A note on language. At Renascent, we help people recover from substance use addiction and integrate 12-Step facilitation into our programming. We recognize that the substances our clients are recovering from and the 12-Step groups they connect with may vary. Throughout our website you may see general terms relating to the 12 Steps, as we are inclusive of all recovery programs, including AA, CA, and OA.
Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
Step 11 focuses on deepening our conscious connection with a higher power for the purpose of personal growth and awareness. However you interpret a higher power in
your recovery, Step 11 builds on all of the work you have done so far, and prepares you for Step 12 in the program. Step 11 builds on the concepts that start in Step 2, realizing that there is a power greater than ourselves.
What is Step 11 in AA?
The Principle of Step 11 is Awareness. Step 11 is a guide to help you connect with your higher power through daily personal reflection, usually a practice of prayer and/or meditation. By establishing an ongoing, sustainable practice that emphasizes mindfulness and honest self-discovery, you are supporting your personal and spiritual growth, which in turn supports your inner peace, decision-making, and recovery. Step 11 encourages you to engage with your authentic self, and to consider others while living your life.
The goal of Step 11 is developing a way you can seek guidance from your higher power, while also building a lasting practice of honestly listening to, and reflecting on, your
innermost thoughts and feelings. In this way, Step 11 shows you a way to be comfortable in a moment of stillness so you can regulate your emotions and attain
clarity in your thoughts and decisions.
The daily practice of Step 11 is not about simply asking for the changes and outcomes we want in life. It’s about surrendering control and learning to accept the people and
world around us and finding a deeper sense of meaning and purpose in that space. As we learn to flow with life, instead of fight against it, we can gain a self-awareness that
provides the strength and courage to face life on life’s terms with grace and presence.
What if I don’t feel connected to a traditional higher power?
Similar to Steps 2- 7, the concept of a higher power is open-ended in the 12-Steps and can be interpreted in a way that is meaningful to you. It can be a traditional concept of God, a spiritual guide, or it can represent your connection to nature, friends, family, or your recovery group. Whatever your higher power, it’s meant to be understood as something greater than oneself; something or someone you can always trust and turn to for support, guidance, and strength. Your higher power may change over time. Many sponsors will encourage experimenting with different approaches to spirituality, keeping what works (for now), and leaving the rest.
For those who aren’t comfortable with prayer, you can practice meditation or intention setting as a way to reflect and cultivate mindfulness. Journaling or other ways of writing
down your thoughts, emotions, and reflections can also be a way to work Step 11, as it creates a habit of recognizing and processing our thoughts, feelings, and actions.
Or as Renascent Alumni Max says in this post on Finding Faith in Step 11: “When you’re speaking to a Higher Power, it doesn’t have to be the God of an established
religion. It’s the God of your understanding, whatever or whomever that may be.”
Why a daily practice is important?
Making time each day for quiet, personal, and focused reflection is a powerful tool for navigating the challenges in our lives. Establishing a daily practice allows you to make a
habit or regular routine of reflection, one that you can draw on in both good and challenging times for a more balanced, healthy life. Like brushing your teeth or walking
your dog, a daily practice eventually becomes second-nature and easy to find time for, even when you are busy or stressed.
A daily practice doesn’t have to be time consuming either. Just a few moments a day spent focusing on your thoughts and feelings can lead to a clearer understanding of
your personal values and hopes for the future. With that clarity, you’ll find it easier to set personal intentions and goals and work towards them with a true sense of purpose, the overall goal of Step 11. Upon awakening, simply asking for help can build a connection to a higher power. Similarly, saying ‘thank you’ at the end of the day can yield the same result.
Overcoming resistance to Step 11
Working Step 11 can feel challenging, especially at the beginning. It might be hard to sit still at first, and it’s normal to feel restless or impatient during your first attempts at
meditation or prayer. It takes practice to not react to the feelings that come up, and to not feel distracted by each wandering thought. It also takes time to build a daily routine, so remember to be patient with yourself as you work to establish this new habit.
The concept of a higher power can also feel vague or even like a barrier at first, especially for those who aren’t religious. Engaging in deep self-reflection may also be
uncomfortable. It requires a willingness to confront our thoughts, feelings, and fears with vulnerability, something many of us have spent years avoiding with substance use. Like every step in the program, this work asks us to be open-minded and open to change, and if we can find the will to do that, we can experience profound new insights.
Remember, there is no right or wrong way to connect to your higher power. The aim is finding an approach that works for you and that you can sustain. As Brad says in this
post about his recovery journey and learning to meditate: “If I think of myself (my brain) as a person who has never gone to the gym before, I don’t expect myself to run a half-
marathon in one shot.” Instead, you can start with a few minutes and work up to a longer daily practice.
Like the 12-Steps themselves, the gains come from being patient and sticking with it, trusting yourself and the process as you move forward.
Finding inner peace and supportive grounding in Step 11
Through a consistent practice of prayer, meditation, or other mindful habits, many people experience a deeper connection to themselves, a feeling of being supported and
understood, and new clarity that can guide their decisions and behaviour. This can in turn bring a sense of calm along with more stability and resilience, making it easier to
handle stress, anxiety, and the ups and downs of everyday life.
And by gaining an understanding of our thoughts, feelings, and motivations, we can see the old patterns of our thinking and behavior, patterns that may need to change for our recovery so we can live in a way more aligned with our true values. This kind of self-awareness can also improve our relationships, giving us more empathy, patience and
connection with the people and world around us.
Or as alumna Candace shares in her post on Step 11: “Prayer and meditation teaches me to sit quiet, be present in this moment. What a gift to participate in life today. To be a
mom. A partner. A friend. A helper in the community. Someone reliable and accountable Today.”
How Renascent helps
At Renascent, we offer comprehensive person-centred addiction treatment programs in safe, caring environments. We use up-to-date, evidence-based approaches to treat
addiction, including abstinence-based treatment that integrates 12-Step facilitation with modern clinical and medical best practices, and the highest quality standards of care.
Renascent deeply understands the unique individual journey that is necessary for your recovery. We are here to support you and guide you to define what your recovery
means to you. Your Road to Recovery starts here.
About the Authors
The staff at Renascent is passionate about helping people with substance addictions so they can reach their full recovery – with compassion, respect, empathy and
understanding. Our staff includes our counsellors, all of whom have lived experience of addiction and recovery.
