The Tao of Addiction and Recovery

A Taoist guide to recovering from addiction • Systematically explains the nature and development of addictions, the process of recovery, and how the Tao Te Ching can provide guidance • Provides easy-to-perform Chi Kung practices to aid with recovery, specifically for challenges that don’t respond to mainstream treatment • Describes Taoist Emotional Recycling to heal stuck emotions about the past and address the urges and attitudes that often cause relapse This book explores addiction and recovery from a Taoist viewpoint, offering a path to healing rooted in ancient Chi Kung practices and principles from the Tao Te Ching. Drawing on the eternal balance of yin and yang, the authors show that addiction clogs up the body’s “yin centers,” hindering one’s ability to process energy effectively. This propagates a pattern of stuck behaviors that mirrors the physical and mental body’s imprisoned energy flow. The authors provide Chi Kung exercises to help rebalance the body and address the root impacts of addiction. Through organ- and body-centered treatments, readers can develop healthy sleeping patterns, eliminate brain fog, reduce joint pain, and develop willpower. Providing a holistic model, this book addresses the traumas that fuel addiction and the attitudes and urges that cause relapse. Readers are guided in Taoist Emotional Recycling to heal stuck emotions about the past and transform negative energy into positive energy to ensure recovery. With simple concepts and easy-to-perform Chi Kung exercises, this book provides a systematic approach that has been refined over 5,000 years to treat the physical and spiritual harms of addiction and return to a state of wholeness.