For episode 244 Valerie Mason-John makes their first appearance on the Metta Hour to speak about their new book, “First Aid Kit for the Mind: Breaking the Cycle of Habitual Behaviors”. Valerie is a founding facilitator of Compassionate Inquiry and the author of eleven books, including the award-winning book, “Eight Step Recovery.” They are a co-founder of the training program, Mindfulness Based Addiction Recovery, and work as a public speaker in the field of Mindfulness for Addiction and Trauma. In this conversation, Valerie and Sharon discuss:How lovingkindness saved Valerie’s lifeHow Valerie became the “Bully Doctor”Valerie’s journey in recoveryThe importance of community in recoveryRecovery CafeGabor Mate’s Compassionate InquiryThoughts are not factsFirst-Aid Kit for the MindThe breath is medicineWhat is still true? What can we rely on?Dharma: that which we can rely onThich Naht Hanh’s influence on ValerieHow to maintain mindfulness The role of Storytelling in Valerie’s workHow story compounds addictionPlaywriting and poetry as social justiceValerie closes the conversation with a guided meditation LOVE from their new book, First Aid Kit for the Mind. Learn more about Valarie’s work on their website right here. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.