COURSE

Emotional Sobriety: Finding Freedom, Harmony, And Peace In Recovery

Students will identify, embrace, and transform unwholesome feelings that create suffering. They will cultivate wholesome emotions that create happiness, freedom, and peace. They will discover where emotions and feelings are stored in the body, and heal and harmonize these areas. They will recognize and reframe detrimental habits, wrong perceptions, generational trauma, and cultural or societal distress. They will discover root causes and conditions for dependencies, and let go of past situations and future concerns to fully inhabit the present moment. They will align thought, speech, and action to strengthen the unity of mind, body, and spirit. They will master the art of self-inquiry and awareness of breath. Ultimately, students will realize emotional intelligence and stability, psychological and physiological reinvigoration, and overall restoration as they embrace personal liberation through the timeless wisdom of yoga, universal spiritual teachings, and secular mindfulness practices.

Addiction Recovery & Healing Healing Grounded Health & Happiness Yoga Spirituality Mindfulness Meditation Mindfulness

Meet your Teacher

Brian Hyman

Malibu, CA, USA

Brian Hyman, RYT, is an accomplished and certified yoga therapist, meditation teacher, recovery activist, and author. He has more than 13 years of personal recovery from addiction, and over 11 years of professional experience facilitating thousands of yoga classes, meditation sessions, and process groups at a prominent treatment center for addiction recovery in Southern California. Brian has written numerous articles about recovery and yoga for notable health magazines and websites. He has been interviewed about his innovative and dedicated work by many spiritual publications and podcasts. He has also shared his insightful and experiential perspective about yogic philosophy and addiction recovery in his debut book with a distinguished publisher. And his yoga classes, breathing tutorials, and guided meditations have been online in different formats for more than 10 years. "Emotional Sobriety: Finding Freedom, Harmony, And Peace In Recovery" is the tenth course Brian has created for Insight Timer. His other courses on our platform include “Recovery: Principles for a Purposeful Life,” “Understanding the Twelve Steps,” “Dharma of Recovery: 5 Powers,” “Cultivating a Heart of Gratitude,” “Yogic Principles for Transformation,” “Yogic Wisdom for Modern Times,” “Finding Happiness & Inner Peace,” “Dharma of a Rope: Seeing Things Clearly,” and “Dharma of a Flower: Awakening in the Here and Now.” Brian also has more than 50 guided meditations available in our free library.

30 Days

3.6k students

4.9 stars

10 min / day

Addiction

English

Lesson 1

Fear

We look at root causes of fears, which include past experiences, present circumstances, and future concerns. We recognize harmful actions taken when overcome by fearfulness, and we make a commitment to take contrary and healthy actions moving forward so that fear cannot control our way of being in the world.

Lesson 2

Loneliness

We look at loneliness as a cause of isolation which leads to inferiority and dependency. We examine where loneliness comes from and how to be part of healthy-minded communities or groups. We learn to ask for help when we need it. And we learn to cultivate contentment and peacefulness whether we are alone or not.

Lesson 3

Despair

We learn what wrecks our heart and what makes us despondent. We examine how darkness, hopelessness, and forfeiture accompany despair. We learn to overcome despair by cultivating inner reserves of gratitude and hopefulness, regardless of outer circumstances.

Lesson 4

Unhappiness

We examine our childhood, teenage years, and adulthood to look for patterns that outline when we have been unhappy. We pinpoint details and similarities around these occurrences; we draw parallels to see how unhappiness and sorrow manifest; and we learn how to use suffering as a basis for transformation. We also contemplate how unhappiness is both personal and collective.

Lesson 5

Anger

We learn how anger touches every aspect of our lives. We learn where anger is stored in the body and how to release it. We learn that resentments, grudges, and grievances are unhealthy forms of anger and create disharmony within the mind, body, and spirit. We also learn to properly embrace anger, befriend it, and make good use of it.

Lesson 6

Guilt

We look at how guilt is experienced when we do things that we know we should not do. We look at how we can feel guilty when certain things are done to us. We discuss ways to overcome guilt and how to move forward in life without guilt. We vow to no longer act in ways that we know to be incorrect or immoral.

Lesson 7

Shame

We discuss what happens when we do things against our better nature. We explore times in our lives when we knew what the right thing to do was, but we did not do it. We look at how shame is self-created and how it can also be thrust upon us by family members, co-workers, and others.

Lesson 8

Regret

We look at how to let go of things we could have done differently. We learn to trust that we will do better moving forward and no longer make similar mistakes. We talk about living life with no regrets – to leave nothing unsaid; to leave nothing behind; to extend our best and highest efforts to become our best and highest self.

Lesson 9

Rejection

We talk about what it feels like to be left behind or left out. We discuss how this brings up feelings of unworthiness, betrayal, anger, or low self-esteem. We talk about how to take right actions when rejected, and to let go of the results of these actions as an antidote to the ramifications of rejection.

Lesson 10

Stress

We talk about how illnesses are created through stress at psychological and physiological levels. We discuss how to alleviate stress by no longer living in ways that create mental, emotional, or physical suffering. We examine solutions that prevent stress and how to relieve stress if it manifests.

Lesson 11

Betrayal

We talk about how we feel when others betray us or take advantage of our trust. We discuss consequences of betrayal from others, and how we betray ourselves by not listening to our inner knowing. We discuss remedies for feelings that come after betrayal, how to rebuild individual confidence, and how to learn to trust ourselves and others.

Lesson 12

Depression

We talk about levels of sadness and hopelessness that can lead to temporary, intermediate, and prolonged states of depression. We make the connection between alcohol being a depressant and how alcoholics suffer from depression. We examine yogic practices and meditations that help us leave the darkness of depression behind forever.

Lesson 13

Inferiority

We talk about the value of comparison with others. We examine how we are unique expressions of a higher creative power or force and we are here to do specific things with specific skill sets. And we ultimately learn inferiority is not a useful concept since our lives are not comparable with the lives of others.

Lesson 14

Self-loathing

We transform thoughts of self-loathing and cultivate self-love in its place. We learn how to never go back to thinking that generates actions which can lead to self-destruction. We also investigate where self-loathing originates and travel to that place in our consciousness to heal who we were at that time.

Lesson 15

Grief

We discuss how unprocessed grief leads to addictions. We talk about the levels or stages of grief as circular rather than linear. We pinpoint moments of personal grief that may lead to addictive tendencies and how to overcome grief through creative expression, movement, and meditation.

Lesson 16

Joy

We remember times in our lives when joy was our predominant and natural state of being. We differentiate joy from similar emotions or feelings like happiness, euphoria, and bliss. We look to sacred texts for another perspective on joy. And we learn where the human body stores joy so that the mind and heart can be gladdened by this awareness.

Lesson 17

Happiness

We learn that happiness is our birthright when awareness of the present moment is intact. We discuss conditions for happiness and how gratitude engenders happiness. We see how happiness and active addiction cannot truly coexist, and we learn to consciously choose how we wish to live a life filled with happiness in recovery.

Lesson 18

Love

We learn where love resides within the body and how to open, heal, and harmonize this area. We learn about giving and receiving love. We also learn about self-love, love for others, and love for God (or a higher power of one’s own understanding).

Lesson 19

Compassion

We learn to deepen our awareness of compassion and its many benefits. We learn that compassion is to suffer with others, not to be overwhelmed by the suffering of others. We meditate on lovingkindness and how it relates to our ability to remain compassionate for ourselves and others.

Lesson 20

Curiosity

We talk about the importance of curiosity in regard to being open-minded, teachable, and childlike with our perspective. We learn how being curious about the world and others protects us from stagnancy and complacency. We learn to ask ourselves the right questions to properly engage with all dimensions of life.

Lesson 21

Contentment

We learn to be at peace with what we think we may need at any given time. We learn how to be a safe space for others when we are content with ourselves and our circumstances. We also learn that humility and simplicity are integral components of contentment.

Lesson 22

Enthusiasm

We learn what excites us about life and how this makes us feel. We learn how we become inspired at both an intuitive level of awareness and how the energy of others can also generate enthusiasm within our lives. We learn what to do with the power of enthusiasm and how to apply it to our personal purpose.

Lesson 23

Hopefulness

We learn that hope is the primal essence upon any path in recovery. We learn that hope is central to not only recovery but all worthwhile endeavors. We also learn that hope is contagious, so when others become hopeless, we can offer them our hope and it will suffice.

Lesson 24

Kindness

We learn what it means to be kind by examining the lives and sayings of those who know kindness. With reverence, we honor these people and others who have exemplified kindness throughout their lives and works. We also learn their strategies for kindness and personalize them for our lives.

Lesson 25

Thankfulness

We learn that gratefulness is the secret to inner peacefulness. We create rituals for how to meditate on gratitude. And we learn to survey our daily activities to source conditions for thankfulness so we are never without the energy of gratitude in our lives.

Lesson 26

Purposefulness

We learn that we need purpose or we may not feel we are heading in the right direction or that our life is important. We learn to figure out our individual purpose and how it fits into a collective purpose. We also learn how to align our thoughts, words, and actions to enrich and support the development and fruition of our purpose.

Lesson 27

Equanimity

We learn that calmness is necessary if we are to manage our emotions and feelings. We learn to cultivate equanimity through awareness of breath, meditation, and present-moment clarity. We learn that equanimity is established when we let go of things that no longer serve our highest good.

Lesson 28

Empathy

We learn to open our hearts to our own misery and pain so we can empathetic to the misery and pain of others. We discover that those who do the deep inner work of recovery become uniquely skilled to help others on similar paths because they have seen and overcome their own darkness and they can use their experiences to help others do the same.

Lesson 29

Oneness

We learn that we are all connected; we all have the same emotions and feelings; and we all wish for happiness and peace. We learn that we all must work together to come home to the awareness of our shared human emotionality if we are to survive and thrive together in recovery and in all areas of life.

Lesson 30

Faith

We learn that we must believe in something if we are to sustain our recovery. Whether this be God, a higher power, nature, or an inner goodness, we learn that if we do not believe or trust or have reverence for something that gives life purpose and meaning, we cannot be at peace or find autonomy or freedom.

4.9 (100)

Recent Reviews

Donna

December 1, 2025

What a phenomenal teacher. The course was rich with intentional breathing, meditation, reflections, explanations of the 12 steps. He also posed questions the provoked introspection. I appreciated Brian’s honesty and vulnerability. His background and practice of yoga made the course especially inspiring.

Christy

November 10, 2025

Great course! I will continue to use for reference and support. Wonderful teacher!

Susan

November 5, 2025

This was a great course. I got lots of value out of each lesson. Tools that can be used in all areas of my life, especially recovery. Thank you so much.

Thomas

September 13, 2025

I will be repeating this course. There is so much here to work on. So much to think and live through. Thank you for your hard work so this can exist in the world. I am grateful for it.

sherrie

August 29, 2025

Out of the many courses I have listened to, this has been the most meaningful and helpful. Each session gave me a nugget to hold within me. Each session helped me to become more aware of my feelings. And the final session, Faith, tied everything together.

Courtney

August 17, 2025

Loved I will listen over and over again, Namaste 🙏

Janice

August 16, 2025

Very helpful ! Thanks

KATHY

July 31, 2025

Wonderful class. So helpful. Thank you.

Claire

June 17, 2025

Really found this course helped in my recovery journey 🙏🏻

Andrea

June 16, 2025

I feel that I have grown and gained a vast amount of knowledge and understanding around the different emotions I feel. I feel much more balanced as a result and my outlook on life is calmer, not as erratic as it could be before. Thank you so much.

Kat

May 15, 2025

This was awesome, thank you!

Nichole

May 9, 2025

Such a great overview of many concepts / feelings… really enjoyed looking at them from different traditions! Thank you 🙏

Kirstie

May 4, 2025

Highly recommend to anyone exploring their feelings in a recovery centred environment

Leesa

April 20, 2025

Every day was a most HELPFUL journey in my emotional recovery from a narcissistically disordered individual. I am thankful to have found Brian Hyman and will repeat the course again and again. His delivery of this knowledge was so gentle and loving. I am grateful.

Molly

March 25, 2025

This course was a lovely daily practice that I have enjoyed for the last month. Bryan's voice is a positive, grounding energy that guided me in exploring a range of emotions and concepts. Each day gave me something to contemplate and experience. Highly recommend for anyone in recovery...and let's be honest: we're all recovering from something. Even if you don't identify as someone with a dependency, you will enjoy the concepts of being anchored and attuned to the self rather than things outside of us. Thank you, Bryan!

Jean

February 24, 2025

I've walked with the instructor/teacher through 30 sessions and I am very fond of this message. I feel strengthened and cared for, my faith continues to grow in recovery. I am grateful for this course. I will recommend and also personally revisit this particular and supportive approach to emotional sobriety. Thank you.

Alejandro

February 5, 2025

What a beautiful journey this has been with this course. I feel like we went through the hell of emotional imbalance and then through the garden that is emotional sobriety. I have shared this course with multiple people because it has provided me with a much better understanding of my emotions within my program of action. Thank you.

cherie

January 21, 2025

Thank you thank you I am eternally grateful for this course. 🙏

Jackie

October 24, 2024

by Brian Hyman

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