The key to long-term recovery is having a wide variety of coping skills in your arsenal. When we think of beneficial tools to have in the proverbial recovery toolbelt, 12-step meetings, continued counseling, exercise, proper nutrition, and healthy hobbies come to mind. Another excellent practice to think about incorporating into your recovery program is yoga. While yoga in addiction recovery may seem surprising, the practice itself wonders for the body, mind, and spirit.
We will take a deeper look at yoga for addiction recovery and how you can use this ancient therapy to strengthen your own recovery. Liberty Wellness is a top-tier rehab center that offers yoga for addiction as well as other evidence-based treatment programs. Call us today to learn more about our drug and alcohol rehab center in New Jersey.
What is Yoga?
Yoga is an ancient and complex practice with roots in Indian culture. The word yoga means union, and the practice helps people unite the body, mind, and soul. It is thought when mind, body, and soul unite, people will experience freedom, peace, and a deep sense of self-realization. Yoga in addiction recovery is comprised of physical postures, breathing techniques, and mindful meditation techniques. There are many different yoga styles, ranging from gentle practices to more physically demanding ones.
People who practice yoga regularly may see tremendous health benefits such as the following:
- Help by relieving stress
- Help improve sleep
- Help improve mental wellness
- Relieve low-back pain and neck pain
- Help people manage anxiety or depressive symptoms
With these benefits, there is a solid connection between yoga and addiction treatment and recovery. In the following section, we will further discuss yoga in addiction recovery.
Can Yoga Be Used in Addiction Recovery?
Yoga in addiction recovery can be a powerful complementary tool that can be used throughout the course of treatment. The breathing patterns of specific kinds of yoga can help the body release dopamine and other pleasure-producing endorphins. This can help the brain regain its ability to produce these neurotransmitters on its own. This also helps reduce the cravings people experience early in treatment.
The stress of early recovery can make people more vulnerable to relapse behaviors and the actual act of relapse. Yoga and mindful breathing practices help combat stress and temptation. When yoga in addiction recovery is utilized in treatment, it is paired with therapies such as cognitive-behavioral therapy and is often used in conjunction with mindfulness-based relapse prevention programs. Additionally, yoga for addiction can be incorporated into exercise therapy and can be used in aftercare programs.
How Yoga in Addiction Recovery is Beneficial
Yoga and addiction recovery go hand in hand. There are numerous benefits of incorporating yoga in addiction recovery. The following are just a few of those benefits:
Easy to Incorporate into Your Daily Routine
One significant benefit of yoga and addiction is that you can easily incorporate this practice into your daily routine. By learning breath focusing or simple yoga poses like standing mountain or child’s poses, you can make yoga a fun part of your day. You can feel recharged and less stressed in as little as 15 minutes a day.
Experience Natural Highs
Using yoga in addiction recovery will help you replace the artificial highs of addiction with natural highs. Yoga teaches you to detach from what is in your environment and focus on your inner needs. You will gain the ability to look inward and become more fulfilled with the peace within you. Ultimately, you are more aware of external desires and the yearning to fill holes in your life through substances.
You Add to Your Support Network
Another benefit of yoga is that you meet other people who provide positive influences in your life. In addition to loved ones, recovering peers, and sponsors, those you meet in mindful meditation practices can bolster your support system. Those who teach yoga and meditation have significant knowledge and can help shape your life for the better.
Liberty Wellness Provides Yoga for Recovery From Addiction
Yoga in addiction recovery can be the spark that jumpstarts lasting sobriety. As one of New Jersey’s preeminent drug rehab centers, Liberty Wellness offers yoga therapy for addiction taught by experienced certified teachers. In addition to yoga, we offer evidence-based drug treatment programs that are extensively tested and proven to work. We offer multiple levels of care and unique programs that help people from all walks of life get and stay sober. Take back control of your life with the help of Liberty Wellness. Call us today to learn how our addiction treatment programs in New Jersey can help you.
