Recordings

These recordings are from the innovative Monday Secular Sponsor Workshop series from 2021. Each week a new topic was discussed by an OA sponsor, and there are often role plays, audience participation,  breakout rooms, Q&A, and helpful handouts. (This meeting now follows a more traditional format.)

052421 | Sponsor Workshop | Steps Four and Five | Allie | 15 min
Sponsor Allie talks about her own Step Four and Five experience, “If I don’t share it, I wear it.” Includes Q&A. Handout: Allie’s Notes

051721 | Sponsor Workshop | Saying Yes to Sponsoring | Lisa | 28 min
New sponsor Lisa shares her own story and then resources that helped her as she began working with her first sponsee. Q&A and a long discussion about whether people of a different gender or same sexual orientation should pair up!

051021 | Sponsor Workshop | Mindful Eating | Alan | 24 min
Sponsor Alan shares his former and current food behaviors, including his mindful eating practices. Includes Q&A and tips from others.

042621 | Sponsor Workshop | Secular Prayer | Alan | 28 min
Sponsor Alan talks about secular “prayer” or directed intention to use thinking and visualizing to create shifts in recovery. Includes role plays and Q&A.

040521 | Sponsor Workshop | Literature | Jenne | 24 min
Sponsor Jenne shares some history about a meeting that used outside literature, recommends books for newcomers, and leads an exercise in rewriting the God questions in The Twelve Step Workbook of Overeaters Anonymous. Book Recommendations and secular versions of the Workbook questions (pdf, 4 pages).

032921 | Sponsor Workshop | Relapse | Alan | 23 min
Sponsor Alan talks through four warning signs of relapse (OA Program, Physical, Emotional/Spiritual, and Life Triggers) and offers suggestions for recovery. Link: Relapse Prevention Support Group Workshop

032221 | Sponsor Workshop | Slogans | Rachel | 27 min
Sponsor Rachel is back again and she shares favorite slogans and role-models with a sponsee how to apply one to everyday problems. Handout: Slogans That Have Helped Us

031521 | Sponsor Workshop | Study Groups | Rachel | 25 min
Sponsor Rachel leads us through available resources that can help us form Step Study groups. Resources: Twelve Step Workshop and Study Guide, The Twelve Step Workbook of OA, and Exploring Abstinence through Writing.

030821 | Sponsor Workshop | Service | Paula | 32 min
Sponsor Paula shares the importance of service in recovery which can include simple acts such as putting away shopping carts and volunteering to reading at meetings or taking on a weekly service commitment. Handout: Forms of Service

030121 | Sponsor Workshop | Steps Two and Three | Arlene O | 23 min
Sponsor Arlene is back to talk about Steps Two and Three from the OA 12&12. Her Post-It notes: Steps 2 and 3 (pdf)

022221 | Sponsor Workshop | Steps Eight and Nine | Rachel | 28 min
Sponsor Rachel shares how she personally completed the Eighth and Ninth Steps and provides a framework for how to make amends to yourself. Includes Q&A with other sponsors and members. 

022221 | Sponsor Workshop | Step Eleven Meditation | Allie | 26 min
Sponsor Allie describes her own quick meditation practices.

021521 | Sponsor Workshop | Exercise | Alan | 21 min
Sponsor Alan shares how to include exercise as part of your action plan. Q&A leads to a discussion about extra skin.

020121 | Sponsor Workshop | Positivity | Alan | 32 min
Sponsor Alan shares how positivity can change behavior. Ways to implement positivity can include mindful eating, exercise, laughter, social connection, positive media, music, affirmations, and pet therapy. Suggested positive affirmation app (ThinkUp) and positive music (Empty Hands Music).

012521 | Sponsor Workshop | Daily Inventories | Laura and Kimberly | 27 min
Sponsors Laura and Kimberly share various ways to practice Tenth-Step daily inventories. Includes Q&A with other sponsors and members. Handout: Vowel Inventory

011821 | Sponsor Workshop | Writing | Jenne M | 29 min
Sponsor Jenne talks about the role of writing in recovery and shares  five inventory formats. Handout: Tenth Steps/Daily Inventories (5 Inventory Formats)

011121 | Sponsor Workshop | Outreach | Allie S | 33 min
Sponsor Allie S shares how to use the phone, texting, email, or WhatsApp to stay connected. Includes role plays and Q&A with other sponsors and members. Handout: Outreach

010421 | Sponsor Workshop | Listening Tools | Jim D | 27 min
Sponsor Jim shares several good listening practices to use as a sponsor or listening buddy. Includes Q&A with other sponsors and members. Handout: Listening Skills

122820 | Sponsor Workshop | Action Plans | Rachel B | 33 min
Sponsor Rachel talks about how to create and use action plans, role plays with a fellow, and answers audience questions. Handouts: Action Plans and Slogans That Have Helped Us.

122120 | Sponsor Workshop | Group Support | Alan S | 31 min
Sponsor Alan shares different models of group support including Recovery Circles. Handout: Recovery Circles

121420 | Sponsor Workshop | Developing a Food Plan | Allie S and Arlene O | 19 min
Sponsors Arlene and Allie share food plans. 

120720 | Sponsor Workshop | Identifying Food Behaviors and Approaches | Arlene O and Allie S | 24 min
Sponsors Allie and Arlene share their different approaches.

113020 | Sponsor Workshop | Secular Sponsoring | Vini T and Sue J | 19 min
Sponsor Vini T shares how she sponsors. Then Vini and her sponsee, Sue, demonstrate how they worked on an issue together.