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Slowing down and staying sober, meditation is the key

Meditation, exercise and good nutrition – these are the things, says David Shadbolt, that made it possible for him to stay sober for 24 years now.
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David Shadbolt sits, as he does every day, in his meditation spot.

Meditation, exercise and good nutrition – these are the things, says David Shadbolt, that made it possible for him to stay sober for 24 years now.

“Nutrition and exercise yes,” he says, “But I’d say it is meditation that has made the biggest difference. There are statistics that show that people who meditate have a greater chance of not relapsing. Most people in recovery have a history of trauma,  and we need to heal ourselves. For me, meditation forced me to go deep into those issues and grieve. When I got through, I could feel a new lightness of being.”

Shadbolt says his first experience with meditation was in 1989, during a 10 day silent retreat in Thailand.

“I was on a round the world trip, and this was a highlight,” he says. “I was not being bombarded by sites, by decisions, where to go, what to eat…”

It was not until 2006, however, that Shadbolt got serious about meditation.

“I was in Yellowknife and I went to a workshop on Passage Meditation. I knew right away it was for me,” he says. “After the first class, I broke my ankle and I was lying in the hospital determined to get out in time for the next workshop. ... I hobbled to the class on crutches.”

Shadbolt says he has been committed to daily meditation practice ever since.

“It brings me into the present moment,” he says. “It helps me focus on one thing at a time, and slow down. Of course, I am still working on all of that.”

David Shadbolt will be joined by Leo Chan, Lea Cline and Lisa Shatsky in Meditation Journeys: an introductory tour of meditation and mindfulness at the Bowen Island Library on Oct. 25 at 7:30 p.m.