Benefits of Yoga for Addiction Recovery

Yoga for Mental Health and Addiction Recovery

Addiction treatment has made great strides towards improving how patients receive care and heal from addiction through alternative measures to healing.  Historically, addiction treatment has placed a focus on talk therapy methods that look at treating the addiction rather than assisting patients in developing new skills for coping and managing potential triggers. As the focus in addiction treatment shifts to a whole person, integrated approach, many treatment centers are incorporating yoga in each patient’s healing journey. 

Yoga is beneficial for addiction treatment when it is used in conjunction with traditional therapy methods. Patients who engage in yoga are able to develop the skills and self-awareness in regards to what is happening within themselves and know how to mitigate any potential triggers or stressors through certain poses and movements. As you move into different poses it works to connect your body, mind, and soul to what is happening within yourself. The focus on breathing helps patients to develop emotional regulation and self-awareness for what emotions are coming up for them and how to release them through structured breathing and poses. 

The Nervous System and Addiction

Engaging in substance use has long been known to have negative side effects on someone’s physical well-being. What is often overlooked is the impact that substance use has on your central nervous system and autonomic nervous system. If you are someone who consumes alcohol or other depressant substances on a regular basis, you will feel an increase in feelings of relaxation upon use each time, whereas, stimulants will produce higher levels of dopamine creating feelings of euphoria or excitement within someone. As you stop your use of substances, your brain will be working hard to establish new pathways to attempt to function normally without the influences of these substances causing the individual to feel withdrawal symptoms. 

Substance use has a significant impact on the autonomic nervous system including the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) which is responsible for your rest and digestion response and the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) which controls your fight or flight responses. As you consume substances, your PNS and SNS can be triggered and produce unpleasant side physical and emotional side effects including tension in your chest, feelings of stress, headaches, the desire to fight or flee a situation, and feelings of helplessness, intense rage, or fear. 

How Yoga Benefits Addiction Recovery

Through the years, there has been extensive research conducted that has demonstrated the significant impact yoga can have on supporting individuals through a safe recovery. Yoga can assist patients in combating addiction and forging a new path in sobriety through the following ways:

Benefits of Yoga for Addiction Recoveryhttps://t.co/QtZsCbtIcx

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Restoring Body, Mind and Spirit

The word yoga means “to unite” which is exactly what happens when you participate in yoga sessions. As you practice the various yoga poses and stretches through movement, you will become connected to what is occurring within your body, mind, and spirit. Yoga has a healing aspect that focuses on becoming connected within and to your own spirituality, however that may look for you.  Through meditative practices and breathing, individuals become in sync with their breathing which helps to bring down feelings of anxiety and restlessness through conscious breathing practices. 

Yoga and Other Holistic Therapies at Exclusive Hawaii Rehab

Exclusive Hawaii Rehab places an emphasis on healing from addiction through an integrated model that incorporates traditional and holistic therapies that will assist in a whole person, body, mind and spirit, healing journey. Patients will learn different methods of holistic practices that you will be able to engage in within our treatment center and when they transition home. At the height of your addiction, you relied on substances to be able to mitigate triggers or stressors in life. Our team is dedicated to teaching you new methods of coping through the various holistic practices within our center.