"You don't have to be religious to be spiritual," says Father Leo Booth. "Spirituality is how you connect to yourself and the world, mentally, emotionally and physically. We do not get spirituality through religion or philosophy. It is simply the essence of being human."*

At Wilderness Quest, spirituality is not taught as a particular religion. Part of the12-Step program is seeking out contact with a Higher Power of our own understanding, someone or something outside ourselves that loves and cares about us all the time, and with whom performance does not equal worth. The beauty of 12-Step spirituality is that people are not required to adhere to a specific set of ideas about the nature of "God" or living a spiritual life. It validates personal spiritual experiences and brings in an added dimension on the addiction and the individual's vital need to connect with a power greater than themselves. Addictions are spiritual diseases - our spirits are not at ease. The way to heal and recover then is to heal our spirit and recover our soul.

In 12-Step programs, spirituality is defined broadly using terms such as soul, spirit, God, nature, love, and hope in the face of pain and tragedy. The power of personal spiritual experiences brings about a change sufficient to inspire recovery. Recovering spiritually is about sobriety, not holiness. The first step in moving into the realm of recovery is to take off the mask and "get real". Perhaps one of the hardest spiritual practices performed as a recovering individual is telling the whole truth about yourself and your addictions.

It has been said "We are not human beings having a spiritual experience, we are spiritual beings having a human experience." A Higher Power and recovery are things of a personal nature.

*Quotes from article by Elwood Bernan in Hazeldon Foundation, 1996