Why I Created The Meditations for The 12 Steps Course

Exciting news—I finally launched a new meditation course that's really close to my heart: Meditations for 12 Steps: Because You're Worth It.

The idea first came to me during a 12 Step study with an incredible group of women. We bonded over the course of a full year—a connection like no other. It literally took us 12 months to work through the steps together.

As we approached Step 12—unity and service—I knew what I wanted to create.

I recently heard a quote that really resonated:

"Healthy love is both safety and freedom, all at once."

 –Aubrey Plaza in "My Old Ass"

That's the kind of relationship we're learning to build with ourselves in recovery—and this course is part of that.

Why I Created This Course

My "why" behind this course struck me with simple clarity: meditation is an essential tool in the 12-step programs that I know of, yet there's little guidance on how to actually practice it. Many end up giving up or getting stuck without proper guidance. 

After years of working the steps, being in service, and talking with people in various recovery fellowships, I kept hearing over and over:

• "I can't meditate – I can't quiet my thoughts." 
• "My mind is just too busy, it's not for me." 
• "I don't know if I'm doing it right."

And I get it.

Did you know? There are over 200 different 12-step programs and fellowships worldwide, supporting everything from substance sobriety to behavioral wellness. "From Alcoholics to Workaholics Anonymous, our numbers are strong. (We could probably start our own social media network!)

Meditation and Recovery: Bridging the Gap

It was a lightbulb moment. I'm a meditation teacher who loves guiding people into calm, clarity, and self-awareness—and I'm also walking the path of “a new way of being.” It just clicked like H2O: Why not bring these two worlds together?

The more I talked to people in recovery, the clearer the gap became. Everyone’s tried to find their own way to meditate—some sit in silence, some meditate to music, or in nature, recite prayers, affirmations, try meditation apps, Christian practices, Buddhist techniques, mindfulness-based stress reduction, binaural beats and—well, let's just say there's a lot of creativity out there. It's kind of a wild west, honestly, and it's up to each person to figure out what works. I realized, maybe this is where I can help.

With my background and lived experience, I knew I could make meditation and mindfulness more accessible—specifically for people working the Steps. So here we are.

Inside the Twelve Step Recovery Toolkit: Presence, Practice and Poetry 

This course is a practical 12-step meditation toolkit to support your recovery journey. You’ll learn core techniques and mindfulness practices that help regulate the nervous system, quiet the mind, grow emotional resilience and compassion—a foundation for both self-awareness and spiritual growth.

Each session includes step-specific guided meditations, affirmations, and journaling prompts to help deepen your Step work.

You’ll also find timeless gems of transformational poetry—because poetry has a way of bypassing the critical, analytical mind and opening something profound in our hearts. Like a gentle touch—a whiff, a presence—of something timeless, perhaps even divine.

Behind the Scenes: Creating This Course

It’s been about four months in the making—I’ll skip the technical details, but here’s what it really came down to:

Listening, listening, listening—to you, to stories, to voices of recovery, and to myself, too.

Talking, sharing, and taking in the collective wisdom and experience—in support meetings, step study groups, conversations with mentors, sponsors, sponsees, and friends.

Reading and reflecting on the Twelve Step literature.

Writing—putting pen to paper and bringing it all together in words. “Writing to see what I am looking at,” as a fellow writer once said.

Meditating.

Becoming still.

And then, the words became sound.

Most of my recordings happened at night, when the neighborhood was quiet.
Candlelight (and sometimes moonlight) on the wooden desk.
A warm cup of chamomile tea to soothe the voice.
Some dark chocolate on the side—because why not.

Oh, did I have the best time recording it!

Creating this course became its own meditation practice—with plenty of learning along the way.

Your voices helped shape this course. Thank you to everyone who enriched me with your insights and perspectives. I don’t think this course is “done done”—I imagine it will continue to evolve over time. So please, let me know your thoughts.

Start Where You Are

There’s a system for training the mind for more awareness, peace, compassion, and healthy living (see the My Old Ass quote above). It’s strange that we don’t teach this in schools—but we can always start at the best possible time: now.

I hope this course meets you wherever you are on your path—and helps you take the next step, because you’re worth it.

Enjoy ♡ Ollie

How to Access the Meditations for The Twelve Steps

1. Listen to the audio version on Insight Timer
2. Join the full course on Meditate Mate. Navigate to our COURSES, sign in or register, and take it one step at a time.

Featured Art and special thank you: top photo by Ben Thouard Ocean Photography

About the Author

Ollie is a California-based mindfulness meditation teacher with a globally-inspired practice. Formerly an ecommerce executive, she founded Meditate Mate and co-founded Inward VR, a mindfulness technology startup. Her down-to-earth approach to mental and physical wellness combines meditation, weightlifting, yoga, and surfing. 

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