This episode of In The Circle concerns an inquiry from Celeste about the role that trauma plays in addiction and why yoga and community are important in our healing. Unpacking this powerful inquiry, we come to better understand trauma by looking at methods we can use to move through it and set ourselves free. 

To start, we define trauma as leftover emotional residue from our reaction to an unpleasant experience. It lives in the mind, the tissues of the body, and in our energy body. We can remain stuck in trauma for a long time, or we can learn how to heal ourselves.

Certainly a hot-button issue in today’s toxic society, we hope this exploration allows listeners to see trauma in a new light by focusing on the role that our stories play in the resulting ongoing pain, and by demonstrating how not to remain stuck in them any longer than necessary.

Tommy discusses:

• Exploring the definitions of trauma and resentment 

• Living in the present moment 

• How severe trauma changes a person’s life

• Using yoga and therapy to break harmful patterns

• Why we shouldn’t wear our trauma as a badge of courage

• Transcending your past stories 

Connect with Tommy

• @TommyRosen on Instagram

• Tommy on Facebook

• Tommy on TikTok

Addiction is part of everyone’s journey, but recovery is not. The Recovery 2.0 Membership is a place where you can explore the topics that interest you, find community, and connect with Tommy Rosen on a personal level. It’s here that we’ll dig into spirituality and union of the mind, body and spirit, and transform from the inside out. You will learn and grow alongside a community of supportive, conscious, compassionate and vibrant individuals, like you!

• Join us at r20.com/welcome to explore how to move beyond addiction and thrive in your life.

• Come and experience an in-person event or retreat: r20.com/events

• @Recovery2Point0 on Instagram

• Recovery 2.0 Facebook Group

In The Circle is produced by Crate Media.

Today In The Circle, we are sitting with Kathryn who has an inquiry about workaholism and the addiction to more. Kathryn asks… How can I avoid the trap of workaholism and overachieving?

In this episode, we take a very sobering look at the idea of contentment and how we might actually find it in our lives. This is an important exploration because it asks us to go much deeper than the surface understanding of addiction and recovery. 

What is the goal? What are we shooting for? What's the point? 

We will never find out if we live life according to if/then thinking. This is the phenomena of looking to circumstances to arrange themselves in such a way that we can then be content. Living this way creates a dangerous reliance and unlikely effort to make the outside world meet our needs. 

This is a profound inquiry that leads to a deeper understanding of addiction and what beliefs stand in the way of a great life. Let’s jump in and discuss.

Tommy discusses:

• Lessons from Tommy’s personal journey

• The if/then mentality doesn’t work

• Why having more money doesn’t equate to fulfillment

• What parts of our lives suffer when we engage in workaholism

• When will enough be enough?

• Finding the true path to peace and contentment

Connect with Tommy

• @TommyRosen on Instagram

• Tommy on Facebook

• Tommy on TikTok

Addiction is part of everyone’s journey, but recovery is not. The Recovery 2.0 Membership is a place where you can explore the topics that interest you, find community, and connect with Tommy Rosen on a personal level. It’s here that we’ll dig into spirituality and union of the mind, body and spirit, and transform from the inside out. You will learn and grow alongside a community of supportive, conscious, compassionate and vibrant individuals, like you!

• Join us at r20.com/welcome to explore how to move beyond addiction and thrive in your life.

• Come and experience an in-person event or retreat: r20.com/events

• @Recovery2Point0 on Instagram

• Recovery 2.0 Facebook Group

In The Circle is produced by Crate Media.

Today, we have the most incredible inquiry from Dane who expresses a very deep fear, one which everyone who gets sober and steps into recovery has experienced. He asks… Now that I'm sober, will I lose connection with the friends who I used to party with?

With great honesty, Dane shares that he has hid his recovery from many of his friends because he does not want them to know about it, wondering… How do I tell them about my recovery?

Here, we get to explore one of the big challenges of getting sober. The fears of not fitting in, of not having a tribe, and not being connected are primal and very real. Dane's powerful inquiry has us look at strategies for relating to people. As we transition into recovery, we learn about the necessity to listen to our own heart and stay true to the vision of what we are to become.

Tommy discusses:

• Dane asks about the viability of old friendships

• How our actions and ideas cultivate our environments 

• Who will hang out with me if I’m sober?

• Making the conscious decision to change 

• Being open and honest with your friends 

• Tommy’s personal experiences with social groups  

• It will be awkward, difficult – but it will be worth it

Connect with Tommy

• @TommyRosen on Instagram

• Tommy on Facebook

• Tommy on TikTok

Addiction is part of everyone’s journey, but recovery is not. The Recovery 2.0 Membership is a place where you can explore the topics that interest you, find community, and connect with Tommy Rosen on a personal level. It’s here that we’ll dig into spirituality and union of the mind, body and spirit, and transform from the inside out. You will learn and grow alongside a community of supportive, conscious, compassionate and vibrant individuals, like you!

• Join us at r20.com/welcome to explore how to move beyond addiction and thrive in your life.

• Come and experience an in-person event or retreat: r20.com/events

• @Recovery2Point0 on Instagram

• Recovery 2.0 Facebook Group

In The Circle is produced by Crate Media.

On today's episode of In The Circle, we are going to explore a heartfelt inquiry from Shannon who is asking… How can I help a young adult dealing with depression? In this day and age, we find ourselves in a mental health crisis. So it makes perfect sense that this inquiry would come up at this time. 

Everyone is facing challenges as the mainstream world becomes more complex, more disconnected, and more toxic. Kids, and young adults especially, are living in a stressed out world and spending way too much time on screens, which are keeping them even more disconnected from their surroundings, from nature, and certainly not helping them to live better lives.

We spend today’s episode looking at depression from some alternative perspectives and hope to provide new viewpoints. 

If you or anyone you know is dealing with serious depression or suicidal ideation, please seek the support of a medical professional. This podcast is not intended in any way to replace or contradict advice from medical professionals.

Tommy discusses:

• Impossibility of identifying the source of depression

• Measuring the appropriate expression of grief and loss

• Depression’s guttural scream

• Untangling the stories we tell ourselves 

• Looking at depression from a different angle 

• Repression, suppression, depression

• Why we should sing and dance to heal 

• Considering diet, hydration, and clean energy 

Connect with Tommy

• @TommyRosen on Instagram

• Tommy on Facebook

• Tommy on TikTok

Addiction is part of everyone’s journey, but recovery is not. The Recovery 2.0 Membership is a place where you can explore the topics that interest you, find community, and connect with Tommy Rosen on a personal level. It’s here that we’ll dig into spirituality and union of the mind, body and spirit, and transform from the inside out. You will learn and grow alongside a community of supportive, conscious, compassionate and vibrant individuals, like you!

• Join us at r20.com/welcome to explore how to move beyond addiction and thrive in your life.

• Come and experience an in-person event or retreat: r20.com/events

• @Recovery2Point0 on Instagram

• Recovery 2.0 Facebook Group

In The Circle is produced by Crate Media.

In The Circle today, we have an inquiry from Leslie that brings us face-to-face with codependency. I consider codependency to be a very painful, addictive pattern, which affects all of our relationships. It is complicated. It has many different manifestations. 

Today, we will look at codependency through the lens of empathy. Leslie asks… What role does empathy play in codependency? In other words, if in codependent relationships we are more focused on another person's behavior or needs than our own, what happens for a person who is empathic, who can feel into another person's emotions as if they were their own?

It is a fascinating and quite revealing inquiry that leads us to better understand ourselves and our relationships in the world. 

I feel strongly that for people walking a path of discovery in recovery, it is important to learn more about codependency, which is often an addiction that exists before other addictions show up. If you or anyone you know wants to take the steps necessary to move beyond codependency, any addictions, and thrive in life, come join us in the Recovery 2.0 community. Check us out at r20.com/welcome.

Tommy discusses:

• Tapping into the energy of truth and authenticity

• Cultivating an awareness of when we’re out of alignment with our true self

• Remaining in authenticity and integrity with self

• Managing the gift of empathy

• How to offer empathy in a healthy way

• Exploring interdependency

Connect with Tommy

• @TommyRosen on Instagram

• Tommy on Facebook

• Tommy on TikTok

Addiction is part of everyone’s journey, but recovery is not. The Recovery 2.0 Membership is a place where you can explore the topics that interest you, find community, and connect with Tommy Rosen on a personal level. It’s here that we’ll dig into spirituality and union of the mind, body and spirit, and transform from the inside out. You will learn and grow alongside a community of supportive, conscious, compassionate and vibrant individuals, like you!

• Join us at r20.com/welcome to explore how to move beyond addiction and thrive in your life.

• Come and experience an in-person event or retreat: r20.com/events

• @Recovery2Point0 on Instagram

• Recovery 2.0 Facebook Group

In The Circle is produced by Crate Media.

Today sitting with us In The Circle, we have a question from Arlena about a really hot topic; how to stop using cannabis. Arlena explains she's trying to quit using cannabis, that she lives amongst smokers and feels entangled in it. She refers to her relationship with cannabis as a love affair.

I have heard that from so many people, and this inquiry is obviously relevant as cannabis is being legalized across the United States. More and more, people are finding that there are some challenges with this particular plant that they might not have been aware of before. 

If this conversation feels relevant for you, I want to let you know about a new program we created called Life Beyond Cannabis. This is a six-week online program – transformational, powerful – truly an incredible opportunity for somebody to let go of cannabis. Please come check it out at r20.com\lifebeyondcannabis.

Tommy discusses:

• 3 ways cannabis can be relevant for humans

• Medical and spiritual uses of cannabis

• This plant’s role in Tommy’s journey

• How cannabis can suppress emotion

• When Tommy knew he had become dependent on cannabis

• Detoxing from cannabis

• Becoming liberated from dependency

• Letting go of judgment and accepting the exploration of truth

Connect with Tommy

• @TommyRosen on Instagram

• Tommy on Facebook

• Tommy on TikTok

Addiction is part of everyone’s journey, but recovery is not. The Recovery 2.0 Membership is a place where you can explore the topics that interest you, find community, and connect with Tommy Rosen on a personal level. It’s here that we’ll dig into spirituality and union of the mind, body and spirit, and transform from the inside out. You will learn and grow alongside a community of supportive, conscious, compassionate and vibrant individuals, like you!

• Check out our transformational online course called Life Beyond Cannabis at r20.com\lifebeyondcannabis.

• Join us at r20.com/welcome to explore how to move beyond addiction and thrive in your life.

• Come and experience an in-person event or retreat: r20.com/events

• @Recovery2Point0 on Instagram

• Recovery 2.0 Facebook Group

In The Circle is produced by Crate Media.

Today, on In the Circle, there is a slightly different thing going on as we share with you a talk that I gave on our recent retreat to Big Sky Montana. There, I found myself in front of 100 people at various stages of addiction and recovery to tell my story, and that of Recovery 2.0.

This particular talk will answer so many of your questions about how we arrived at this very moment, understanding addiction at a deeper level, understanding recovery at a deeper level, and understanding where the pitfalls are along the way.

You are going to hear a lot about my personal story. I share the stories from my history towards the end of my addiction, all the way through my recovery, and then ultimately the founding of Recovery 2.0. I'm excited to invite you into this very intimate moment that we had together. Let's see where it takes us.

Tommy discusses:

• Arriving to Hazelden for treatment at 22
• Opening space within ourselves for grace 
• Understanding “The meek shall inherit the earth”
• Digging a new foundation for innovation 
• Advice for those in early recovery
• Listening for the frequency of addiction 
• The inspiration for Recovery 2.0
• Seeing the world through a lens of stress

Connect with Tommy

• @TommyRosen on Instagram
• Tommy on Facebook
• Tommy on TikTok

Addiction is part of everyone’s journey, but recovery is not. The Recovery 2.0 Membership is a place where you can explore the topics that interest you, find community, and connect with Tommy Rosen on a personal level. It’s here that we’ll dig into spirituality and union of the mind, body and spirit, and transform from the inside out. You will learn and grow alongside a community of supportive, conscious, compassionate and vibrant individuals, like you!

Join us at r20.com/welcome to explore how to move beyond addiction and thrive in your life.

• Come and experience an in-person event or retreat: r20.com/events
• @Recovery2Point0 on Instagram
• Recovery 2.0 Facebook Group

In The Circle is produced by Crate Media.

Welcome to In The Circle. It is always such a blessing to sit and explore with you all. Today, we hear a sharply relevant inquiry to all humankind. Mariana, a member of our Recovery 2.0 community, shares that she has had a direct experience of the positive effects of Kundalini yoga, and yet her inner critic still questions the practice. 

We all have these voices within us that question our evolution and transformation, even when we know that what we are doing is working. 

Everybody wants to learn and grow, and we often experience our own resistance when we seek to change. If we are to make true progress, we will have to find a way to overcome our own resistance and quiet down that inner critic.

The ideas we explore in this episode of In The Circle will hopefully inspire you to continue to push through your doubts and resistance when your personal experience supports doing so. Are there any ways your inner critic has gotten in the way of your forward progress? It is definitely a valuable inquiry for us all.

Tommy discusses:

• How can I overcome the inner critic?
• Background on Sadhana and Kundalini  
• Looking at our experience with yoga 
• Questioning the inner critic 
• Stepping into the unknown 
• Yoga as a representation of recovery 

Connect with Tommy

• @TommyRosen on Instagram
• Tommy on Facebook
• Tommy on TikTok

Addiction is part of everyone’s journey, but recovery is not. The Recovery 2.0 Membership is a place where you can explore the topics that interest you, find community, and connect with Tommy Rosen on a personal level. It’s here that we’ll dig into spirituality and union of the mind, body and spirit, and transform from the inside out. You will learn and grow alongside a community of supportive, conscious, compassionate and vibrant individuals, like you!

Join us at r20.com/welcome to explore how to move beyond addiction and thrive in your life.

• Come and experience an in-person event or retreat: r20.com/events
• @Recovery2Point0 on Instagram
• Recovery 2.0 Facebook Group

In The Circle is produced by Crate Media.

Welcome to In The Circle. Thank you for being here today. In this episode, we check in with Jeanne, a member of our Recovery 2.0 community. She shares about how the 12-steps will always be the foundation of her recovery, but that after a while she felt called to explore alternative paths of healing. 

What starts as a question about adopting modern day healing modalities into 12-step recovery turns into a powerful look at what is broken about our approach to recovery in America and what we can do about it. 

We take a hard look at some of the problems with the decision to treat addiction with drugs. There are so many options, and it is certainly my prayer that people will explore all the avenues that lead to health and wellness. I advocate for yoga, breath work, athletics, healthy diet, time in community, lots of time in nature, and of course, I think people should get naturally high every single day.

We want to thank Jeanne today for asking this question and bringing so much to the table that we can explore. It's absolutely critical that we take stock of why we do what we do, especially when it comes to our decisions about healthcare and the wellbeing of all people.

Tommy discusses:

• Considering the 12-step doctrine
• Ways modern treatment approaches fall short
• Is the world ready for new modalities of healing?
• Poorly designed institutions and agencies 
• Advocate for healing, not against broken systems

Connect with Tommy

• @TommyRosen on Instagram
• Tommy on Facebook
• Tommy on TikTok

Addiction is part of everyone’s journey, but recovery is not. The Recovery 2.0 Membership is a place where you can explore the topics that interest you, find community, and connect with Tommy Rosen on a personal level. It’s here that we’ll dig into spirituality and union of the mind, body and spirit, and transform from the inside out. You will learn and grow alongside a community of supportive, conscious, compassionate and vibrant individuals, like you!

Join us at r20.com/welcome to explore how to move beyond addiction and thrive in your life.

• Come and experience an in-person event or retreat: r20.com/events
• @Recovery2Point0 on Instagram
• Recovery 2.0 Facebook Group

In The Circle is produced by Crate Media.

Welcome back to In The Circle. It is always such a blessing to sit and explore with you all. Today, we check in with Damon, a member of our Recovery 2.0 community. He asks a deeply revealing question about taking the next step – a bounding leap – in his recovery… I've been sober for a while and have lost my passion. How can I get the fire back? 

This is such an important inquiry, one which asks us to look more closely at the reasons we got sober in the first place, and at what is required to continue to walk the path when fear and desperation, which inspired us to change, have since faded away. This exploration is all about the why behind anything that we do, and it is therefore quite relevant to each of us.

Tommy discusses:

• Receiving the gift of desperation
• Healing the ego
• Exploring the more subtle levels of detox 
• Dedicating oneself to greater purpose 
• Finding joy in the subtle 

Connect with Tommy

• @TommyRosen on Instagram
• Tommy on Facebook
• Tommy on TikTok

Addiction is part of everyone’s journey, but recovery is not. The Recovery 2.0 Membership is a place where you can explore the topics that interest you, find community, and connect with Tommy Rosen on a personal level. It’s here that we’ll dig into spirituality and union of the mind, body and spirit, and transform from the inside out. You will learn and grow alongside a community of supportive, conscious, compassionate and vibrant individuals, like you!

Join us at r20.com/welcome to explore how to move beyond addiction and thrive in your life.

• Come and experience an in-person event or retreat: r20.com/events
• @Recovery2Point0 on Instagram
• Recovery 2.0 Facebook Group

In The Circle is produced by Crate Media.