Quieting the monkey mind 🙉

On meditation & the zen of recovery with Jim Hight

I already have a hard time meditating for five minutes a day—let alone flying across the country to sit in silence for a week.

Yet this is exactly what my friend

Jim Hight

does, 2-4 times a year. So I invited him to join me on The Write-Life Balance to discuss his spiritual practice, and how it’s influenced his work as a freelance writer and novelist. We discuss:

• The watershed conversation he had with his father about religion as a child, leading him to believe that “the God of the Christians is no more real than Zeus.”

• His struggle with alcoholism and marijuana usage, nearly abandoning his 12-step program before discovering a book on Zen Buddhism and recovery.

• A sneak peek of his upcoming book, Moon Over Humboldt, featuring a logger and a radical environmentalist who bond over their shared addiction.

On Meditation & the Zen of Recovery with Jim Hight

Jim in the old Guadalajara bus station.

WRITE 👨🏼‍💻 (15:30, 17:30)

In addition to being a novelist, Jim freelances as a content writer for energy and environmental companies—building off his years of experience and expertise as a journalist. However, he’s also looking to break into more vulnerable non-fiction writing, revealing that his ego is “scared to death” of the outcomes.

“Meditation helps me see that I am not just my ego and reputation, [so I can] penetrate the myth of an independent self.”

LIFE 🏡 (0:58, 4:00)

Jim lives in Colorado with his wife and 22-year-old stepdaughter. He’s also an ex-husband (he and his former wife are still close), a neighbor, and a recovering addict—which is how he found himself in a 12-step program in his early thirties.

BALANCE 🧘🏼‍♂️ (5:20)

Despite his AA sponsor encouraging meditation, Jim didn’t start until 2009, when a mentor from the ManKind Project invited him to a Hallow Bones Zen retreat. Jim describes being in “so much pain [he] was lying down”, resulting in the Zen master coming over to rub his shoulders, kindly informing him:

You’re probably making your neck pain worse with your thinking.

Now Jim spends an hour on the cushion every day, crediting his wife’s fervent practice in “not allowing him to fall behind.”

PARTING ADVICE 💭 (37:37)

Jim comes from a long line of alcoholics, and credits several modalities to his recovery, including: the 12-step program, traditional therapy, ManKind Project, and, currently, Zen Buddhism through the guidance of Doshin Nelson. He credits meditation with helping him come to terms with his ancestral trauma, pointing out:

“I inherited the experiences, thoughts, and beliefs of my parents and grandparents…now I’m getting the chance to write [their stories]. It’s a gift.”

READING 📚

Jamie MacGillvray by John Sayles, an historical fiction epic about the so called French and Indian war (mid 1700s) from many POVs, most notably the eponymous Jamie, a Scottish rebel sentenced to exile and servitude in the Americas, and Jenny (no last name), who’s similarly deported, although not guilty. 

STREAMING ⏯️

How-to videos on converting a minivan to a camper (Jim’s new hobby) and recent testimony from Republican Congressman Dan Crenshaw about how psychedelics are helping traumatized vets.

COOKING 🧑🏼‍🍳

Different versions of the veggie and meat stir fries, usually with curry, Mexican or Italian spicing.

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To learn more about Jim, you can:

• Follow him on Facebook

• Read his writing on Medium (I’m especially fond of his article on Finding Christ in Buddha)

Hope you enjoyed this episode,

Sophia :)

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P.S. In case you missed it, check out my recent interview with my mommy blogger turned literary non-fiction writer friend.

Laura Ann Klein

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