Recovery 2.0 is a global community of people who have found a way to overcome addiction and thrive. It was founded in 2013 by Tommy Rosen, an internationally renowned yoga teacher, addiction recovery expert and author with over 34 years of continuous recovery from addiction.
This Q&A series features the unique stories of individuals who are part of this community, exploring their journeys into recovery and experience with Recovery 2.0.
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What brought you into recovery?
About 16 years ago, I was in the grip of alcoholism. I had tried to quit many times. I tried changing the type of liquor I was drinking or controlling how much I drank. None of it was sustainable. I think the longest I went was a little over six months, but I knew nothing about recovery and I was miserable—still going to bars with friends but just not drinking.
My drinking just got progressively sadder and it eventually became a solo sport because whenever I went out in public it was a shit show. I would say and do things that were completely out of alignment with the person I wanted to be. I wanted to get a better job, to travel, to have a healthy relationship, to go to the gym and get in shape. After five or six beers in the evening, these things all seemed so attainable. But the next day, all I could do was get through the day so I could have a drink. I felt like I was living my life at about 20 percent.
There wasn’t a big consequence that brought me into recovery. I think I just finally realized that I couldn’t do it on my own and I needed help. When I decided to go to rehab it felt like a huge weight lifted off of me. It was a powerful moment. And it was quickly followed by fear —fear that I was about to give up joy, entertainment and fun for the rest of my life.
What was your experience like in treatment?
It was great. I went to a men’s treatment center for thirty days and there were nine other men there who were working hard and being open and vulnerable. I had great counselors who taught me about addiction and recovery. It was the first time I’d really looked at myself. I just never had the skills to do that before.
When I left treatment, I knew I never wanted to drink or use drugs again. But a 12-Step program wasn’t for me at this point. I attended a men’s meeting that the treatment center hosted once a week for the first year and I stopped hanging out with people who drank all the time. I implemented some healthy strategies and I met and married my wife. I stayed sober for three and a half years.
But my emotional dysregulation and immaturity were still there. I couldn’t seem to go too long before having a moment where something or someone would upset me. I’d get really angry and lash out or I’d just turn inward—clearing the house really loud. Everyone had to walk on eggshells around me. It was awful.
I relapsed first with marijuana. I knew I couldn’t drink. I had jobs that took me out of town, so I would only smoke when I was traveling. But it slowly became an everyday thing and I was hiding it from my family. Eventually, weed wasn’t enough. I was a nurse at the time, and I started stealing opiates from work. After a year of doing that, I got caught and was fired.
How did you find Recovery 2.0?
I got sober again on September 5, 2015 so I’m coming up on 10 years. I went to that men’s meeting at the treatment center that I hadn’t been to in years, and one of the guys there invited me to a meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). I was so devastated that I was willing and open. I started going to more meetings, grabbed a sponsor and began working the 12 Steps.
Right around that same time, a friend of my wife’s sent me a link to the Recovery 2.0 Summit, which was a week-long thing where Tommy interviewed recovery experts. I think I watched 23 of the 25 interviews and it just blew my brain open in regards to what recovery can be. I fell in love with Tommy’s ideas and the way he communicated. He presents information in a way that’s easy to understand and he’s also really motivating. He reaches that part of me that can recognize when something is true.
So I had these two things side-by-side, AA and Recovery 2.0, and it totally catapulted me to another level and a different experience of being sober and in recovery.
Some people are wary of yoga gurus. How is Tommy different?
I’ve been around Tommy quite a bit and I’ve watched him do his thing. I went with him to India for five weeks. I did a yoga teacher training with him and his wife, Kia. I did my 100-hour Recovery 2.0 Coach Training with Tommy. I went on a recovery retreat at Kripalu, where Tommy taught alongside Nikki Myers and Rolf Gates. I’ve watched him be with other people.
It’s a risk to be someone who says, “Hey, look at me and listen to my message.” But I have never seen anything but integrity in Tommy’s work and who he is. I pray that that continues.
You have an interesting job now. Can you explain what you do for work?
I’ve been a sober companion for the past five years, helping people who are new to recovery find their footing and establish a solid foundation. My job is easier when they’re open to joining a 12-Step program because it immediately gives them some structure, a built-in community of support, and they can find a sponsor to take them through the 12 Steps. But if they don’t want to do that, we try to find other healthy habits and ways to find connection and support.
I like to explain to them that, to me, recovery is about upgrading our solutions and that takes time, and often some trial and error. We all know who we want to be, and usually it’s someone who is an honest, kind, loving, caring soul. And we can look at how we’ve been acting, which might be dishonest, selfish, a doormat, or codependent. The gap in between those two ways of being is where addiction lives. Because living that way is incredibly uncomfortable. But it’s never too late to become the person you want to be. You might not get all the way there, but you can get a hell of a lot closer.
What does your program look like these days?
The 12 Steps are still my template for how to navigate this world. I try to stay rigorously honest, to make amends when I’ve caused harm, and to be of service. I’ve been part of a Caduceus group for medical professionals in recovery for the past 10 years. I was mandated to go and served as a facilitator for five years. I haven’t been going to as many of my regular AA meetings lately, but that’s partly because I attend so many 12-Step meetings with my clients.
I’m still involved with Recovery 2.0 and lately I’ve been getting into Allen Berger, who wrote a book called 12 Essential Insights to Emotional Sobriety. He’s a psychotherapist who got sober so he blends those two perspectives and it’s pretty neat stuff. I also have a therapist, and she’s been helping me navigate a really painful situation I’m going through with someone I love.
Years ago, Tommy said something that really stuck with me. He said the best thing that people in recovery can do is to show up as the healthiest versions of ourselves. Sure, I have some wisdom that I’ve learned along the way. But showing someone what it looks and feels like to be sober and healthy is much more powerful than anything I could say. I really believe that.
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