On Recovery: A Lapse Isn't the End with Steven Washington

Outside The Studio with Tessa Tovar

English - June 25, 2023 02:30 - 53 minutes - 100 MB
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In episode 97 of Outside The Studio with Tessa:

For those struggling with addiction or a trauma in general, there will be moments of lapse, but you're not alone. Tessa Tovar chats with Steven Washington on his story of going from Broadway dancer to Qigong and Pilates teacher and how rock bottom is different for everyone. A touching episode covering tips on breath work during triggers and what it means to be ready for help.

Steven Washington is the author of Recovering You; Soul Care and Mindful Movement for Overcoming Addiction. As a former professional dancer who performed on Broadway in Disney's The Lion King, his love of movement inspired him to become the highly acclaimed Qigong and Pilates teacher that he is today. Steven lives a joyful life of recovery and is passionate about helping others as they navigate towards health and happiness.

Timestamps

(00:00) Introduction

(04:45) Sensitive People

(10:55) Steven's Healing Process

(13:00) Being Open and Ready

(16:45) Triggers and Pausing

(23:00) Moments of Lapse

(26:00) Plan of Action

(27:40) Childhood Trauma

(33:50) Qigong and Pilates

(36:20) Membership Community

(38:20) Laughter Medicine Exercise

(43:35) Hitting Rock Bottom

(48:20) Final Thoughts

(49:45) How to Connect

"A problem shared is a problem halved" - Steven (16:15)

4 Key Takeaways

1. Triggers take awareness of your own body, energy and nervous system. Qigong and pilates both focus on breath which is integral in regulating emotion; the movements require attention to detail which helps ground us in the present moment. It takes time to identify how you feel when triggered and develop tools to react accordingly.

2. It's never too late to reach out to someone who could help you during a lapse. A lapse is a cry out to yourself, by yourself. Even in a lapse, if you are thinking, "I do not want to do this," even that is progress! What do you tell the people you call? The truth. Call someone who has your best interest at heart, not everyone is meant to hold space for you and receive that call.

3. Many of our addictive behaviors come from our childhood. It is important to revisit those memories with someone who is qualified and skillful at navigating our experiences. Early traumas happen during vital brain development which is going to impact our thoughts and behavior patterns.

4. Everyone's rock bottom is different. It's natural to say, "Maybe I'm not as bad as I thought," when you compare yourself to others who may have drastically worse cases than yours. It doesn't have to get to jail, institutions and death. Stevens' rock bottom was looking in the mirror and not recognizing who he saw and feeling shame about his behavior.

Connect with Steven Washington

Website: https://www.stevenwashingtonexperience.com/swestudio

Book Recovering You: Soul Care and Mindful Movement for Overcoming Addiction: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1608687953?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_CXV6C8V9JTZWHDFGSC2X

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stevenwashingtonexperience/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stevenwashingtonexperience

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCELKG49gXvN7E-GY271iSHQ

Connect with Tessa Tovar

Website: https://tessatovar.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tessamarietovar/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tessa-tovar-baa27613

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TBenedicktus

The Dark Moon: A Book of Poetry for Savasana: https://a.co/d/e8LgG1T

In episode 97 of Outside The Studio: