Lumunos and the 12 Steps: Suffering and Joy

Lumunos and Alcoholics Anonymous share common roots — both through their founders and through a shared belief that personal transformation arises from authentic conversations and meaningful relationships.

The Lumunos and the 12 Steps series weaves together contemplative practice, psychological insight, and Twelve-Step spirituality to foster inner healing and, by extension, to inspire meaningful change in our communities.

Our final session, open to all regardless of prior attendance, invites reflection on the relationship between suffering and joy. Together, we’ll explore how our attachments, trauma, and past hurts can contribute to ongoing suffering—and how awareness and compassion can transform that pain into connection and growth.

As Richard Rohr writes in the postscript to Breathing Under Water: Spirituality and the Twelve Steps:

“To mourn for one is to mourn for all… Suffering opens the channel through which all of Life flows and by which all creation breathes.”

Join us online on Wednesday evening, November 19, as we consider how the wisdom of the Twelve Steps can guide us in our own lives and communities. In this session, we will explore the causes of suffering, how suffering or sadness might draw us closer to one another, and how joy and compassion can emerge through this shared human experience.

Participants will:

• Develop a deeper awareness of the habits of mind and heart that pull us away from our center

• Learn a contemplative practice to anchor the spiritual work of the Twelve Steps

• Connect with others committed to living with greater presence, compassion, and openness

While our online offerings are free of charge, we invite you to consider making a donation to support Lumunos’ mission—to foster meaningful conversations and relationships that create purpose in life, belonging in community, and wellbeing in the workplace.