Sobriety and Meditation

How might the wisdom of sobriety communities and meditation communities aide one another? What can communities that rely on rotating leadership, group agreements, personal transformation, and self-support teach dharma and meditation communities? Conversely, how might traditions rooted in fearlessness, gentleness, doing no harm, and wakefulness assist recovery communities?

This talk will address my own personal experience as a person in recovery who came to meditation through my recovery community; and how having both has provided me with an unshakable foundation for living life. The talk will also address the importance of “fellowship” in recovery and “sangha” in meditation.

Dr. Shanté Paradigm Smalls is a teacher and student in the Shambhala school of Vajrayana (Tibetan) Buddhism. Dr. Smalls teaches dharma and meditation in a variety of locations including dharma centers, conferences, corporations, and colleges and universities. Shanté is focused on the healing impact of contemplation and meditation in Black communities, People of Color communities, LGBTQ+ communities, and prison and recovery communities. Shanté is an Assistant Professor of Black Literature & Culture at St. John’s University in Queens, NY, and they live in Brooklyn, NY with their dog, Drala. They will be living in Atlanta for the 2019-2020 academic year on a research fellowship at Emory University.