Healing the Mind, Body and Soul with Yoga and Meditation

Yoga and meditation can help with recovery from alcohol, drug, or any other substance abuse can be challenging. Addiction implies how a person takes care of themselves; it takes over every aspect of life and takes priority over all responsibilities. The persons living with addiction often forgot about self-care. However, an addicted brain needs to get clear of toxic substances and counselling to function normally. In such cases, yoga and meditation are practical tools for clearing the mind, body, and soul before and throughout the recovery.

Yoga and meditation help to diminish stress and depression, particularly during addiction recovery. Yoga includes breathing techniques and other ways to bring relaxation while clearing the mind of toxic substances. However, yoga will not end addiction, but it can be helpful to the recovery process.

Yoga helps to establish connections with family and associates, but more importantly, with yourself. Yoga allows you to get to know yourself and find purpose and meaning in a life of sobriety, but addiction causes a loss of connection. Maintaining mindfulness commits to the healing of the mind, body, and soul after addiction. A healthy and clear mind promotes good physical and mental health. Yoga has a healing energy and is not forced but a way of allowing healing.

Meditation and breathing techniques are a crucial component of yoga healing. It incorporates deep sleep relaxation and internal recharging. Breathing is a technique to make people healthier by changing the human nervous system while meditation is a vital tool for recovery.

Yoga works for family members who are concerned about their loved one’s addiction. Chronic stress can be deadly. Yoga helps to decrease stress and restore connections with self and family. Everyone can use yoga and meditation to maintain a healthy, sober lifestyle in recovery. There is no cure for addiction. However, there is hope for holistic rehab recovery.

How Yoga and Meditation Heal the Mind?

The core of a successful drug and alcohol rehab program will include proven therapies and meditation. Therapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy should form the middle of the psychological part of the treatment program.

Through face-to-face therapy sessions, the therapist can guide the individual toward discovering what psychological pain points might be to block recovery and contribute to addictive behavior. Identifying the pain or past trauma is an essential step in addiction treatment because without doing this emotional removal, processing it, and treating it, the need to use will continue. A group therapy session is another effective tool for healing the mind; in addition to the traditional forms of therapy, addiction therapies can boost the healing of the mind- like

• Music and art therapy- Some people can find it difficult to express their pain verbally. They may calm up in a therapy session, feeling too self-conscious, embarrassed, or ashamed to speak out their feelings. Music and art therapy can offer an alternate channel to express what is going on inside. It can help the therapist to provide proper counselling to them.

 

How yoga and meditation heal the body?

Drug and alcohol addiction can take a significant levy on the body. The people seeking help for addiction have experienced nutritional deficiency, a weak immune system, and physical changes in their bodies. In the method of recovery, not only is the body healing, but the brain is also trying to restore itself to a healthy place. Diet, nutrition, and exercise play a vital role in restoring health, helps to fight depression, and improve self-confidence.

Here, weight training can help to improve overall fitness along with promoting confidence. Daily exercise increases the feel-good brain chemicals, which improves mood and physical health.

Yoga training enhances muscular strength, body flexibility, improves respiratory and heart functioning, reduces stress, depression, chronic pain, and improves sleep pattern and overall quality of life. The diet should include lean proteins, fresh and green leafy vegetables, fresh fruits, whole grains, beans, and nuts.

How yoga and meditation heal the soul?

The aspect of spirituality is an integral part of human well-being. The spirituality beliefs help guide our actions, help set boundaries, and teach us to be more disciplined. A person chooses to talk to God, or meditate in the bedroom, or sit in a church. Cultivating a spiritual component is a recovery tool that should be used.

Some of the techniques that can help to restore the soul in recovery include the followings-

• Yoga, prayer, and meditation- Many addictive behaviors include checking out of reality and using the substance to achieve a kind of numb detachment. Once getting sober, it is a helpful technique like yoga, prayer, mindfulness, and meditation to redirect spiritual awareness and living in reality.
• The 12-step program- The core of the 12-step program is a spiritual journey, acknowledging the need for God or a power to give strength to the individual to conquer addiction. The actions crafted into each step are designed to increase a person’s dependence on their higher power in healing their life and overcoming addiction.

 

By Donna Davidge, owner Sewall House Yoga Retreat