Click the link above to read the 2nd Edition of the Recovery Dharma book, including updates to the text and 14 personal stories of recovery from members of the community!

Dear Sangha,

Happy May to everyone. We hope your year has been full of moments where the breath comes naturally. Even if it hasn’t this is why we practice our program. You can hear it in our meetings when shares includes moments of clarity, or moments when the opportunity to share lessens the weight of recent hardships. This is a program where relief comes from the sangha as well as from within.

Going through the year examining the Truths and path, May provides an opportunity to examine our intentions. The pacing of our world may take us by storm at times. Thoughtful and consistent meditation practice allows us to unravel the events of our days. Our book tells us, “…we can use wise understanding to live without clinging, attachment or craving.” If tripping over some of your moments, is there anything you’ve been holding on to? If you’ve been successful in letting go of suffering, what has been working? With insights on either side, please come to a meeting and share. Your presence is always welcome whether you come to release or share successes.

Peace & Harmony,
RD Denver

Spotlight

Rick

1. How did you find Recovery Dharma?

"I can’t recall exactly how I first discovered RD (Recovery Dharma), but I attended my first online meeting about five years ago. I remember the 'cool kids' at my AA club used to attend Dharma Punx—a predecessor to RD. After about 12 years of sobriety in AA, I had a realization that there were atheists in the program, which caused some cognitive dissonance. I wondered how they stayed sober without 'God' and began questioning the dogma I had grown accustomed to. I tried an atheist AA meeting, but it didn’t quite resonate. When I started exploring RD, I discovered that the Buddha only asked us to trust our own experience. This immediately clicked because it removed dogma from the equation. I’ve been a member for three years now and feel I’ve grown immensely, learning so much about myself through meditation and Buddhist principles."

2. Had you been introduced to the Buddha's teachings before?

"No, I hadn't."

3. Do you mix in any other practices with your recovery?

"Yes—martial arts, strength training, philosophy, Hinduism, and various occult wisdom traditions."

4. Is there anything in particular from the Dharma, the Sangha, or the meditations that resonates with you in your day-to-day life?

"Mindfulness helps me shift my thought patterns into something positive and productive.

Additionally, meditation gives me the ability to regulate my nervous system without the need for drugs or alcohol."

5. Is there anything you would want to share with someone new to recovery or the Dharma?

"We already have everything we need to recover; we just need help uncovering our own inner resources."

6. Any additional thoughts to share?

“Yes, this quote from Nisargadatta Maharaj beautifully describes my journey:” “All you need is already within you, only you must approach your self with reverence and love.

Self-condemnation and self-disgust are grievous errors. Your constant flight from pain and search for pleasure is a sign of love you bear for your self; all I plead with you is this: make love of yourself perfect.”

Buddhist Celebrations

this month

(*celestial events are added as particularly in Theravadan Bhuddism, the lunar cycles are part of the cyclical nature of existence. These days may be incorporated within your own personal practice.)

May 1 Vesak / Buddha Day (Theravada/Global) & Buddha Jayanti
May 1 Full Moon (Flower Moon)
May 16 New Moon
May 24 Buddha's Birthday (Mahayana/Chinese/Korean).
May 31 Full Moon (Blue Moon)

Upcoming Events

To have your Dharma and/or recovery events added to the newsletter, please email recoverydharmametrodenver@gmail.comPhoenix?

Inquiries Group at the Phoenix Gym (2221 Champa St., Denver, CO 80205)

Sundays, 6:45PM (except first Sunday of each Month reserved for business meeting).
Come and do your Inquiries with us! Whether just Starting on the first, picking up where you've left off or if you've done them before to understand how responses may have changed in time. We may be on different ones. What matters is that we come together for ourselves and to support others on the jouney.
Each meeting is facilitated by somebody new. Maybe yourself?

One Dish at a Time - Aurora, CO

Sunday, May 3, 2026
11:30 AM 5:00 PM

Stanley Market Place 2501 Dallas Street Aurora, CO, 80010 United States (map)

A cooking competition between recovery organizations cooking with "mystery box" ingredients from food banks. Contestants are judged on taste, presentation and creativity. They must rise to the occasion and show us who they are One Dish at a Time!

For more events with AFR click here.

Colorado Artists in Recovery (CAiR) hosts several workshops throughout the month, and welcomes all in recovery to participate for free. Whether you are new in recovery or wanting to try something new well into your journey, these workshops offer wonderful opportunities to explore new talents and meet others within positive/safe spaces.

OM Chanting Meditation Meeting

May 14, 5:30-7pm
Champa Street Gym
2233 Champa Street, Denver, CO

Please reserve a spot ahead of time on the NewForm app.
For a full listing of events at the Phoenix Gym, click here.

Meetings

Join us at one of our weekly meetings. We have in-person meetings nearly every day of the week across the Front Range as well as online meetings you can join from anywhere. We practice meditation together and then read from the Recovery Dharma book or another Buddhist text. The second half of the meeting is dedicated to providing space to talk about the topic or anything you need to share related to recovery.

Sundays 5:30 The Phoenix (In-Person) 2233 Champa St. Denver, CO 80205‍ ‍
Tuesdays 6:45 The Phoenix (In-Person)2233 Champa St. Denver, CO 80205(in Baby Champa, the door to the left of the gym entrance).
Thursday 6:30 pm MT Lakewood (In-Person) @ Shepherd of the Hills Church - 11500 W 20th Ave, Lakewood, CO 80215
Thursday 7:00 pm MT Denver (In-Person) @ FREE Spiritual Community Center - 2122 S. Lafayette St, Denver, CO 80210

For a complete list of meetings in the area, visit our website. To have your Dharma group added to our list, please reach out at RecoveryDharmaMetroDenver@gmail.com.

From the Book

WISE UNDERSTANDING

As we engage in the world, rather than withdraw from it, we can use Wise Understanding to live without clinging, attachment, or craving. By paying attention to our actions and the results of those actions, we can begin to change where our choices are leading. If we intend to act in ways that have positive results, and if we’re aware of the true intention and the nature of our actions, then we’ll see better results — better meaning less suffering and less harm.

The word karma in Sanskrit translates to “what our actions create.” Any intentional act — mental, verbal, or physical — is a kind of 17 karma. Skillful or wise actions strengthen our sense of balance, kindness, compassion, loving, and equanimity. When we act unskillfully or unwisely — when we steal, lie, take advantage of somebody else, or cause intentional harm based on our own craving or delusions — it creates an immediate sense of imbalance. It fights with our intention to avoid harming others. Karma is determined by our intention and applies to any volitional or purposeful action. The result of our volitional actions may be an increase in our happiness or may lead to additional suffering. There is no actor apart from action, and there is no action without intention.

Read this and the rest of the book here. This starts on page 17.

Community Resources

Recovery Dharma supports a holistic path to recovery. There is no one right way to recover and it's always a good idea to add more tools to your toolbox to facilitate your healing.

Here are some other community resources to check out:

Advocates for Recovery - recovery meetings, events, coaching
CHOW(Culinary Hospitality Outreach and Wellness)
CAIR(Colorado Artists in Recovery) - artists workshops and events
Rooted303 - personal development classes, recovery coaching, support groups
The Phoenix - A Sober Active Community offering free exercise classes
Hard Beauty - recovery coaching and workshops
Meditation Resources - Insight Timer App, Sounds True One, Waking Up, Headspace, Plum Village App, Recovery Dharma Meditations.