced curiosity, which infuses my present life with these powers and the deep recognition of their importance.

* The place where you are a guest right now: Wherever you are right now, how do interact with the spirits of this place? What is your relationship to the spirits of:

* Nature

* Elements

* Trees

* Mountains

* Bodies of water

* Guardians

* Thresholds

* Ancestors—familial, tribal, national

* Ghosts

* Deities

* Holy teachers

* Taboos

* Gateways to the Lowerworld and Upperworld

Join me as we explore how important it is to bring a guest’s humility to, and the expression of gratefulness for, being taken care of by the inhabitants and the Spirits of This Place.

You can read the full write-up in the written post here:

As always, please hit the ♥️ and subscribe if you feel called, and send along any questions or shares in the comments below, or reach out directly via email: Spirit@RandalLyons.com

With blessings,Randal



This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thesobershaman.com/subscribe]]>substack:post:158207988Sun, 02 Mar 2025 04:30:03 +070049:08falsefullA Shamanic Journey to The Web of LifeA Shamanic Journey to The Web of LifeThis episode of The Sober Shaman podcast serves as a companion piece to the recent written post entitled, “Addiction Separates / The Web Connects.” In this episode, we explore the year’s first Medicine Drum Journey and how our experience can provide insight, connection, and healing power for our concerns.

Here are some of the ways we look at this:

* Connection is the Medicine for addiction’s pathological power to separate.

* Fear grows in the spaces where we are separated from loved ones, heartfelt activities and places of belonging.

* An overview of the Cycle of Addiction and role of The Web of Life within it.

* In the Earth Phase, we receive the Medicine of Connection through the power of support, home, nourishment & communion.

* Dissolving the negative experience of feeling stuck in The Web

* The transformative power of Earth & the Spleen: extracting wisdom & releasing waste

* The weave of the 5 Elements

Join me as we explore all of this in the podcast.

You can read my full write-up and complete any preparation work before undertaking your own journey in the written post here:

I’m inviting anyone interested in collaborating to reach out. Ways to participate could include:

* Sharing what you received from your journey

* Proposing a writing prompt or offering a place in Non-Ordinary Reality to take a Medicine Drum Journey to that explores a recovery, mental health, and/or spiritual topic of concern

* Discussing how these exercises have worked for you, or, if you're a medical or mental healthcare professional, how they’ve worked for your clients

This could take the form of a written Q&A, a recorded Zoom session, or even through the new Substack live option.

As always, feel free to message me here on Substack or reach out directly via email: Spirit@RandalLyons.com

With blessings,Randal



This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thesobershaman.com/subscribe]]>This episode of The Sober Shaman podcast serves as a companion piece to the recent written post entitled, “Addiction Separates / The Web Connects.” In this episode, we explore the year’s first Medicine Drum Journey and how our experience can provide insight, connection, and healing power for our concerns.

Here are some of the ways we look at this:

* Connection is the Medicine for addiction’s pathological power to separate.

* Fear grows in the spaces where we are separated from loved ones, heartfelt activities and places of belonging.

* An overview of the Cycle of Addiction and role of The Web of Life within it.

* In the Earth Phase, we receive the Medicine of Connection through the power of support, home, nourishment & communion.

* Dissolving the negative experience of feeling stuck in The Web

* The transformative power of Earth & the Spleen: extracting wisdom & releasing waste

* The weave of the 5 Elements

Join me as we explore all of this in the podcast.

You can read my full write-up and complete any preparation work before undertaking your own journey in the written post here:

I’m inviting anyone interested in collaborating to reach out. Ways to participate could include:

* Sharing what you received from your journey

* Proposing a writing prompt or offering a place in Non-Ordinary Reality to take a Medicine Drum Journey to that explores a recovery, mental health, and/or spiritual topic of concern

* Discussing how these exercises have worked for you, or, if you're a medical or mental healthcare professional, how they’ve worked for your clients

This could take the form of a written Q&A, a recorded Zoom session, or even through the new Substack live option.

As always, feel free to message me here on Substack or reach out directly via email: Spirit@RandalLyons.com

With blessings,Randal



This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thesobershaman.com/subscribe]]>substack:post:156586491Sat, 15 Feb 2025 12:11:00 +070050:22falsefullIf I Trusted the Truth...If I Trusted the Truth...This episode of The Sober Shaman podcast serves as a companion piece to the recent written post of the same name. In it, we explore the year’s first Shamanic wRites topic—trust—and how a shamanic perspective can provide insight, connection, and empowerment through my response to the prompt.

Here are some bullets on how we can do this:

* Going to where the truth resides

* Merging with my spiritual bones

* Writing from this place

* Receiving the messages of truth as merged with the spirit of The Bones

Join me as we explore all of this in the podcast.

You can read my full response to the prompt, as well as any preparation work you’d like to do before undertaking your own wRites from the prompt, here in the written post:

I’m inviting anyone interested in collaborating to reach out. Ways to participate could include:

* Sharing what you received from the writing or journey exercises

* Proposing a writing prompt or offering a place in Non-Ordinary Reality to take a Medicine Drum Journey to that explores a recovery, mental health, and/or spiritual topic of concern

* Discussing how these exercises have worked for you, or, if you're a medical or mental healthcare professional, how they’ve worked for your clients

This could take the form of a written Q&A, a recorded Zoom session, or even through the new Substack live option.

As always, feel free to message me here on Substack or reach out directly via email: Spirit@RandalLyons.com

With blessings,Randal



This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thesobershaman.com/subscribe]]>This episode of The Sober Shaman podcast serves as a companion piece to the recent written post of the same name. In it, we explore the year’s first Shamanic wRites topic—trust—and how a shamanic perspective can provide insight, connection, and empowerment through my response to the prompt.

Here are some bullets on how we can do this:

* Going to where the truth resides

* Merging with my spiritual bones

* Writing from this place

* Receiving the messages of truth as merged with the spirit of The Bones

Join me as we explore all of this in the podcast.

You can read my full response to the prompt, as well as any preparation work you’d like to do before undertaking your own wRites from the prompt, here in the written post:

I’m inviting anyone interested in collaborating to reach out. Ways to participate could include:

* Sharing what you received from the writing or journey exercises

* Proposing a writing prompt or offering a place in Non-Ordinary Reality to take a Medicine Drum Journey to that explores a recovery, mental health, and/or spiritual topic of concern

* Discussing how these exercises have worked for you, or, if you're a medical or mental healthcare professional, how they’ve worked for your clients

This could take the form of a written Q&A, a recorded Zoom session, or even through the new Substack live option.

As always, feel free to message me here on Substack or reach out directly via email: Spirit@RandalLyons.com

With blessings,Randal



This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thesobershaman.com/subscribe]]>substack:post:156081603Sun, 02 Feb 2025 00:11:00 +070028:43falsefullShamanic wRites: A Quick GuideShamanic wRites: A Quick GuideThis episode of The Sober Shaman podcast is the companion piece to the recent written post of the same name. In it, we dive into the unique aspects of the Shamanic wRites exercise, specifically what sets it apart from a typical writing prompt. We also explore why approaching it as a spiritual endeavor, rather than a psychological exercise, will yield a different kind of result.

Here are a few topics that are in addition to what’s covered in the written post:

* Modern society’s promotion of the inability to listen to and maintain a relationship with spirit

* How our spiritual sensitivities are clouded and blocked by the shouting from our screens

* What if we swapped the words “truth” and “spirit” in conversation?

* Exploring how writing to, from, and merged with spirit is a different experience than engaging in regular writing prompts

* An advantage of being an addict in recovery is that we know where the line is because we’ve crossed it so many times in active addiction

* By crossing the line, we understand and remember the clear difference between being in control and being out of control

In the new year of 2025, The Sober Shaman will focus on the two experiential spiritual exercises that set this work apart:

* Shamanic wRites

* Medicine Drum Journeys

Since both the written posts and podcasts will explore these two exercises, I’m inviting anyone interested in collaborating to reach out. Ways to participate could include:

* Sharing what you received from the writing or journey exercises

* Proposing a writing prompt or offering a place in Non-Ordinary Reality to take a Medicine Drum Journey to that explores a recovery, mental health, and/or spiritual topic of concern

* Discussing how these exercises have worked for you, or, if you’re a medical or mental healthcare professional, how they’ve worked for your clients. This could be in a written Q&A format, a recorded Zoom session, or even through the new Substack live option.

As always, you can message me here through Substack or reach out directly via email: Spirit@RandalLyons.com

With blessings,Randal



This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thesobershaman.com/subscribe]]>This episode of The Sober Shaman podcast is the companion piece to the recent written post of the same name. In it, we dive into the unique aspects of the Shamanic wRites exercise, specifically what sets it apart from a typical writing prompt. We also explore why approaching it as a spiritual endeavor, rather than a psychological exercise, will yield a different kind of result.

Here are a few topics that are in addition to what’s covered in the written post:

* Modern society’s promotion of the inability to listen to and maintain a relationship with spirit

* How our spiritual sensitivities are clouded and blocked by the shouting from our screens

* What if we swapped the words “truth” and “spirit” in conversation?

* Exploring how writing to, from, and merged with spirit is a different experience than engaging in regular writing prompts

* An advantage of being an addict in recovery is that we know where the line is because we’ve crossed it so many times in active addiction

* By crossing the line, we understand and remember the clear difference between being in control and being out of control

In the new year of 2025, The Sober Shaman will focus on the two experiential spiritual exercises that set this work apart:

* Shamanic wRites

* Medicine Drum Journeys

Since both the written posts and podcasts will explore these two exercises, I’m inviting anyone interested in collaborating to reach out. Ways to participate could include:

* Sharing what you received from the writing or journey exercises

* Proposing a writing prompt or offering a place in Non-Ordinary Reality to take a Medicine Drum Journey to that explores a recovery, mental health, and/or spiritual topic of concern

* Discussing how these exercises have worked for you, or, if you’re a medical or mental healthcare professional, how they’ve worked for your clients. This could be in a written Q&A format, a recorded Zoom session, or even through the new Substack live option.

As always, you can message me here through Substack or reach out directly via email: Spirit@RandalLyons.com

With blessings,Randal



This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thesobershaman.com/subscribe]]>substack:post:155145526Sun, 19 Jan 2025 10:28:50 +070047:56falsefullMy Sobriety Story with RandalMy Sobriety Story with RandalThe following is the post as it appears on Sober App Substack.

This series showcases personal stories of addiction recovery and sobriety. Today’s edition features, Randal Lyons, Doctor of Chinese Medicine and shamanic practitioner whose spiritual, integrative program of addiction recovery has been implemented in holistic clinics, premier treatment centers, and his private practice. You can access the online version of The Program through his newsletter, The Sober Shaman.

When and how did you get sober?

The when is July 17, 1994. And the how is simply that I had just had enough. After countless attempts to quit and many relapses, what changed this time was a clear and unwavering decision to quit. Boom. That’s it. I wasn’t going to try—I just did.

I knew that if this was really going to work, I had to relinquish all the slippery people, places, and things—which made up about 90 percent of my life as a rock ‘n’ roll guitar player trying to make it in LA.

The only other things I had going for me, which were keeping me alive during the insanity, were my study and practice of Chinese martial and medical arts, along with my spirituality.

Neither of those offered clear or well-defined pathways for getting and staying sober, but I knew they worked for me. The passion I had previously poured into making music—and the fire that had fueled my cravings to use—was now redirected into my curiosity about how this medicine could help me and, later, others.

What was the turning point in your decision to get sober?

I would call it the tipping point rather than a turning point. In the moment I made “the decision,” I felt the full weight of 17 years’ worth of using and its consequences tip over into conscious awareness.

It wasn’t any one thing or a lightning-bolt moment of understanding. It was the felt accumulation of all the wasted time. For whatever reason, that was—and remains—my pain.

This pain still serves me to this day, because whenever I’m engaged in an activity that could be judged as wasting time, I’m brought into the present moment. And this is the practice: I breathe, relax, and observe from an objective view what the next right thing is. Usually, it involves stopping whatever activity I was doing, because it indeed was “enough of that.”

What surprised you about getting sober?

What surprised me the most was that I was able to give up playing music as easily as I did. I had such a deep connection between my addiction and my playing that I knew I couldn’t stay in that field. That part was obvious.

But the good that I received from music, which I would call soul nourishment, led me to be surprised by the possibility of finding new ways to get the same medicine.

For example, when I wrote music, it was always a collaborative jam. There’s nothing better than riding a groove, being carried by its current, and, in all aspects of the phrase, playing together. This was experimentation, without judgment, in which we responded to each other’s input with, “Yes, and…then, what if…?”

Later on, armed with a degree, a medical license, and a bunch of acupuncture needles, I could drop into a group at an addiction treatment center and do exactly the same thing. But instead of hitting a chord to elicit a band member’s response, I could throw out a question like, “What’s stronger: belief or reality?” and the room would quickly divide into sides, the discussion rolling, and the current of exploration, learning, and insight in motion. And now, I can add healing to that list—and yes, this was, and continues to this day to be, surprising, as well as exciting and inspiring.

What’s the biggest challenge you’ve encountered on your recovery journey?

I’d say there have been two challenges. First, because I was a man of more and addicted to faster, louder, sharper, let’s-keep-this-train-a-rolling ridiculousness, there’s still a part of me that holds these beliefs and suggests that sticking my finger in the nearest light socket is a good idea. You know, just for the feeling of it—just for ol’ time’s sake.

Quite simply, this is when I allow feelings to completely override all sense of logic and reason. A freight train of feeling has always provided enough of a jolt to ignore whatever reality I’m avoiding.

So, the big challenge is recognizing when that belief is offering its opinion—disguised as passion, excitement, or something I totally deserve—and seeing it for what it is. Most often, I say, “Thanks. Great idea. But instead, I’m just going to do this boring, next right thing over here.”

The other big challenge has been with my spirituality. It’s hard walking a path of practicing core shamanism, especially as the teachers lie on the other side of the veil in non-ordinary reality. So, finding other people who know the language, the medicine, and the ins and outs of this work is not so easy. After all, it’s not like being able to look up the nearest Roman Catholic Church and drop in on a service.

What are the biggest benefits or gifts of sobriety?

While there are so many obvious and powerful benefits of sobriety and how it affects health, wealth, and happiness, of course, the biggest gift is my relationship with the Love of My Lifetimes and simultaneously ex- and current wife, Dr. Dana Leigh Lyons—which in no way could have happened or been maintained if I were anywhere near active addiction.

And while a close and meaningful relationship is easy to identify as the biggest gift, it also serves as a reminder of the big gift of appreciation and gratitude for exactly what I’ve got, right here and right now, in this exactly perfect form, showing up exactly as the way things are.

What words of advice would you give someone who’s considering sobriety or newly sober?

Stop searching. Start trusting. Trust what you already know to be true. “Answers” are not found “out there” somewhere. Rather, they are listened to as what I call “the truth that resides in your bones.” This truth speaks of the next right thing to do and reminds you that you are completely deserving of all the best this world has to offer.

Want to share your sobriety story?

Thank you for sharing, Randal! We look forward to connecting with you in the comments.

Want to be published on Sober.com? If you’re a sober writer, we invite you to contribute! Reach out to hello@danaleighlyons.com for details.

And from me, thanks for listening and/or reading—it’s always appreciated. If you feel called, please hit the ♥️ and send along any questions.

Blessings,Randal



This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thesobershaman.com/subscribe]]>The following is the post as it appears on Sober App Substack.

This series showcases personal stories of addiction recovery and sobriety. Today’s edition features, Randal Lyons, Doctor of Chinese Medicine and shamanic practitioner whose spiritual, integrative program of addiction recovery has been implemented in holistic clinics, premier treatment centers, and his private practice. You can access the online version of The Program through his newsletter, The Sober Shaman.

When and how did you get sober?

The when is July 17, 1994. And the how is simply that I had just had enough. After countless attempts to quit and many relapses, what changed this time was a clear and unwavering decision to quit. Boom. That’s it. I wasn’t going to try—I just did.

I knew that if this was really going to work, I had to relinquish all the slippery people, places, and things—which made up about 90 percent of my life as a rock ‘n’ roll guitar player trying to make it in LA.

The only other things I had going for me, which were keeping me alive during the insanity, were my study and practice of Chinese martial and medical arts, along with my spirituality.

Neither of those offered clear or well-defined pathways for getting and staying sober, but I knew they worked for me. The passion I had previously poured into making music—and the fire that had fueled my cravings to use—was now redirected into my curiosity about how this medicine could help me and, later, others.

What was the turning point in your decision to get sober?

I would call it the tipping point rather than a turning point. In the moment I made “the decision,” I felt the full weight of 17 years’ worth of using and its consequences tip over into conscious awareness.

It wasn’t any one thing or a lightning-bolt moment of understanding. It was the felt accumulation of all the wasted time. For whatever reason, that was—and remains—my pain.

This pain still serves me to this day, because whenever I’m engaged in an activity that could be judged as wasting time, I’m brought into the present moment. And this is the practice: I breathe, relax, and observe from an objective view what the next right thing is. Usually, it involves stopping whatever activity I was doing, because it indeed was “enough of that.”

What surprised you about getting sober?

What surprised me the most was that I was able to give up playing music as easily as I did. I had such a deep connection between my addiction and my playing that I knew I couldn’t stay in that field. That part was obvious.

But the good that I received from music, which I would call soul nourishment, led me to be surprised by the possibility of finding new ways to get the same medicine.

For example, when I wrote music, it was always a collaborative jam. There’s nothing better than riding a groove, being carried by its current, and, in all aspects of the phrase, playing together. This was experimentation, without judgment, in which we responded to each other’s input with, “Yes, and…then, what if…?”

Later on, armed with a degree, a medical license, and a bunch of acupuncture needles, I could drop into a group at an addiction treatment center and do exactly the same thing. But instead of hitting a chord to elicit a band member’s response, I could throw out a question like, “What’s stronger: belief or reality?” and the room would quickly divide into sides, the discussion rolling, and the current of exploration, learning, and insight in motion. And now, I can add healing to that list—and yes, this was, and continues to this day to be, surprising, as well as exciting and inspiring.

What’s the biggest challenge you’ve encountered on your recovery journey?

I’d say there have been two challenges. First, because I was a man of more and addicted to faster, louder, sharper, let’s-keep-this-train-a-rolling ridiculousness, there’s still a part of me that holds these beliefs and suggests that sticking my finger in the nearest light socket is a good idea. You know, just for the feeling of it—just for ol’ time’s sake.

Quite simply, this is when I allow feelings to completely override all sense of logic and reason. A freight train of feeling has always provided enough of a jolt to ignore whatever reality I’m avoiding.

So, the big challenge is recognizing when that belief is offering its opinion—disguised as passion, excitement, or something I totally deserve—and seeing it for what it is. Most often, I say, “Thanks. Great idea. But instead, I’m just going to do this boring, next right thing over here.”

The other big challenge has been with my spirituality. It’s hard walking a path of practicing core shamanism, especially as the teachers lie on the other side of the veil in non-ordinary reality. So, finding other people who know the language, the medicine, and the ins and outs of this work is not so easy. After all, it’s not like being able to look up the nearest Roman Catholic Church and drop in on a service.

What are the biggest benefits or gifts of sobriety?

While there are so many obvious and powerful benefits of sobriety and how it affects health, wealth, and happiness, of course, the biggest gift is my relationship with the Love of My Lifetimes and simultaneously ex- and current wife, Dr. Dana Leigh Lyons—which in no way could have happened or been maintained if I were anywhere near active addiction.

And while a close and meaningful relationship is easy to identify as the biggest gift, it also serves as a reminder of the big gift of appreciation and gratitude for exactly what I’ve got, right here and right now, in this exactly perfect form, showing up exactly as the way things are.

What words of advice would you give someone who’s considering sobriety or newly sober?

Stop searching. Start trusting. Trust what you already know to be true. “Answers” are not found “out there” somewhere. Rather, they are listened to as what I call “the truth that resides in your bones.” This truth speaks of the next right thing to do and reminds you that you are completely deserving of all the best this world has to offer.

Want to share your sobriety story?

Thank you for sharing, Randal! We look forward to connecting with you in the comments.

Want to be published on Sober.com? If you’re a sober writer, we invite you to contribute! Reach out to hello@danaleighlyons.com for details.

And from me, thanks for listening and/or reading—it’s always appreciated. If you feel called, please hit the ♥️ and send along any questions.

Blessings,Randal



This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thesobershaman.com/subscribe]]>substack:post:152391082Sun, 01 Dec 2024 08:40:49 +070019:49falsefullThe Problem: Believing What Spirituality Should Be Instead of...The Problem: Believing What Spirituality Should Be Instead of...In this episode of The Sober Shaman Podcast, we delve into a recent—and common—conversation with a client about the benefits of adopting a spiritual approach to recovery.

They want to know, “What will it do for me?”

There are certain perspectives that viewing life through a spiritual lens can provide, which can be used to one’s advantage. But first, we need to confront the baggage carried into the present. For many of us:

The problem is that we’ve been conditioned to believe what spirituality should be, rather than discovering for ourselves what it can be.

Listen in above as we explore some of the wonders that spiritual medicine can offer.

I’d love to hear your feedback—leave a comment or send me your questions. And don’t forget to hit the little ♥️—your support is always appreciated!

With Blessings,Randal



This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thesobershaman.com/subscribe]]>In this episode of The Sober Shaman Podcast, we delve into a recent—and common—conversation with a client about the benefits of adopting a spiritual approach to recovery.

They want to know, “What will it do for me?”

There are certain perspectives that viewing life through a spiritual lens can provide, which can be used to one’s advantage. But first, we need to confront the baggage carried into the present. For many of us:

The problem is that we’ve been conditioned to believe what spirituality should be, rather than discovering for ourselves what it can be.

Listen in above as we explore some of the wonders that spiritual medicine can offer.

I’d love to hear your feedback—leave a comment or send me your questions. And don’t forget to hit the little ♥️—your support is always appreciated!

With Blessings,Randal



This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thesobershaman.com/subscribe]]>substack:post:152085436Sun, 24 Nov 2024 06:17:26 +070040:52falsefullScience vs. Spirit in Addiction RecoveryScience vs. Spirit in Addiction RecoveryScience vs. Spirit

When science and spirit are positioned as opposites and set against one another, the resulting tension can be overwhelming. 

Whether this is an internal battle or a conversation between two people, organizations, or businesses, the either-or, win-lose setup stretches our stress muscles.

We all get this and instinctively know we’ve got to honor—or at least hear out—both sides of the argument.

But let’s face it, when the head hears one-liners like:

* Follow your bliss.

* Listen to your heart.

* Chase your passion.

* Do what you love.

It cringes.

And when the heart is corralled and led down chutes of:

* Just the facts, please.

* Follow the science.

* Listen to the logic.

* Do the next thing on the list.

It shrivels.

So, how do these two forces within us reconcile with each other?

Join us as we explore this question—be it for your recovery, personal relationships, or even your business and career. We cover…

A Push-Pull Problem with a Yin-Yang Answer:

* Science wants control.

* Spirit wants surrender.

These feel very different:

* The mind pushes.

* The heart is pulled.

Transformation:

* Surrender becomes listening.

* Control becomes personal responsibility.

You can watch the podcast video on the homepage here.

As always, leave any questions or comments below, hit that little ♥️, and until next time…

With Blessings,Randal



This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thesobershaman.com/subscribe]]>Science vs. Spirit

When science and spirit are positioned as opposites and set against one another, the resulting tension can be overwhelming. 

Whether this is an internal battle or a conversation between two people, organizations, or businesses, the either-or, win-lose setup stretches our stress muscles.

We all get this and instinctively know we’ve got to honor—or at least hear out—both sides of the argument.

But let’s face it, when the head hears one-liners like:

* Follow your bliss.

* Listen to your heart.

* Chase your passion.

* Do what you love.

It cringes.

And when the heart is corralled and led down chutes of:

* Just the facts, please.

* Follow the science.

* Listen to the logic.

* Do the next thing on the list.

It shrivels.

So, how do these two forces within us reconcile with each other?

Join us as we explore this question—be it for your recovery, personal relationships, or even your business and career. We cover…

A Push-Pull Problem with a Yin-Yang Answer:

* Science wants control.

* Spirit wants surrender.

These feel very different:

* The mind pushes.

* The heart is pulled.

Transformation:

* Surrender becomes listening.

* Control becomes personal responsibility.

You can watch the podcast video on the homepage here.

As always, leave any questions or comments below, hit that little ♥️, and until next time…

With Blessings,Randal



This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thesobershaman.com/subscribe]]>substack:post:151358517Fri, 08 Nov 2024 06:03:17 +070052:08falsefullAddiction Recovery: What's Been Missing?Addiction Recovery: What's Been Missing?What’s missing?

Regardless of where you find yourself on the path of recovery - whether it’s looking to make that first big leap into sobriety, or keeping things rolling in the early stages, or even if you’ve got some time under your belt and hit a plateau, have you, like me, at some point wondered:

“It feels like something is missing.”

This inner gnawing arises and persists despite the many effective therapies and modern approaches that carried us this far. We keep doing all the usual-next-right-things and they continue to deliver all of the usual-next-right-results, but they don’t speak to this voice emanating from the Void and telling us we’re not quite getting all of it.

So, what exactly is missing? 

A spiritual solution

There’s no chemical solution to a spiritual problem.

This is a popular recovery saying that speaks to the fact that taking a pill will not fix concerns of the spirit.

I agree. Let’s take it a step further and allow me to propose…

There’s no thought-solution to a spiritual problem. 

This speaks to the fact that we also cannot think our way into fixing concerns of the spirit.

So, if we cannot use a pill or think our way into arriving at this spiritual solution how exactly do we go about doing it and what exactly does this look like?

Well, let’s get more complicated before we make it very, very simple.

If you’d like to keep reading, you can find the written post on The Sober Shaman, which is entitled, The Heart, Soul & Bones of Recovery.

If you’d like to get the journey and the associated PDF that this Podcast refers to, as well as all of The Program’s 52 Lessons, hit the subscribe for free button below and you’ll have it delivered to your inbox with thanks & blessings!

With All Good Medicine,

Randal



This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thesobershaman.com/subscribe]]>What’s missing?

Regardless of where you find yourself on the path of recovery - whether it’s looking to make that first big leap into sobriety, or keeping things rolling in the early stages, or even if you’ve got some time under your belt and hit a plateau, have you, like me, at some point wondered:

“It feels like something is missing.”

This inner gnawing arises and persists despite the many effective therapies and modern approaches that carried us this far. We keep doing all the usual-next-right-things and they continue to deliver all of the usual-next-right-results, but they don’t speak to this voice emanating from the Void and telling us we’re not quite getting all of it.

So, what exactly is missing? 

A spiritual solution

There’s no chemical solution to a spiritual problem.

This is a popular recovery saying that speaks to the fact that taking a pill will not fix concerns of the spirit.

I agree. Let’s take it a step further and allow me to propose…

There’s no thought-solution to a spiritual problem. 

This speaks to the fact that we also cannot think our way into fixing concerns of the spirit.

So, if we cannot use a pill or think our way into arriving at this spiritual solution how exactly do we go about doing it and what exactly does this look like?

Well, let’s get more complicated before we make it very, very simple.

If you’d like to keep reading, you can find the written post on The Sober Shaman, which is entitled, The Heart, Soul & Bones of Recovery.

If you’d like to get the journey and the associated PDF that this Podcast refers to, as well as all of The Program’s 52 Lessons, hit the subscribe for free button below and you’ll have it delivered to your inbox with thanks & blessings!

With All Good Medicine,

Randal



This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thesobershaman.com/subscribe]]>substack:post:151012401Fri, 01 Nov 2024 02:47:23 +070045:15falsefullIn Addiction Recovery...Stop Searching. Start Trusting.In Addiction Recovery...Stop Searching. Start Trusting.When someone is looking to make the leap from addiction into recovery, it’s normal for them to feel overwhelmed when exploring all of the “proven and effective” ways they should do it.

I know, I listened to plenty of professionals and experts who told me what I should, needed and had to do.

So, I did. And yet…something was still missing.

For me back then, as well as with the people I work with now, this is the spiritual component. And by that I do not mean some woo-woo ambiguity or an inventory of thou-shalt-not-do-these-things-list, no, instead this is a feeling from deep within, which resonates as a rock-solid knowing of the truth. This is what needs to be acknowledged, listened to and understood.

This is what needs to be trusted.

And when you do this, it affords you access to, and the ability to receive benefits from, the realm of spirit. 

This is exactly what we do here at The Sober Shaman. We make the spiritual practical. We follow a detailed map of the path ahead, which guides you step-by-step through every exercise. You arrive back from your journey with the information, knowledge and healing power that applies to your personal situation. 

When you become a subscriber, links to the two primary courses of The Sober Shaman (The Guide & The Program) will be delivered in your Welcome email. Click the button below, sign up & you’ll get them delivered right to your inbox ; )

With Blessings,

Randal



This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thesobershaman.com/subscribe]]>When someone is looking to make the leap from addiction into recovery, it’s normal for them to feel overwhelmed when exploring all of the “proven and effective” ways they should do it.

I know, I listened to plenty of professionals and experts who told me what I should, needed and had to do.

So, I did. And yet…something was still missing.

For me back then, as well as with the people I work with now, this is the spiritual component. And by that I do not mean some woo-woo ambiguity or an inventory of thou-shalt-not-do-these-things-list, no, instead this is a feeling from deep within, which resonates as a rock-solid knowing of the truth. This is what needs to be acknowledged, listened to and understood.

This is what needs to be trusted.

And when you do this, it affords you access to, and the ability to receive benefits from, the realm of spirit. 

This is exactly what we do here at The Sober Shaman. We make the spiritual practical. We follow a detailed map of the path ahead, which guides you step-by-step through every exercise. You arrive back from your journey with the information, knowledge and healing power that applies to your personal situation. 

When you become a subscriber, links to the two primary courses of The Sober Shaman (The Guide & The Program) will be delivered in your Welcome email. Click the button below, sign up & you’ll get them delivered right to your inbox ; )

With Blessings,

Randal



This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thesobershaman.com/subscribe]]>substack:post:150742290Sat, 26 Oct 2024 04:50:40 +070025:45falsefullPodcast #25: You Can't Reclaim Your Power from Spirit and Relinquish Your Power to an Expert at the Same TimePodcast #25: You Can't Reclaim Your Power from Spirit and Relinquish Your Power to an Expert at the Same TimeI am consistently updating and adding resources to The Program. Here’s the latest installment for Lesson 41: Your Capacity, which appears as part of the Metal Phase during Principle #2: Addiction is a Cycle.

This one is all about feeling. And just like the feelings that drove us during active addiction, the ones that arise from digging into the roots of investigative recovery can be overwhelming.

Because when a feeling overtakes us and we follow like a lemming, it can lead us right off the cliff.

The flip side also has drawbacks because when we control the feeling following a path of logical structure and/or medicative numbness, we can end up in a suspended state of safety that turns into a life of flatness.

How do we reconcile this?

Listen to the podcast to see how we explore this, or you can watch the video from the main post here:

As always, please feel free to reach out with any questions you have and leave a comment below.

Blessings,Randal



This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thesobershaman.com/subscribe]]>I am consistently updating and adding resources to The Program. Here’s the latest installment for Lesson 41: Your Capacity, which appears as part of the Metal Phase during Principle #2: Addiction is a Cycle.

This one is all about feeling. And just like the feelings that drove us during active addiction, the ones that arise from digging into the roots of investigative recovery can be overwhelming.

Because when a feeling overtakes us and we follow like a lemming, it can lead us right off the cliff.

The flip side also has drawbacks because when we control the feeling following a path of logical structure and/or medicative numbness, we can end up in a suspended state of safety that turns into a life of flatness.

How do we reconcile this?

Listen to the podcast to see how we explore this, or you can watch the video from the main post here:

As always, please feel free to reach out with any questions you have and leave a comment below.

Blessings,Randal



This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thesobershaman.com/subscribe]]>substack:post:150167589Sun, 13 Oct 2024 09:29:35 +070018:43falsefullThe Yin Yang of RelapseThe Yin Yang of RelapseThere’s this slogan, “Relapse is part of recovery,” that has always kind of bugged me because I’ve known people to use it as an excuse for their latest slip back into addiction.

And at the same time, I understand the other side, too.

So, which is it? Is relapse a tool to be used in one’s recovery or is it a built-in justification for another trip around the cycle?

In today’s episode of The Sober Shaman, we’ll be taking a look at the one valuable insight that a Yin Yang philosophical perspective can provide to help make a relapse the absolute last one.

Here’s an outline of our talk:

Intro to Yin Yang

Points:

* Relapse is not part of recovery, it’s part of reinforcing the pattern

* Relapse is just a yo-yo reaction into active addiction after a period of successful recovery

* Get this insight and get off the cycle

Yin Yang’s first two Rules

* They are opposites

* They are dependent upon each other

Good vs Bad

* Energies vs Judgements

The problems are…

* We think we can eliminate The Bad

* We think these are our only two choices

* Do our closest relationships understand? 

The solutions are…

* There is another way

* Characteristics and names

* Apply Yin Yang

* Identify who’s in charge?

As always, please leave any comments or questions below or send them to me directly at: spirit@randallyons.com 

With Blessings,

Randal



This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thesobershaman.com/subscribe]]>There’s this slogan, “Relapse is part of recovery,” that has always kind of bugged me because I’ve known people to use it as an excuse for their latest slip back into addiction.

And at the same time, I understand the other side, too.

So, which is it? Is relapse a tool to be used in one’s recovery or is it a built-in justification for another trip around the cycle?

In today’s episode of The Sober Shaman, we’ll be taking a look at the one valuable insight that a Yin Yang philosophical perspective can provide to help make a relapse the absolute last one.

Here’s an outline of our talk:

Intro to Yin Yang

Points:

* Relapse is not part of recovery, it’s part of reinforcing the pattern

* Relapse is just a yo-yo reaction into active addiction after a period of successful recovery

* Get this insight and get off the cycle

Yin Yang’s first two Rules

* They are opposites

* They are dependent upon each other

Good vs Bad

* Energies vs Judgements

The problems are…

* We think we can eliminate The Bad

* We think these are our only two choices

* Do our closest relationships understand? 

The solutions are…

* There is another way

* Characteristics and names

* Apply Yin Yang

* Identify who’s in charge?

As always, please leave any comments or questions below or send them to me directly at: spirit@randallyons.com 

With Blessings,

Randal



This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thesobershaman.com/subscribe]]>substack:post:149830387Sun, 06 Oct 2024 00:13:00 +070046:31falsefullAddiction Recovery Depends on This ChoiceAddiction Recovery Depends on This ChoiceThis kind of choice is not built upon willpower, or “I’m going to try,” or “It’s a good idea if I stop doing [fill-in-the-blank].”

No, this kind of choice is an immovable object.

This kind of choice is an agreement with spirit, a covenant with God, and, if you’re an atheist, it’s a partnership with Truth itself. 

Until you make this choice, the big problems in recovery will keep resurfacing, increasing the chance of relapse.

In this episode of The Sober Shaman Podcast, we’ll examine what makes this choice different, why it’s imperative for successful recovery, and what it takes to make the decision.

I would like to thank Adam PT for his post, “I Could Relapse,” in which he recalls a Smart Recovery Group that stuck with him. Adam introduces the Fire Triangle, which consists of oxygen, heat, and fuel, and explains how it’s an analogous model for the Relapse Triangle, which consists of opportunity, cravings, and choice. Great stuff.

It had me nodding along in agreement and had my brain humming in harmony with truths that ring like bells.

I experienced this resonance because this choice was what finally pushed me over the line separating addiction from recovery.

Until I made this choice, I was always “trying,” “attempting,” “implementing a new method,” etc., which was frustrating, exhausting, and just set me up for another go-around of the cycle.

These days, I have more clarity about the dynamics and logistics that go into this choice, and the language I use to help others make the same choice for themselves.

Not a subscriber? Make this choice ;) and receive Your Guide to the Shamanic Journey, sent right to your inbox.

Do you know someone who’s struggling with addiction and hasn’t yet made this choice?

It’s not easy. Leave a comment below or shoot me an email, spirit@randallyons.com, with your questions or thoughts.

With Blessings,Randal



This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thesobershaman.com/subscribe]]>This kind of choice is not built upon willpower, or “I’m going to try,” or “It’s a good idea if I stop doing [fill-in-the-blank].”

No, this kind of choice is an immovable object.

This kind of choice is an agreement with spirit, a covenant with God, and, if you’re an atheist, it’s a partnership with Truth itself. 

Until you make this choice, the big problems in recovery will keep resurfacing, increasing the chance of relapse.

In this episode of The Sober Shaman Podcast, we’ll examine what makes this choice different, why it’s imperative for successful recovery, and what it takes to make the decision.

I would like to thank Adam PT for his post, “I Could Relapse,” in which he recalls a Smart Recovery Group that stuck with him. Adam introduces the Fire Triangle, which consists of oxygen, heat, and fuel, and explains how it’s an analogous model for the Relapse Triangle, which consists of opportunity, cravings, and choice. Great stuff.

It had me nodding along in agreement and had my brain humming in harmony with truths that ring like bells.

I experienced this resonance because this choice was what finally pushed me over the line separating addiction from recovery.

Until I made this choice, I was always “trying,” “attempting,” “implementing a new method,” etc., which was frustrating, exhausting, and just set me up for another go-around of the cycle.

These days, I have more clarity about the dynamics and logistics that go into this choice, and the language I use to help others make the same choice for themselves.

Not a subscriber? Make this choice ;) and receive Your Guide to the Shamanic Journey, sent right to your inbox.

Do you know someone who’s struggling with addiction and hasn’t yet made this choice?

It’s not easy. Leave a comment below or shoot me an email, spirit@randallyons.com, with your questions or thoughts.

With Blessings,Randal



This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thesobershaman.com/subscribe]]>substack:post:149035265Sun, 22 Sep 2024 00:11:00 +070036:46falsefullPodcast #22: Addiction & the Spirits of ColonialismPodcast #22: Addiction & the Spirits of ColonialismShamanism, to me, is all about relationship. To enter into and maintain an ongoing right relationship with:

* The people we love

* The places we love

* The invisible beings and forces that we love (however your belief system perceives them)

In the West, right relationship has been decimated because we’ve lost our relationship to the sacred. Specifically, this appears in:

* Language

* Listening

* Abilities that connect us to receive knowledge and healing power from spirit/the divine

In this episode, we’ll explore how The Spirits of Colonialism played their part in making this happen and how they continue to perpetuate themselves through the insidious practice of turning the victim into the perpetrator. 

Episode Notes

* Engaging with The Spirits of Colonialism, like all addictions, creates results where everybody loses.

* These results perpetuate themselves by turning victims into perpetrators.

Examples:

* The Roman Empire’s method: conscripting the conquered

* The English Empire’s method: the Welsh Knot and the Irish Stick

Everyone’s just trying to survive:

* Diaspora, immigration, running from and running towards

* My family’s story from the Italian Piedmont to Ellis Island and Patterson, New Jersey

Television Series: “Who Do Your Think You Are?”

The Sober Shaman Program

Examining our family history often provides information about our ancestors’ painful encounters with The Spirits of Colonialism. For many, this is the awareness needed to help break the cycle of addiction.

The following lessons from The Sober Shaman Program guide you through that process:

Watch the entire podcast episode here:

Next Steps

If you’re looking for a holistic, integrative, proven-effective program of long-term recovery, find my program here.

And to learn more about The Sober Shaman and how we can work together, you can always go directly to the website: www.RandalLyons.com.

With Blessings,Randal



This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thesobershaman.com/subscribe]]>Shamanism, to me, is all about relationship. To enter into and maintain an ongoing right relationship with:

* The people we love

* The places we love

* The invisible beings and forces that we love (however your belief system perceives them)

In the West, right relationship has been decimated because we’ve lost our relationship to the sacred. Specifically, this appears in:

* Language

* Listening

* Abilities that connect us to receive knowledge and healing power from spirit/the divine

In this episode, we’ll explore how The Spirits of Colonialism played their part in making this happen and how they continue to perpetuate themselves through the insidious practice of turning the victim into the perpetrator. 

Episode Notes

* Engaging with The Spirits of Colonialism, like all addictions, creates results where everybody loses.

* These results perpetuate themselves by turning victims into perpetrators.

Examples:

* The Roman Empire’s method: conscripting the conquered

* The English Empire’s method: the Welsh Knot and the Irish Stick

Everyone’s just trying to survive:

* Diaspora, immigration, running from and running towards

* My family’s story from the Italian Piedmont to Ellis Island and Patterson, New Jersey

Television Series: “Who Do Your Think You Are?”

The Sober Shaman Program

Examining our family history often provides information about our ancestors’ painful encounters with The Spirits of Colonialism. For many, this is the awareness needed to help break the cycle of addiction.

The following lessons from The Sober Shaman Program guide you through that process:

Watch the entire podcast episode here:

Next Steps

If you’re looking for a holistic, integrative, proven-effective program of long-term recovery, find my program here.

And to learn more about The Sober Shaman and how we can work together, you can always go directly to the website: www.RandalLyons.com.

With Blessings,Randal



This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thesobershaman.com/subscribe]]>substack:post:148519271Sun, 08 Sep 2024 00:11:00 +070049:40falsefullPodcast #21: The Spirits of SynchronicityPodcast #21: The Spirits of SynchronicityPsychology calls it synchronicity. Spirituality and shamanism may call it direct communication from the spirits.

Either way, these events hold meaning, power, and a personal kind of magic in them. This is why, back in my days of active addiction, I chased them in pursuit of more.

Now in recovery, “more” can happen through clean intention, sacred ritual, and right action. 

In this episode of The Sober Shaman Podcast, we explore exactly how to do this and start from a place of:

* Removing the excess

* Learning to listen

* Merging with spirit

This is Big Medicine for our times, for our health, and for helping to break the cycle of addiction once and for all.

Do you have a synchronicity that you know in your bones was spirit communicating with you? I’d love to hear about it in the comments!

You can watch this episode in its entirety here:

You can find out more about The Sober Shaman and how we can work together on the website: www.RandalLyons.com.

With Blessings,Randal



This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thesobershaman.com/subscribe]]>Psychology calls it synchronicity. Spirituality and shamanism may call it direct communication from the spirits.

Either way, these events hold meaning, power, and a personal kind of magic in them. This is why, back in my days of active addiction, I chased them in pursuit of more.

Now in recovery, “more” can happen through clean intention, sacred ritual, and right action. 

In this episode of The Sober Shaman Podcast, we explore exactly how to do this and start from a place of:

* Removing the excess

* Learning to listen

* Merging with spirit

This is Big Medicine for our times, for our health, and for helping to break the cycle of addiction once and for all.

Do you have a synchronicity that you know in your bones was spirit communicating with you? I’d love to hear about it in the comments!

You can watch this episode in its entirety here:

You can find out more about The Sober Shaman and how we can work together on the website: www.RandalLyons.com.

With Blessings,Randal



This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thesobershaman.com/subscribe]]>substack:post:148329617Sun, 01 Sep 2024 00:13:00 +070048:35falsefullPoscast #20: Addiction, Anxiety & the Spirit of ShouldPoscast #20: Addiction, Anxiety & the Spirit of ShouldThe Spirit of Should tells us that it’s not enough. Right here, right now, it’s just not good enough.

This doesn’t always have to be a bad thing. But, for people struggling with addiction and anxiety, it can’t help but poke at the Wound. 

And there’s more. Because the Spirit of Should uses this opening to remind us that right here, right now, “I am not good enough.”

This is the belief that keeps someone plugged into the cycle of addiction.

This is what feeds and sustains the Spirit of Should.

This episode of The Sober Shaman podcast explores:

* How the Spirit of Should operates

* Where it comes from

* How we invited it in (similar to vampire stories)

* Practical steps to dismantle our relationship with it

I also discuss the following chart of the Four Aspects: mental, spiritual, emotional, and physical. For each aspect, I’ve listed its associated domain and medicine.

Find links mentioned in the episode here:

* The Program Lesson 3: What Is Medicine? Part 1

* The Program Lesson 4: What Is Medicine? Part 2

And if you want to watch this episode on YouTube, click play here:

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to share them below or email me at: spirit@randallyons.com

And if you found this helpful, please hit the little like button and consider becoming a subscriber (it’s free).

With blessings!Randal



This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thesobershaman.com/subscribe]]>The Spirit of Should tells us that it’s not enough. Right here, right now, it’s just not good enough.

This doesn’t always have to be a bad thing. But, for people struggling with addiction and anxiety, it can’t help but poke at the Wound. 

And there’s more. Because the Spirit of Should uses this opening to remind us that right here, right now, “I am not good enough.”

This is the belief that keeps someone plugged into the cycle of addiction.

This is what feeds and sustains the Spirit of Should.

This episode of The Sober Shaman podcast explores:

* How the Spirit of Should operates

* Where it comes from

* How we invited it in (similar to vampire stories)

* Practical steps to dismantle our relationship with it

I also discuss the following chart of the Four Aspects: mental, spiritual, emotional, and physical. For each aspect, I’ve listed its associated domain and medicine.

Find links mentioned in the episode here:

* The Program Lesson 3: What Is Medicine? Part 1

* The Program Lesson 4: What Is Medicine? Part 2

And if you want to watch this episode on YouTube, click play here:

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to share them below or email me at: spirit@randallyons.com

And if you found this helpful, please hit the little like button and consider becoming a subscriber (it’s free).

With blessings!Randal



This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thesobershaman.com/subscribe]]>substack:post:148031796Sun, 25 Aug 2024 05:28:37 +070042:33falsefullPodcast #19: Holistic Addiction Recovery & a Shamanic Journey to The Web of LiesPodcast #19: Holistic Addiction Recovery & a Shamanic Journey to The Web of LiesIf someone’s engaged in active addiction, they’re also engaged in active lying.

This includes lies they’ve told others as well as ones they’re telling themselves—untangling the two can get complicated.

In today’s podcast episode, I discuss one method for freeing ourselves from The Web of Lies. Through the practice of shamanic journeying, it offers medicine in the form of awareness, experience, and practical spirituality.

Basics, examples, practice

If you’re new to shamanic journeying and want to learn the basics, find them here: The Shamanic Journey and Addiction Recovery - Part 1.

If you’d like to hear an example of what a journey might look like, give a listen to today’s podcast at the video link above.

And if you’re ready to undertake the Medicine Journey to The Web of Lies for yourself (without my voice guiding you), here’s an audio drumming file and some follow-up questions:

Questions

Write down the answers to these questions upon your return:

* Did you feel called to travel to the UpperWorld (UW) or LowerWorld (LW)?

* Describe the place of your entrance into the UW or LW?

* Was this a new place or known place?

* Who did you meet?

* Were they new or known?

* When you asked to be taken to The Web of Lies, how did you get there?

* What did The Web of Lies appear to you as?

* What were your first impressions?

* Did it feel familiar?

* What information did you get?

* Was there anything that you needed to do?

* If so, did you do it? How’d it go? Do you need to follow up in Ordinary Reality? Who can help? What do you need to do?

* What did you learn from this Medicine Journey to The Web of Lies?

Back to you.

If you participated in the Medicine Journey using the above audio, how’d it go? What did you receive?

If you’d like to share any insights, medicine, and power you received during your journey to The Web of Lies (or thoughts on today’s podcast), I’d love to hear. Please share in the comments.

As always, if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to send them my way: spirit@randallyons.com

And if you found this helpful, please hit the little like button and consider becoming a subscriber (it’s free).

With Blessings,Randal



This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thesobershaman.com/subscribe]]>If someone’s engaged in active addiction, they’re also engaged in active lying.

This includes lies they’ve told others as well as ones they’re telling themselves—untangling the two can get complicated.

In today’s podcast episode, I discuss one method for freeing ourselves from The Web of Lies. Through the practice of shamanic journeying, it offers medicine in the form of awareness, experience, and practical spirituality.

Basics, examples, practice

If you’re new to shamanic journeying and want to learn the basics, find them here: The Shamanic Journey and Addiction Recovery - Part 1.

If you’d like to hear an example of what a journey might look like, give a listen to today’s podcast at the video link above.

And if you’re ready to undertake the Medicine Journey to The Web of Lies for yourself (without my voice guiding you), here’s an audio drumming file and some follow-up questions:

Questions

Write down the answers to these questions upon your return:

* Did you feel called to travel to the UpperWorld (UW) or LowerWorld (LW)?

* Describe the place of your entrance into the UW or LW?

* Was this a new place or known place?

* Who did you meet?

* Were they new or known?

* When you asked to be taken to The Web of Lies, how did you get there?

* What did The Web of Lies appear to you as?

* What were your first impressions?

* Did it feel familiar?

* What information did you get?

* Was there anything that you needed to do?

* If so, did you do it? How’d it go? Do you need to follow up in Ordinary Reality? Who can help? What do you need to do?

* What did you learn from this Medicine Journey to The Web of Lies?

Back to you.

If you participated in the Medicine Journey using the above audio, how’d it go? What did you receive?

If you’d like to share any insights, medicine, and power you received during your journey to The Web of Lies (or thoughts on today’s podcast), I’d love to hear. Please share in the comments.

As always, if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to send them my way: spirit@randallyons.com

And if you found this helpful, please hit the little like button and consider becoming a subscriber (it’s free).

With Blessings,Randal



This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thesobershaman.com/subscribe]]>substack:post:147770879Sat, 17 Aug 2024 18:11:00 +070031:53falsefullPodcast #18: Addiction & the Qi of LiesPodcast #18: Addiction & the Qi of LiesYou know the feeling…that moment when you say the lie out loud. 

It’s as though one part of you is listening to another part tell it. You’re judging the words as they come out of your mouth. You’re evaluating how the person you’re telling receives it.

When the lie is “successful,” you say to yourself, “Whew! Looks like they’re buying into it. Let’s keep this going.”

What does that feel like? 

What does that do to you?

What are the ramifications for your health?

Let’s explore.

“The truth is not always beautiful, nor beautiful words the truth.”

Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching

Lesson 11 of The Program explores the subject of Truth vs. Lies in detail. As with all 52 Lessons, it includes:

* PDF Workbook

* 3 Instructional Videos

* Guided Medicine Journey

* Shamanic wRites Exercise

* 3 Points - Summary PDF

* Notes from the Lab (for practitioners)

To accompany this podcast episode, I’m including the first Medicine Journey from this Lesson for free. That way, you can get a feel for the power of this work and decide whether you’d like to go deeper.

Find this week’s podcast episode in the audio above or the video below. Listen to the accompanying Medicine Journey here:

To get full access to all 52 Lessons, subscribe for free here:

With Blessings,Randal

You can watch this episode of The Sober Shaman on YouTube here.



This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thesobershaman.com/subscribe]]>You know the feeling…that moment when you say the lie out loud. 

It’s as though one part of you is listening to another part tell it. You’re judging the words as they come out of your mouth. You’re evaluating how the person you’re telling receives it.

When the lie is “successful,” you say to yourself, “Whew! Looks like they’re buying into it. Let’s keep this going.”

What does that feel like? 

What does that do to you?

What are the ramifications for your health?

Let’s explore.

“The truth is not always beautiful, nor beautiful words the truth.”

Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching

Lesson 11 of The Program explores the subject of Truth vs. Lies in detail. As with all 52 Lessons, it includes:

* PDF Workbook

* 3 Instructional Videos

* Guided Medicine Journey

* Shamanic wRites Exercise

* 3 Points - Summary PDF

* Notes from the Lab (for practitioners)

To accompany this podcast episode, I’m including the first Medicine Journey from this Lesson for free. That way, you can get a feel for the power of this work and decide whether you’d like to go deeper.

Find this week’s podcast episode in the audio above or the video below. Listen to the accompanying Medicine Journey here:

To get full access to all 52 Lessons, subscribe for free here:

With Blessings,Randal

You can watch this episode of The Sober Shaman on YouTube here.



This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thesobershaman.com/subscribe]]>substack:post:147504743Sun, 11 Aug 2024 04:11:00 +070031:18falsefullPodcast #17: Addiction & the Fog of LiesPodcast #17: Addiction & the Fog of LiesAddiction originates from a lie. It grows, solidifies, and then perpetuates itself through the creation, telling, and spreading of more and more lies.

To keep this viscous cycle of untruth rolling, an active addiction must keep the light of awareness, honesty, and truth from entering into one’s consciousness and reality.

This can leave someone feeling like they’re stuck in a fog.

The path ahead is unclear, healthy options cannot be seen, help is ambiguous, fuzzy, and out-there-somewhere. 

In this episode, we’ll take a look at two case studies from my clinical practice, showcasing ways to cut through the fog, gain clarity, and accumulate the medicine of healthy experience. 

We’ll use a metaphor from Everyday Spy, which makes use of CIA training for everyday life.

We’ll also draw on the Traditional Chinese Medicine concept of Phlegm, and how it can mist, or fog, the orifices of the Heart.

Can you relate to the fog of lies?

So, one of the things we do to cut through that fog is to provide a different perspective.

To provide a different experience.

Experience changes belief.

You can watch this episode of The Sober Shaman on YouTube here

Let me know what you think in the comments or shoot me an email at spirit@randallyons.com 

Blessings,Randal



This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thesobershaman.com/subscribe]]>Addiction originates from a lie. It grows, solidifies, and then perpetuates itself through the creation, telling, and spreading of more and more lies.

To keep this viscous cycle of untruth rolling, an active addiction must keep the light of awareness, honesty, and truth from entering into one’s consciousness and reality.

This can leave someone feeling like they’re stuck in a fog.

The path ahead is unclear, healthy options cannot be seen, help is ambiguous, fuzzy, and out-there-somewhere. 

In this episode, we’ll take a look at two case studies from my clinical practice, showcasing ways to cut through the fog, gain clarity, and accumulate the medicine of healthy experience. 

We’ll use a metaphor from Everyday Spy, which makes use of CIA training for everyday life.

We’ll also draw on the Traditional Chinese Medicine concept of Phlegm, and how it can mist, or fog, the orifices of the Heart.

Can you relate to the fog of lies?

So, one of the things we do to cut through that fog is to provide a different perspective.

To provide a different experience.

Experience changes belief.

You can watch this episode of The Sober Shaman on YouTube here

Let me know what you think in the comments or shoot me an email at spirit@randallyons.com 

Blessings,Randal



This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thesobershaman.com/subscribe]]>substack:post:147300414Sun, 04 Aug 2024 05:12:00 +070025:57falsefullPodcast #16: Losing My ReligionPodcast #16: Losing My ReligionHave you rejected the religion of your youth?

* What else might have been lost as a result?

* Should you consider reclaiming what was lost?

* How can this help with recovery?

In this episode of The Sober Shaman Podcast, we dive into these questions and explore the subject of my recent post:

Losing My Religion: What else is lost when you reject the religion of your youth?

Feel free to share your questions or comments below, or email me directly at: spirit@thesobershaman.com

And if you’re listening/watching on a different platform, I invite you to come on over and check out all of the material on my Substack for The Sober Shaman.

I appreciate the connection!

With Blessings,Randal



This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thesobershaman.com/subscribe]]>Have you rejected the religion of your youth?

* What else might have been lost as a result?

* Should you consider reclaiming what was lost?

* How can this help with recovery?

In this episode of The Sober Shaman Podcast, we dive into these questions and explore the subject of my recent post:

Losing My Religion: What else is lost when you reject the religion of your youth?

Feel free to share your questions or comments below, or email me directly at: spirit@thesobershaman.com

And if you’re listening/watching on a different platform, I invite you to come on over and check out all of the material on my Substack for The Sober Shaman.

I appreciate the connection!

With Blessings,Randal



This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thesobershaman.com/subscribe]]>substack:post:147021041Sat, 27 Jul 2024 17:12:00 +070031:11falsefullPodcast #15: Addiction, Shamanism and The 4 Assumptions of SurrenderPodcast #15: Addiction, Shamanism and The 4 Assumptions of SurrenderWhy is it…

Why is it when people in recovery are told they’ll need to Surrender, they immediately default into thinking that they’re going to “lose?”

But then, when they do the work and actually Surrender..

…they come out the other side feeling like they’ve won?

How does this work?

What changes?

How can shamanism help make this happen?

The Dig

This is the audio and Podcast version of The Dig, which further explores a specific addiction related topic. In this edition, we’re going into Lesson #18: The Power of Surrender.

Thanks for listening!

Let me know what you think of this episode and send me any addiction-related questions you have: spirit@randallyons.com

Get access to this, as well as all of the 52 Lessons, with one subscription. Join us inside The Program here:



This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thesobershaman.com/subscribe]]>Why is it…

Why is it when people in recovery are told they’ll need to Surrender, they immediately default into thinking that they’re going to “lose?”

But then, when they do the work and actually Surrender..

…they come out the other side feeling like they’ve won?

How does this work?

What changes?

How can shamanism help make this happen?

The Dig

This is the audio and Podcast version of The Dig, which further explores a specific addiction related topic. In this edition, we’re going into Lesson #18: The Power of Surrender.

Thanks for listening!

Let me know what you think of this episode and send me any addiction-related questions you have: spirit@randallyons.com

Get access to this, as well as all of the 52 Lessons, with one subscription. Join us inside The Program here:



This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thesobershaman.com/subscribe]]>substack:post:144035590Sat, 27 Apr 2024 16:36:24 +070016:40falsefullPodcast #14: Soul Friends: How Do We Talk to the Ones Who’ve Left Too Soon?Podcast #14: Soul Friends: How Do We Talk to the Ones Who’ve Left Too Soon?Addiction steals a lot from life. Sometimes, it takes life itself from those most special and dear to us and leaves behind a void where this relationship used to be.

Waiting to be filled, it’s like a part of us is frozen, suspended in expectation for the Universe to supply another who will fit perfectly into our empty chasm.

But they don’t come. Not in that way.

This is because the one who’s departed saw us, knew us, and understood us like only they could. They were a Soul Friend and what is lost goes beyond the everyday, the ordinary, and the easily explained.

So, how do we heal?

Let’s explore…

You can also read the entire written post, which includes a step-by-step Shamanic wRites exercise and audio drum file, here:

You can watch this episode on YouTube here:

If you, or anyone you know, is struggling with addiction and the consequences from trauma, please feel free to reach out with any questions: Spirit@RandalLyons.com

The Sober Shaman is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.



This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thesobershaman.com/subscribe]]>Addiction steals a lot from life. Sometimes, it takes life itself from those most special and dear to us and leaves behind a void where this relationship used to be.

Waiting to be filled, it’s like a part of us is frozen, suspended in expectation for the Universe to supply another who will fit perfectly into our empty chasm.

But they don’t come. Not in that way.

This is because the one who’s departed saw us, knew us, and understood us like only they could. They were a Soul Friend and what is lost goes beyond the everyday, the ordinary, and the easily explained.

So, how do we heal?

Let’s explore…

You can also read the entire written post, which includes a step-by-step Shamanic wRites exercise and audio drum file, here:

You can watch this episode on YouTube here:

If you, or anyone you know, is struggling with addiction and the consequences from trauma, please feel free to reach out with any questions: Spirit@RandalLyons.com

The Sober Shaman is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.



This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thesobershaman.com/subscribe]]>substack:post:143669770Wed, 17 Apr 2024 11:55:53 +070033:33falsefull#13: Breaking the Spell of Addiction #13: Breaking the Spell of Addiction When someone’s in active addiction, it can seem like they’re under a spell. They walk through life in a trance. They act as if they’re possessed.

But what if this is a spell? What can we do to break it?

Like many of the episodes of The Sober Shaman Podcast, this one is a companion piece to the written post of the same name.

I love this arrangement because the podcast gives me a chance to riff on all of the concepts presented in the written post.

This lets me go into much greater detail and provide specific examples of what we’re talking about. And for me, this episode’s focus of “Addiction is a Spell” is a rockin’ one that provides another way to view the mechanisms of addiction—as well as ways to break its hold.

As always, please hit the little heart, subscribe if you feel called, and leave a comment with your thoughts—it’s always appreciated!

With Blessings,Randal

You can find the written post here, and watch the full-length video below:



This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thesobershaman.com/subscribe]]>When someone’s in active addiction, it can seem like they’re under a spell. They walk through life in a trance. They act as if they’re possessed.

But what if this is a spell? What can we do to break it?

Like many of the episodes of The Sober Shaman Podcast, this one is a companion piece to the written post of the same name.

I love this arrangement because the podcast gives me a chance to riff on all of the concepts presented in the written post.

This lets me go into much greater detail and provide specific examples of what we’re talking about. And for me, this episode’s focus of “Addiction is a Spell” is a rockin’ one that provides another way to view the mechanisms of addiction—as well as ways to break its hold.

As always, please hit the little heart, subscribe if you feel called, and leave a comment with your thoughts—it’s always appreciated!

With Blessings,Randal

You can find the written post here, and watch the full-length video below:



This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thesobershaman.com/subscribe]]>substack:post:142240960Sat, 02 Mar 2024 15:39:00 +070043:50falsefull#12: Spirits Are Real. Let’s Write That Way. #12: Spirits Are Real. Let’s Write That Way. As AI slams into the cultural zeitgeist, we’re getting an introduction to the bizarre and glimpses of the inevitable. We’re talking fake news dropping from politicians’ computer-generated mouths, your favorite famous person showing up in deep-fake porn, and viral images that seem real—but are they?

This is all before the next wave, when neural links will blur the line even more. So, what’s real?

And, regardless of what’s real, what’s stronger? Belief or reality?

This podcast is a companion episode to the Substack newsletter of the same name. Inside here, we go into a lot more detail around these subjects, as well as using shamanism for addiction treatment in general.

In that written post, you’ll find a guided Shamanic wRites exercise, as well as an audio file of just drums if you’re good to go on your own.

Also, here’s a link to the video of the podcast:

Either way, if you’d like to leave a comment on your take that spirits are real or share what you received from the exercise, I’d love to hear what you’ve got!

With Blessings, Randal



This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thesobershaman.com/subscribe]]>As AI slams into the cultural zeitgeist, we’re getting an introduction to the bizarre and glimpses of the inevitable. We’re talking fake news dropping from politicians’ computer-generated mouths, your favorite famous person showing up in deep-fake porn, and viral images that seem real—but are they?

This is all before the next wave, when neural links will blur the line even more. So, what’s real?

And, regardless of what’s real, what’s stronger? Belief or reality?

This podcast is a companion episode to the Substack newsletter of the same name. Inside here, we go into a lot more detail around these subjects, as well as using shamanism for addiction treatment in general.

In that written post, you’ll find a guided Shamanic wRites exercise, as well as an audio file of just drums if you’re good to go on your own.

Also, here’s a link to the video of the podcast:

Either way, if you’d like to leave a comment on your take that spirits are real or share what you received from the exercise, I’d love to hear what you’ve got!

With Blessings, Randal



This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thesobershaman.com/subscribe]]>substack:post:141994891Sat, 24 Feb 2024 14:23:28 +070031:49falsefull#11: Shamanic Listening Begins With The Heart#11: Shamanic Listening Begins With The HeartHere's the podcast that supplies commentary and additional details to the written Substack post entitled, "Shamanic Listening Begins With The Heart - turns out, the head and the heart hear things differently."

In this episode, I'll take a deeper dive into the topic of "shamanic heart listening" - and how this differs from other methods, which focus more on thinking, introspection and mindfulness.

As always, reach out if you have any questions, comments or suggestions on a shamanic topic you’d like me to cover. Or maybe you know an addiction’s specialist or shamanic practitioner you’d like me to explore a conversation with…?…by all means, pass them along!

With Blessings,

Randal



This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thesobershaman.com/subscribe]]>Here's the podcast that supplies commentary and additional details to the written Substack post entitled, "Shamanic Listening Begins With The Heart - turns out, the head and the heart hear things differently."

In this episode, I'll take a deeper dive into the topic of "shamanic heart listening" - and how this differs from other methods, which focus more on thinking, introspection and mindfulness.

As always, reach out if you have any questions, comments or suggestions on a shamanic topic you’d like me to cover. Or maybe you know an addiction’s specialist or shamanic practitioner you’d like me to explore a conversation with…?…by all means, pass them along!

With Blessings,

Randal



This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thesobershaman.com/subscribe]]>substack:post:141557060Sat, 10 Feb 2024 18:27:41 +070030:52falsefull#10: Shamanic Power Statement: Admission or Rejection#10: Shamanic Power Statement: Admission or Rejection“Hi, my name is ____ and I’m an alcoholic and an addict.” 

What is it about this statement that makes it so powerful? Powerful enough that it causes extreme reactions. Reactions that go in polarizing, opposing directions.

Watch this episode here

Regardless of one’s personal relationship with this statement, its power and the reactions it provokes are why I love it. 

Why? Because—wherever you stand—it offers a place to begin the conversation. 

So, whether we…

* Refuse to say it because it makes us feel like we’re reinforcing the problem.

* Say it daily because it instills the humility necessary on this path.

* Can’t say it because then “I’m joining their club.”

* Say it because it just makes sense. 

* Say it and feel nothing.

* Don’t say it because I feel like a victim when I do.

* Say it because I never was able to admit it before. 

…we’ve got a starting place.

There’s no wrong way to do the exercise. That’s why I’ve chosen it for Lesson 1 of The Sober Shaman’s Path of Recovery.

Give it a try and let me know what it’s like for you today—or how you’ve noticed it change over time. 

With Blessings,Randal



Get full access to The Sober Shaman at randallyons.substack.com/subscribe

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thesobershaman.com/subscribe]]>“Hi, my name is ____ and I’m an alcoholic and an addict.” 

What is it about this statement that makes it so powerful? Powerful enough that it causes extreme reactions. Reactions that go in polarizing, opposing directions.

Watch this episode here

Regardless of one’s personal relationship with this statement, its power and the reactions it provokes are why I love it. 

Why? Because—wherever you stand—it offers a place to begin the conversation. 

So, whether we…

* Refuse to say it because it makes us feel like we’re reinforcing the problem.

* Say it daily because it instills the humility necessary on this path.

* Can’t say it because then “I’m joining their club.”

* Say it because it just makes sense. 

* Say it and feel nothing.

* Don’t say it because I feel like a victim when I do.

* Say it because I never was able to admit it before. 

…we’ve got a starting place.

There’s no wrong way to do the exercise. That’s why I’ve chosen it for Lesson 1 of The Sober Shaman’s Path of Recovery.

Give it a try and let me know what it’s like for you today—or how you’ve noticed it change over time. 

With Blessings,Randal



Get full access to The Sober Shaman at randallyons.substack.com/subscribe

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thesobershaman.com/subscribe]]>substack:post:140662478Sun, 14 Jan 2024 14:05:36 +070019:00falsefull#9: Addiction and Spirituality#9: Addiction and SpiritualityWelcome to The Sober Shaman Podcast, where we explore ways to make the spiritual practical and apply these medicines to recovery from addiction and trauma.

Watch on YouTube

Today’s guest is Dean Taraborelli—the owner and founder of The Sanctuary at Sedona, which is a truly holistic treatment center that helps people recover from addiction, PTSD, and trauma.

Dean is a kindred spirit who has put in his time on both sides of the line of sobriety. Together, we explore a little of his journey. I hope you enjoy our conversation.

Please hit the little heart, leave a comment, or send along any questions you may have.

Blessings!

The Sanctuary at Sedona



Get full access to The Sober Shaman at randallyons.substack.com/subscribe

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thesobershaman.com/subscribe]]>Welcome to The Sober Shaman Podcast, where we explore ways to make the spiritual practical and apply these medicines to recovery from addiction and trauma.

Watch on YouTube

Today’s guest is Dean Taraborelli—the owner and founder of The Sanctuary at Sedona, which is a truly holistic treatment center that helps people recover from addiction, PTSD, and trauma.

Dean is a kindred spirit who has put in his time on both sides of the line of sobriety. Together, we explore a little of his journey. I hope you enjoy our conversation.

Please hit the little heart, leave a comment, or send along any questions you may have.

Blessings!

The Sanctuary at Sedona



Get full access to The Sober Shaman at randallyons.substack.com/subscribe

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thesobershaman.com/subscribe]]>substack:post:140422563Sun, 07 Jan 2024 05:11:00 +070058:12falsefull#8: Is January a Good Time to Quit?#8: Is January a Good Time to Quit?“Randy, is it a good idea to quit on January 1st?” My standard answer isn’t what everyone wants to hear:

“I don’t know. It depends. What I do know is that a hard thing is going to be hard no matter when you do it.”

And while I have plenty to say about the pros and cons of picking January 1st as your sobriety date, I’m approaching the question from a different, more personal angle this year. I’m conducting my own experiment. Meaning, I’m picking that date to quit a thing. Specifically…

I’ve handed in my resignation and will not be renewing a contract that’s provided financial security for the past few years.

Watch the video for this episode on YouTube

Now what?

The ol’ reliable Voice of Fear says:

“Hey, you tried this before and it didn’t go so well. I don’t think this is a good idea. You better try and get that gig back. Beg, present new facts, manipulate your way to return into the Arms of Safety. I’ll help!”

Ah, the familiar and the safe. Another question that I’m asked as often as whether to quit on January 1st is:

“Why would I choose to stay the same and pick what’s familiar when I know it’s not healthy? Especially when I know that the option of ‘going for it’ and moving forward is the right thing to do?”

Well, the unknown is scary. So, the Voice of Fear makes a lot of sense. It provides practical advice that overrides those nagging intangibles like hope, faith, and possibility—even in the face of an obvious chance to change for the better.

Unfortunately, this kind of practicality can also serve as the cement that solidifies a cycle of addition into perpetual incarnations.

What’s better, really?

What’s better, really? A cycle of safety and familiarity or jumping into the unknown and creative possibility.

What’s different and what’s the same?

Chances are, if someone’s picking January 1st as their target date to quit something, they’ve tried this before. And if they’ve tried it before and are doing it again, that means the previous attempt(s) were unsuccessful.

We’ve got to acknowledge this and put all the cards on the table. What are we dealing with here in terms of prior failures—whether perceived or objective? 

Because don’t set up your January 1st quitting plans thinking that this time willpower will overpower the Voice of Fear. 

That’s a nightmare doomed for collapse. In one form or another, it’s probably what you tried (and failed) before. One reason is because it’s what I call the “Me vs. Me” scenario. Meaning, we have my willpower fighting my Fear.

Ugh. Nothing but struggle. That’s exhausting and, chances are, this is one answer to the question: “What’s the same?”

So, let’s set up a different plan and one more likely to meet with success. 

If you’re quitting, here’s a map of the territory.

I start with the model that’s worked for the last couple of decades with myself and my clients. It’s also the one I use in The Sober Shaman’s Path of Recovery.

This model is based on the first of my 3 Principles for dealing with addiction, which states:

Addiction affects the whole person: mental, spiritual, emotional, and physical. 

Pretty simple. Each of these four aspects of the whole person offers its own perspective on the issue, speaks its own language to describe the situation, and will employ its own medicine to deal with imbalances.

That in mind, let’s apply them to our January 1st quitting.

Here’s the Checklist of the Four Medicines and how we’re going to use them to support success:

Mental 

It’s not complicated. People try to change for two reasons: to get more pleasure and to receive less pain. That’s pretty much it.

So, taking inventory of this January 1st quitting:

What new awareness do you have around the pain, and what is the new pleasure you expect to receive? 

Action Item:

What methods will you employ to receive new awareness?

These can be: 

* Traditional therapy, counseling, or coaching

* Meditation

* Groups specific to your situation

* Your own investigation through reading, podcasts, courses, and programs

* Asking Spirit—such as through a shamanic journey or traditional or individual rituals in relationship with your helping Spirits

* Asking Nature—spending quiet alone time and receiving answers

Spiritual

To keep things simple, I like to say that what we believe is the primary factor determining our spiritual identity and how our relationship to the Divine manifests.

Belief is also a primary factor in how we approach quitting something. Thus, belief offers a link between our spirituality and our quitting. They’re absolutely intertwined. 

When we attempt to make a big change and break a long-running cycle, we will inevitably confront our own limiting beliefs:

What beliefs does quitting your thing force you to confront? 

“It takes a new experience to change an old belief”

—The Sober Shaman’s Path to Recovery

Action Item:

How will you provide yourself with new experiences that validate your new beliefs—and prove your outdated limiting core beliefs incorrect?

Whether religious or spiritual, atheist or animist, be clear about your beliefs and use them to your advantage. 

The medicine of experience will always affect your beliefs—whether it validates and strengthens them, or shatters them apart to reveal new truths.

This can look like:

* All of the suggestions above, under “receiving new awareness,” also provide experience. 

* Pilgrimage to sacred places (which could be sacred just to you—such as the house where you grew up, etc.)

* New ways of praying or reintroducing an old way of praying

Emotional 

Once you’ve got your methods for gaining awareness and exploring beliefs, take it up a notch by connecting with others who have kindred goals.

Action Item:

Who will be your connections?

What interests you?

Where will these connections take place?

For example:

* Connection to movement

* Connection to food and nourishment

* Creativity and creative outlets

Physical 

A practice is something that you do everyday. Regardless of whether you “feel like it,” you just do it. Chop wood, carry water. Day in, day out. Wash, rinse, repeat. 

Just do it.

This is where willpower is employed and we work the muscle of self-discipline. But, it’s different than “just willpower.” We now have the three new medicines of awareness, experience, and connection supporting it.

We’ve also got a reframe up our sleeve:

We’re not setting up “willpower against the thing to quit.” Rather, we’re setting up willpower for doing the next right thing.

We start with the smallest of steps: Pile up the “little wins.” Don’t tackle a buffalo everyday or you’ll eventually get trampled (this is what usually happens when people fall off the wagon, blame it on weakness and flimsy willpower, and quit the quitting).

Instead, accumulate those small daily wins. 

Action Item:

* Make a gratitude list at the end of each day to provide a sense of accomplishment and/or at the beginning of each day as an acknowledgement of your capacity to move through the day with the ability and opportunity to change for the better.

* This gratitude then allows you to touch others in ways that you would not have otherwise.

* Relationships: How does “not doing your thing” change the way you interact with others?

* Bring awareness to these new interactions.

* Receive the new experiences.

* Strengthen the new connections.

* What do you do instead of doing the thing you’ve quit?

Big Medicine

All of this creates the muscle of repetition. And whether you look at what this practice and repetition does to you with a brain scan offering evidence of new neural pathways…or through how experience solidifies your spiritual beliefs…or how connections enrich your life, it’s Big Medicine.

Take note:

What’s different about all of this compared to the last time you quit?

Whether you’re quitting a substance, a behavior, or “just” the comfort of the familiar (like me, with financial security), all four medicines apply.

Addiction affects the whole person: mental, spiritual, emotional, and physical.

Regardless of your drug or action of choice, religious or spiritual beliefs, skin color, culture, identity, sexual orientation, or financial and/or societal situation, every aspect of your whole person has been affected by whatever it is you’ve decided to quit.

The flip-side is also true: Quitting will affect all four aspects.

So, in preparation for your January 1st decision, let me ask:

* Do you have all four aspects of your whole person covered?

* If not, what’s missing?

* What’s the same as last time?

* What’s different?

* How can you use this information to your advantage?

* Is quitting on January 1st a good idea? 

I don’t know. It depends. What I do know is that a hard thing is going to be hard no matter when you do it.

I also know that the odds can be tilted in our favor. We can make the hard thing a bit easier,]]>“Randy, is it a good idea to quit on January 1st?” My standard answer isn’t what everyone wants to hear:

“I don’t know. It depends. What I do know is that a hard thing is going to be hard no matter when you do it.”

And while I have plenty to say about the pros and cons of picking January 1st as your sobriety date, I’m approaching the question from a different, more personal angle this year. I’m conducting my own experiment. Meaning, I’m picking that date to quit a thing. Specifically…

I’ve handed in my resignation and will not be renewing a contract that’s provided financial security for the past few years.

Watch the video for this episode on YouTube

Now what?

The ol’ reliable Voice of Fear says:

“Hey, you tried this before and it didn’t go so well. I don’t think this is a good idea. You better try and get that gig back. Beg, present new facts, manipulate your way to return into the Arms of Safety. I’ll help!”

Ah, the familiar and the safe. Another question that I’m asked as often as whether to quit on January 1st is:

“Why would I choose to stay the same and pick what’s familiar when I know it’s not healthy? Especially when I know that the option of ‘going for it’ and moving forward is the right thing to do?”

Well, the unknown is scary. So, the Voice of Fear makes a lot of sense. It provides practical advice that overrides those nagging intangibles like hope, faith, and possibility—even in the face of an obvious chance to change for the better.

Unfortunately, this kind of practicality can also serve as the cement that solidifies a cycle of addition into perpetual incarnations.

What’s better, really?

What’s better, really? A cycle of safety and familiarity or jumping into the unknown and creative possibility.

What’s different and what’s the same?

Chances are, if someone’s picking January 1st as their target date to quit something, they’ve tried this before. And if they’ve tried it before and are doing it again, that means the previous attempt(s) were unsuccessful.

We’ve got to acknowledge this and put all the cards on the table. What are we dealing with here in terms of prior failures—whether perceived or objective? 

Because don’t set up your January 1st quitting plans thinking that this time willpower will overpower the Voice of Fear. 

That’s a nightmare doomed for collapse. In one form or another, it’s probably what you tried (and failed) before. One reason is because it’s what I call the “Me vs. Me” scenario. Meaning, we have my willpower fighting my Fear.

Ugh. Nothing but struggle. That’s exhausting and, chances are, this is one answer to the question: “What’s the same?”

So, let’s set up a different plan and one more likely to meet with success. 

If you’re quitting, here’s a map of the territory.

I start with the model that’s worked for the last couple of decades with myself and my clients. It’s also the one I use in The Sober Shaman’s Path of Recovery.

This model is based on the first of my 3 Principles for dealing with addiction, which states:

Addiction affects the whole person: mental, spiritual, emotional, and physical. 

Pretty simple. Each of these four aspects of the whole person offers its own perspective on the issue, speaks its own language to describe the situation, and will employ its own medicine to deal with imbalances.

That in mind, let’s apply them to our January 1st quitting.

Here’s the Checklist of the Four Medicines and how we’re going to use them to support success:

Mental 

It’s not complicated. People try to change for two reasons: to get more pleasure and to receive less pain. That’s pretty much it.

So, taking inventory of this January 1st quitting:

What new awareness do you have around the pain, and what is the new pleasure you expect to receive? 

Action Item:

What methods will you employ to receive new awareness?

These can be: 

* Traditional therapy, counseling, or coaching

* Meditation

* Groups specific to your situation

* Your own investigation through reading, podcasts, courses, and programs

* Asking Spirit—such as through a shamanic journey or traditional or individual rituals in relationship with your helping Spirits

* Asking Nature—spending quiet alone time and receiving answers

Spiritual

To keep things simple, I like to say that what we believe is the primary factor determining our spiritual identity and how our relationship to the Divine manifests.

Belief is also a primary factor in how we approach quitting something. Thus, belief offers a link between our spirituality and our quitting. They’re absolutely intertwined. 

When we attempt to make a big change and break a long-running cycle, we will inevitably confront our own limiting beliefs:

What beliefs does quitting your thing force you to confront? 

“It takes a new experience to change an old belief”

—The Sober Shaman’s Path to Recovery

Action Item:

How will you provide yourself with new experiences that validate your new beliefs—and prove your outdated limiting core beliefs incorrect?

Whether religious or spiritual, atheist or animist, be clear about your beliefs and use them to your advantage. 

The medicine of experience will always affect your beliefs—whether it validates and strengthens them, or shatters them apart to reveal new truths.

This can look like:

* All of the suggestions above, under “receiving new awareness,” also provide experience. 

* Pilgrimage to sacred places (which could be sacred just to you—such as the house where you grew up, etc.)

* New ways of praying or reintroducing an old way of praying

Emotional 

Once you’ve got your methods for gaining awareness and exploring beliefs, take it up a notch by connecting with others who have kindred goals.

Action Item:

Who will be your connections?

What interests you?

Where will these connections take place?

For example:

* Connection to movement

* Connection to food and nourishment

* Creativity and creative outlets

Physical 

A practice is something that you do everyday. Regardless of whether you “feel like it,” you just do it. Chop wood, carry water. Day in, day out. Wash, rinse, repeat. 

Just do it.

This is where willpower is employed and we work the muscle of self-discipline. But, it’s different than “just willpower.” We now have the three new medicines of awareness, experience, and connection supporting it.

We’ve also got a reframe up our sleeve:

We’re not setting up “willpower against the thing to quit.” Rather, we’re setting up willpower for doing the next right thing.

We start with the smallest of steps: Pile up the “little wins.” Don’t tackle a buffalo everyday or you’ll eventually get trampled (this is what usually happens when people fall off the wagon, blame it on weakness and flimsy willpower, and quit the quitting).

Instead, accumulate those small daily wins. 

Action Item:

* Make a gratitude list at the end of each day to provide a sense of accomplishment and/or at the beginning of each day as an acknowledgement of your capacity to move through the day with the ability and opportunity to change for the better.

* This gratitude then allows you to touch others in ways that you would not have otherwise.

* Relationships: How does “not doing your thing” change the way you interact with others?

* Bring awareness to these new interactions.

* Receive the new experiences.

* Strengthen the new connections.

* What do you do instead of doing the thing you’ve quit?

Big Medicine

All of this creates the muscle of repetition. And whether you look at what this practice and repetition does to you with a brain scan offering evidence of new neural pathways…or through how experience solidifies your spiritual beliefs…or how connections enrich your life, it’s Big Medicine.

Take note:

What’s different about all of this compared to the last time you quit?

Whether you’re quitting a substance, a behavior, or “just” the comfort of the familiar (like me, with financial security), all four medicines apply.

Addiction affects the whole person: mental, spiritual, emotional, and physical.

Regardless of your drug or action of choice, religious or spiritual beliefs, skin color, culture, identity, sexual orientation, or financial and/or societal situation, every aspect of your whole person has been affected by whatever it is you’ve decided to quit.

The flip-side is also true: Quitting will affect all four aspects.

So, in preparation for your January 1st decision, let me ask:

* Do you have all four aspects of your whole person covered?

* If not, what’s missing?

* What’s the same as last time?

* What’s different?

* How can you use this information to your advantage?

* Is quitting on January 1st a good idea? 

I don’t know. It depends. What I do know is that a hard thing is going to be hard no matter when you do it.

I also know that the odds can be tilted in our favor. We can make the hard thing a bit easier, and who knows? Maybe it will even be fun when we pile up the little wins and have the support of the four medicines.

How about you?

Are you quitting something this January 1st? What is it? How’s your checklist looking?

Share and inspire in the comments! And if you’d like ideas, find some resources here.

No matter what path or approach you take, don’t leave out any aspect of the whole person. They all constitute you. And they all have the capacity to help you break unhelpful cycles and find a new, more supportive version of “familiar.”

With All Good Medicine & Wishes for a Happy New Year,Randal



Get full access to The Sober Shaman at randallyons.substack.com/subscribe

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thesobershaman.com/subscribe]]>substack:post:140221622Sun, 31 Dec 2023 14:40:26 +070024:08falsefull#7: The Medicine of Hospitality with Todd Hunt#7: The Medicine of Hospitality with Todd HuntA little while back, I had the pleasure of speaking with Todd Hunt. In our talk, we discussed the power of hospitality—specifically, how it can be a kind of Medicine in sobriety.

Todd shares some of his battles and subsequent victories as we discuss these topics and more:

* Members of the food and beverage (FnB) industry are twice as likely to struggle with addiction.

* What it’s like to keep your FnB job and enter recovery.

* Ben’s Friends came out of the tragedy of Ben’s suicide. He was a chef surrounded by three other sober chefs.

* Todd could not have pulled through without the fellowship and support of others in FnB.

* Addiction wrecking a marriage, divorce, and reconciliation: a story three years in the making.

* The power of fatherhood.

* Will I lose my edge in sobriety?

* Being “lucky to be an addict” and sorry for those who aren’t one. 

* Unreasonable hospitality and esteemable acts.

I’ll place Todd’s bio from the Ben’s Friends website below. You can find his email there if you—or someone you know—is in the FnB industry and could use some help. Ben’s Friends is a welcoming and supportive Home to many who work in this field.

Sobriety Date: 6/6/09

Todd Hunt is the Leader of the Alexandria Group, which started in January 2020. He has been in the restaurant business for over thirty years. Starting out as a cook in high school, then a bartender in college, in sobriety Todd has been a Bar Manager, Operations Manager, and General Manager.

Todd loved the work hard / play hard philosophy of working in restaurants. Unfortunately, it took everything from him, his wife, his kids, and his career.

He found Ben’s Friends through an article about a friend he had known in Charleston years earlier. That friend was Co-Founder Steve Palmer. Ben’s Friends was a Godsend in that it introduced him to a sober F&B community. A tribe within a tribe. It has opened a whole new world in his sobriety, and he directly attributes it to his success through the pandemic. He currently is a General Manager in Old Town, Alexandria working for one of the largest restaurant groups in the country.

toddahunt@yahoo.com

Resources from our talk

Ben’s Friends: https://www.bensfriendshope.com/

Their daily Zoom meetings: https://www.bensfriendshope.com/meetings

Books:

Setting the Table, by Danny Meyer

Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect, by Will Guidara 

Esteemable Acts: A Guide to Right Living, by Francine Ward

I hope you enjoyed this talk with Todd as much as I did! As always, feel free to reach out if you have questions or comments or are looking for resources.

With Blessings,Randal



Get full access to The Sober Shaman at randallyons.substack.com/subscribe

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thesobershaman.com/subscribe]]>A little while back, I had the pleasure of speaking with Todd Hunt. In our talk, we discussed the power of hospitality—specifically, how it can be a kind of Medicine in sobriety.

Todd shares some of his battles and subsequent victories as we discuss these topics and more:

* Members of the food and beverage (FnB) industry are twice as likely to struggle with addiction.

* What it’s like to keep your FnB job and enter recovery.

* Ben’s Friends came out of the tragedy of Ben’s suicide. He was a chef surrounded by three other sober chefs.

* Todd could not have pulled through without the fellowship and support of others in FnB.

* Addiction wrecking a marriage, divorce, and reconciliation: a story three years in the making.

* The power of fatherhood.

* Will I lose my edge in sobriety?

* Being “lucky to be an addict” and sorry for those who aren’t one. 

* Unreasonable hospitality and esteemable acts.

I’ll place Todd’s bio from the Ben’s Friends website below. You can find his email there if you—or someone you know—is in the FnB industry and could use some help. Ben’s Friends is a welcoming and supportive Home to many who work in this field.

Sobriety Date: 6/6/09

Todd Hunt is the Leader of the Alexandria Group, which started in January 2020. He has been in the restaurant business for over thirty years. Starting out as a cook in high school, then a bartender in college, in sobriety Todd has been a Bar Manager, Operations Manager, and General Manager.

Todd loved the work hard / play hard philosophy of working in restaurants. Unfortunately, it took everything from him, his wife, his kids, and his career.

He found Ben’s Friends through an article about a friend he had known in Charleston years earlier. That friend was Co-Founder Steve Palmer. Ben’s Friends was a Godsend in that it introduced him to a sober F&B community. A tribe within a tribe. It has opened a whole new world in his sobriety, and he directly attributes it to his success through the pandemic. He currently is a General Manager in Old Town, Alexandria working for one of the largest restaurant groups in the country.

toddahunt@yahoo.com

Resources from our talk

Ben’s Friends: https://www.bensfriendshope.com/

Their daily Zoom meetings: https://www.bensfriendshope.com/meetings

Books:

Setting the Table, by Danny Meyer

Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect, by Will Guidara 

Esteemable Acts: A Guide to Right Living, by Francine Ward

I hope you enjoyed this talk with Todd as much as I did! As always, feel free to reach out if you have questions or comments or are looking for resources.

With Blessings,Randal



Get full access to The Sober Shaman at randallyons.substack.com/subscribe

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thesobershaman.com/subscribe]]>substack:post:138786516Sun, 12 Nov 2023 05:11:00 +070038:06falsefull#6: Shamanism, Buddhism & the Evolution of Souls with Isa Gucciardi#6: Shamanism, Buddhism & the Evolution of Souls with Isa GucciardiOn this episode of The Sober Shaman podcast, I’m excited to speak with my long-time friend, Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D. 

Isa is a gifted and compassionate healer, founding director and primary teacher of The Sacred Stream Foundation, and creator of Depth Hypnosis, “a groundbreaking therapeutic model that has won rave reviews from psychotherapeutic and spiritual counselors alike.” Isa teaches and speaks internationally and has published numerous articles, podcast episodes, videos, and the books Coming to Peace and The New Return to the Great Mother.

I think this quote from her website accurately describes how I feel in her presence:

“In the pursuit of consciousness, you are always being asked to get a little bigger than you are comfortable being. 

There is no room for shrinking violets or false humility. 

You have to be willing to be as powerful as you can be at this stage of your evolution.”

Please enjoy our talk on shamanism, Buddhism, healing from addiction, the evolution of soul, and much more.

Blessings,Randal

Click here to watch the video.

Highlights

00:31 Introduction

03:55 Isa’s approach to helping people who struggle with addiction

12:40 Soul Retrieval

14:15 Shamanic journeying for self-empowerment

18:15 The Evolution of Souls with shamanism and Buddhism

27:15 How Buddhism provides separation between taking responsibility and assuming blame

28:50 Shamanism, Power, and the Middle World: It’s a tricky place.

35:13. Dismantling one’s relationship with The Hungry Ghost

39:55 Compassion, the six Loca, and the Middle World Realms

44:10 Are these Buddhist beings compatible with the term “archetype” in psychology?

45:50 The Sacred Stream’s certificate course offers a map to the unseen shamanic realms for practitioners from other fields.

Links

Isa’s work at The Sacred Stream:

“The Foundation of the Sacred Stream is a non-profit organization and school for consciousness studies dedicated to bringing the wisdom of ancient spiritual and healing traditions into the awareness of contemporary society.”

And check out these upcoming courses!



Get full access to The Sober Shaman at randallyons.substack.com/subscribe

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thesobershaman.com/subscribe]]>On this episode of The Sober Shaman podcast, I’m excited to speak with my long-time friend, Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D. 

Isa is a gifted and compassionate healer, founding director and primary teacher of The Sacred Stream Foundation, and creator of Depth Hypnosis, “a groundbreaking therapeutic model that has won rave reviews from psychotherapeutic and spiritual counselors alike.” Isa teaches and speaks internationally and has published numerous articles, podcast episodes, videos, and the books Coming to Peace and The New Return to the Great Mother.

I think this quote from her website accurately describes how I feel in her presence:

“In the pursuit of consciousness, you are always being asked to get a little bigger than you are comfortable being. 

There is no room for shrinking violets or false humility. 

You have to be willing to be as powerful as you can be at this stage of your evolution.”

Please enjoy our talk on shamanism, Buddhism, healing from addiction, the evolution of soul, and much more.

Blessings,Randal

Click here to watch the video.

Highlights

00:31 Introduction

03:55 Isa’s approach to helping people who struggle with addiction

12:40 Soul Retrieval

14:15 Shamanic journeying for self-empowerment

18:15 The Evolution of Souls with shamanism and Buddhism

27:15 How Buddhism provides separation between taking responsibility and assuming blame

28:50 Shamanism, Power, and the Middle World: It’s a tricky place.

35:13. Dismantling one’s relationship with The Hungry Ghost

39:55 Compassion, the six Loca, and the Middle World Realms

44:10 Are these Buddhist beings compatible with the term “archetype” in psychology?

45:50 The Sacred Stream’s certificate course offers a map to the unseen shamanic realms for practitioners from other fields.

Links

Isa’s work at The Sacred Stream:

“The Foundation of the Sacred Stream is a non-profit organization and school for consciousness studies dedicated to bringing the wisdom of ancient spiritual and healing traditions into the awareness of contemporary society.”

And check out these upcoming courses!



Get full access to The Sober Shaman at randallyons.substack.com/subscribe

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thesobershaman.com/subscribe]]>substack:post:137509084Sun, 01 Oct 2023 04:11:00 +070053:19falsefull#5: Shamanic Writing vs. Writing Prompts: What’s the Difference?#5: Shamanic Writing vs. Writing Prompts: What’s the Difference?In this episode of The Sober Shaman podcast, we’re going to explore shamanic writing and, specifically, how our Medicine wRites exercise is used for addiction recovery.

Click the pic above to watch on YouTube.

I provide two important answers to the question, “What makes shamanic writing different than responding to a regular writing prompt?”

Then, at the end of the episode, I guide you through a Medicine wRites exercise. If you care to share how it went for you, send me what you’ve got! I’d love to hear about your journey.

Highlights

3:00 What’s the difference between shamanic writing and responding to a regular journaling prompt?

* Spirits are real.

* The Wall of Denial

* Inside of me vs. outside of me in non-ordinary reality

6:11 The shamanic provides separation

* Objectivity

* The Observer

* Perspective

7:05. The Wall in Non-ordinary reality

* But it’s not me.

* Separate from me and my identity

* 100 percent responsibility for its creation and ongoing existence

8:10 Merging with The Muse

* We have helping and compassionate spirits.

* These spirits want to help.

12:04 Morning Pages

* Permission to write authentically

16:40 New Perspectives = New Responsibilities

* It’s a two-way street working with spirit

* Integration

* Payback to the spirits

21:30 Medicine wRites: The Wall of Denial

* A complete guided Medicine wRites exercise taken directly from The Program

* The Program’s Free Preview, including another Medicine wRites exercise, as well as a Medicine Journey, videos, PDF, and other experiential material

You can find The Sober Shaman Podcast on Apple and Spotify, as well as watching it on YouTube from the link in the pic above. If you listen in, please take a moment to rate and review!

If you have thoughts or questions, feel free to reach out to me at: Randy@AlchemistRecovery.com.

With blessings,Randal



Get full access to The Sober Shaman at randallyons.substack.com/subscribe

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thesobershaman.com/subscribe]]>In this episode of The Sober Shaman podcast, we’re going to explore shamanic writing and, specifically, how our Medicine wRites exercise is used for addiction recovery.

Click the pic above to watch on YouTube.

I provide two important answers to the question, “What makes shamanic writing different than responding to a regular writing prompt?”

Then, at the end of the episode, I guide you through a Medicine wRites exercise. If you care to share how it went for you, send me what you’ve got! I’d love to hear about your journey.

Highlights

3:00 What’s the difference between shamanic writing and responding to a regular journaling prompt?

* Spirits are real.

* The Wall of Denial

* Inside of me vs. outside of me in non-ordinary reality

6:11 The shamanic provides separation

* Objectivity

* The Observer

* Perspective

7:05. The Wall in Non-ordinary reality

* But it’s not me.

* Separate from me and my identity

* 100 percent responsibility for its creation and ongoing existence

8:10 Merging with The Muse

* We have helping and compassionate spirits.

* These spirits want to help.

12:04 Morning Pages

* Permission to write authentically

16:40 New Perspectives = New Responsibilities

* It’s a two-way street working with spirit

* Integration

* Payback to the spirits

21:30 Medicine wRites: The Wall of Denial

* A complete guided Medicine wRites exercise taken directly from The Program

* The Program’s Free Preview, including another Medicine wRites exercise, as well as a Medicine Journey, videos, PDF, and other experiential material

You can find The Sober Shaman Podcast on Apple and Spotify, as well as watching it on YouTube from the link in the pic above. If you listen in, please take a moment to rate and review!

If you have thoughts or questions, feel free to reach out to me at: Randy@AlchemistRecovery.com.

With blessings,Randal



Get full access to The Sober Shaman at randallyons.substack.com/subscribe

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thesobershaman.com/subscribe]]>substack:post:137321483Sun, 24 Sep 2023 04:11:00 +070034:35falsefullShamanism, Healing & Living The Soul’s PurposeShamanism, Healing & Living The Soul’s PurposeOn this episode of The Sober Shaman, I am honored and excited to speak with my longtime friend Beth Beurkens about her shamanic work with The Vision Quest.

Watch on YouTube

Beth has guided people from all backgrounds and stages of life in The Vision Quest.

In today’s conversation, we explore:

* The Vision Quest and how it works.

* Why vision questing is red hot right now.

* How The Vision Quest transformed Beth’s life and led to a greater purpose.

* How Beth became a Vision Quest Guide and teacher of shamanism.

* Signs that someone is being called to a do vision quest.

* Benefits of vision questing online with Beth.

Beth also shares stories of clients who have walked through this threshold and come out the other side with healing, wisdom, and a sense of empowerment.

Also, Beth offers a free Breakthrough Call, which you can set up here: https://breakthroughwithbethbeurkens.as.me/schedule.php

Blessings! Randal



Get full access to The Sober Shaman at randallyons.substack.com/subscribe

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thesobershaman.com/subscribe]]>On this episode of The Sober Shaman, I am honored and excited to speak with my longtime friend Beth Beurkens about her shamanic work with The Vision Quest.

Watch on YouTube

Beth has guided people from all backgrounds and stages of life in The Vision Quest.

In today’s conversation, we explore:

* The Vision Quest and how it works.

* Why vision questing is red hot right now.

* How The Vision Quest transformed Beth’s life and led to a greater purpose.

* How Beth became a Vision Quest Guide and teacher of shamanism.

* Signs that someone is being called to a do vision quest.

* Benefits of vision questing online with Beth.

Beth also shares stories of clients who have walked through this threshold and come out the other side with healing, wisdom, and a sense of empowerment.

Also, Beth offers a free Breakthrough Call, which you can set up here: https://breakthroughwithbethbeurkens.as.me/schedule.php

Blessings! Randal



Get full access to The Sober Shaman at randallyons.substack.com/subscribe

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thesobershaman.com/subscribe]]>substack:post:136888697Sun, 10 Sep 2023 04:11:00 +070052:46falsefullSwim Tuff: How I Swam My Way Out of the BottleSwim Tuff: How I Swam My Way Out of the BottleIn this episode of The Sober Shaman Podcast, I’m excited to share my conversation with Ben Tuff. 

“In 2012, Ben made the life-altering decision to break free of the hold that the addiction to alcohol had on him. Despite not knowing how to swim, the sport of triathlon arrived quickly in his life.”

He went from not knowing how to swim to making a movie about his 24-mile swim—the length of Narragansett Bay, from Providence to Jamestown, Rhode Island. The movie highlights parallels between this epic undertaking and sobriety.

On the podcast, he and I discuss finding one’s personal medicine, giving back, and evolving attitudes towards addiction and recovery. 

I loved this talk with Ben. His spark of life—or shen, in Traditional Chinese Medicine—shines bright as he shares his personal experience turned profound wisdom. 

I’ve included the video here as well, in case you prefer to watch while you listen.

With Blessings,Randal

Timestamps

00:00 The Movie — Swim Tuff: How I Swam My Way Out of the Bottle

04:00 We’re always looking for shortcuts.

09:50 Winding roads, plateaus, and the grind of finding one’s medicine

14:55 Changing attitudes in recovery and lunch with an old-timer

19:06 Swimming as a practice and meditation

25:30 Connecting to the kids

37:26 Becoming a long-distance swimmer 



Get full access to The Sober Shaman at randallyons.substack.com/subscribe

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thesobershaman.com/subscribe]]>In this episode of The Sober Shaman Podcast, I’m excited to share my conversation with Ben Tuff. 

“In 2012, Ben made the life-altering decision to break free of the hold that the addiction to alcohol had on him. Despite not knowing how to swim, the sport of triathlon arrived quickly in his life.”

He went from not knowing how to swim to making a movie about his 24-mile swim—the length of Narragansett Bay, from Providence to Jamestown, Rhode Island. The movie highlights parallels between this epic undertaking and sobriety.

On the podcast, he and I discuss finding one’s personal medicine, giving back, and evolving attitudes towards addiction and recovery. 

I loved this talk with Ben. His spark of life—or shen, in Traditional Chinese Medicine—shines bright as he shares his personal experience turned profound wisdom. 

I’ve included the video here as well, in case you prefer to watch while you listen.

With Blessings,Randal

Timestamps

00:00 The Movie — Swim Tuff: How I Swam My Way Out of the Bottle

04:00 We’re always looking for shortcuts.

09:50 Winding roads, plateaus, and the grind of finding one’s medicine

14:55 Changing attitudes in recovery and lunch with an old-timer

19:06 Swimming as a practice and meditation

25:30 Connecting to the kids

37:26 Becoming a long-distance swimmer 



Get full access to The Sober Shaman at randallyons.substack.com/subscribe

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thesobershaman.com/subscribe]]>substack:post:136552864Sun, 03 Sep 2023 12:51:14 +070039:18falsefull