One Breath at a Time: Buddhism and the Twelve Steps

While I've never been through a 12-step program, I have been meditating for 8 years. During that time I've read many wonderful books about Buddhism and meditation. But this book is special in two ways.First, by writing with honesty, courage and humor about his own difficult path in life - Mr. Griffin creates a connection with the reader that goes way beyond the 'conceptual' focus of many books on the subject. Yet at the same time, it never devolves into a confessional. It's still a book that teaches, not rants. It's full of excellent practical advice, insight, and some very useful exercises. But it teaches from an unusually personal and vulnerable place.It's other great strength is Mr. Griffin's ability to make difficult and exotic concepts accessible. Although I've read a lot, attended retreats, etc., there are some ideas - for example 'no-self' - that always have been too foreign and 'other-worldly' for me to really connect to emotionally. At best I'd get a vague intellectual understanding of what was being discussed. But this book made many of these ideas simple and clear. Quite a few times, while reading it, I found myself going 'oh THAT'S what they've all been talking about.'Unlike many of our best and most revered Buddhist teachers, Mr. Griffin hasn't spent years living in Asia. He's slogged through life in Western society, and has had to find his peace and insights while simultaneously dealing with the same day-to-day problems of career, love, marriage, parenthood, etc. as the rest of us. To me that relieves his work of a subtle disconnect I sometimes feel with other Buddhist writers and teachers. There's no sense of: 'yes, they can be calm and happy - they spent 5 years in a rainforest. But I'll never get there unless I abandon my life and start over.' Mr. Griffin, and the new generation of Western teachers he belongs to are showing that it is possible to move down the path towards peace, joy and freedom from where we are now. And that is an important gift.

Was as advertised

When trying to live well, one day at a time, this tome offers meaningful insight specifically to those of us trudging the road of happy destiny. Would also make a great gift for the vociferous reader in recovery.

(Also see my review on Therese Jacobs-Stewart's Mindfulness and The 12 Steps.)As I finally began digging into my 12-step AA work in earnest, I found meditation to be the most difficult, as well as perhaps the most important, aspect of making 12-step work part of my daily life. Years before alcohol took me over, I had a fair-decent practice and understanding of Buddhist meditation, so I found in my heart a desire to bring Mindfulness Meditation directly into my 12-step meditation. Kevin Griffin's book, as does Therese Jacobs-Stewart's, uses the 12 steps as chapter-headers, intertwining their personal stories with their 12-step work and discoveries, wound around a central cord of Buddhist practice, thought, and meditation.Kevin's book is from a male perspective, though certainly not a macho one, and he has a powerfully personal story to tell, He's perhaps a bit more verbose than Therese- more pages, more divergent, "deeper" into some of the Buddhist concepts-- but I'm grateful I have both in my library and continue to refer to them regularly, and if you're on a 12 Step Journey on the 8-fold Path yourself, have someone who is on one of the paths but could use the other as well, or just want to know more about either or both, I'm sure you will be too.

I am really here, not to buy the book for myself. I already own it and while here I had to write somethingwith regard to it's content. I've read it 3 times since buying it a couple of years ago and getsomething new and important out of it with each read. It's written from the standpoint of analcoholic who is also a Buddhist and equates much Buddhist philosophy with the 12-steps of A.A.His style is very easy to read and this made it a real page turner from my perspective. He's veryhumble and very, very honest and this makes the reader empathize and admire him as he explains histransformation from a lost spirit to a seeker of a better and more serene life. He's found himselfand his words make the reader want the same for himself. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.OH, btw I AM here to order 3 more copies for some special friends whom I know will benefit fromit's contents.

I found this book to be helpful - specifically the examples from the author's experiences with his attempts to "become spiritual" while avoiding dealing with his relationship to alcohol and drugs. They parallel my own journey. I find it to be a valuable addition to 12 step literature and am grateful that the author has the courage to own and correlate his buddhist practice with his membership in a 12 step fellowship. The only reason that I could not give it a full 5 stars is that despite his promise to deal with the Higher Power issue - specifically what does a buddhist look to as a HP within the 12 step context, I ended up feeling that he had side stepped it. That concept is something that this writer still struggles with and I wished that I had been able to learn more from this writer about that issue and his experience with it.

Well written. Book follows 12 Step chronology which keeps it true to Big Book. Skillful integration of Buddhist concepts and practices into core 12 Steps. Inspired. I have listened to Audible version several times and recently took notes from the Kindle version to add to the AA outline I use when Sponsoring others or leading jail meetings. Thank you, Kevin.

Attending 12step meetings changed my life and although I no longer attend meetings every week I still practisethe principles In my affairs every day including making time for mediation. I had been looking for a deeper understanding on why the steps worked for me when everything else I tried failed. My addiction was believing I needed to fix people in order to feel better. I was also using food as a sedative and soother to take the edge of my feelings. I believe many people are suffering today because of their addiction to ‘something’. Read this book with an open mind and listen for the underlying truth that so eloquently comes through in Kevin’s writing.

This was disappointing. I found the anecdotes trite and obvious; the writing style didn't engage and the fusion of the two philosophies was contrived. This is just my take on it, but I took this book to the Himalayas for two weeks and sat reading it diligently as it was billed as having more answers than questions. I didn't experience either. Try before you buy - others might like it -but i think it falls between the addiction community and Buddhism and does somewhat of a disservice to both.

Excellent book that I have found has given me a much needed boost to recovery. I have found spiritual growth from this book and would recommend it to anyone feeling as though their recovery has gone flat.

Wow I’ve already passed this info onto friends a amazing cross over from the 12 steps to Buddha I’m personally a CA 12 steps but also followed Buddhist teachings a great quit lit secret really should be number 1 !

Arrived quickly and was as described