Can Meditation and Reflection Help Cellular Healing?
Saint Francis de Sales famously said, “Half an hour’s meditation each day is essential, except when you are busy. Then a full hour is needed.” This is representative of just how important meditation and reflection can be, and this is especially true for individuals who are focused on maintaining a successful long-term recovery.
The Importance of Healing at the Cellular Level
Healing at the cellular level is all about healing the entirety of the “Self.” This means healing physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. It also means focusing on all parts of the whole (holistic healing) at the same time.
Now, it is only when all components of recovery receive equal amounts of focus that the whole being can recover. For example, one cannot fully heal mentally if they are not physically healthy, one cannot heal physically if one is in emotional turmoil, and one’s emotional status remains in jeopardy if one’s spiritual life experiences no growth.
Of course, healing at the cellular level does not just happen. It takes attention and action, and it also takes focused individualized mental health and addiction care.
Healing With Individualized Mental Health and Addiction Care
The fact of the matter is that the recovery industry is a multi-billion dollar industry, and unfortunately, not all recovery centers or treatment facilities have their client’s best interests at heart. Some recovery centers put financial gains over their client’s well-being.
There are many recovery centers that only offer overarching “one-size-fits-all” treatment plans. Here at Exclusive Hawaii Rehab, we know that this approach rarely works, which is why we only offer individualized recovery plans that focus on the future. Our recovery plans also make sure to utilize all avenues of treatment, which is a multi-angled approach to recovery.
Healing With the Multi-Angled Approach to Recovery
The multi-angled approach to recovery focuses on treatment means, methods, and modalities that come from the areas of psychotherapeutics, experiential therapies, and holistic healing. This includes modalities like cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), nature immersion therapy, surf therapy, horticulture therapy, art therapy, massage, yoga, meditation, and reflection.
The multi-angled approach to recovery is also ideal because it works to treat all various types of mental health and addiction issues. This includes co-occurring disorders.
Many people don’t realize just how common co-occurring disorders currently are in the U.S. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), “7.7 million adults have co-occurring mental and substance use disorders. Of the 20.3 million adults with substance use disorders, 37.9% also had mental illnesses,” and “Among the 42.1 million adults with mental illness, 18.2% also had substance use disorders.”
Signs and Symptoms That There May Be Issues of Untreated Mental Illness And/or Addiction
Now, of course, the spectrum of mental illnesses and addictions is wide. So, it can be difficult to place specific signs and symptoms in such a broad area. However, there are some more universal signs that apply to many types of disorders. The following are just a few of those signs and symptoms:
- Losing interest in activities once enjoyed
- Isolating away from family and friends
- Changes in appetite
- Struggles with sleep cycles, including sleeping too much and not sleeping enough
- Feelings of anxiety and overwhelming stress
- Feeling sad, lonely, and depressed
- Trouble concentrating and other cognitive issues
- Unexplained physical aches and pains
- Feelings of self-harm
- Having suicidal ideations
If any, many, or all of these signs and symptoms are present, it is highly recommended that professional help be sought sooner than later. It is also recommended that various steps of recovery be taken such as starting a routine of meditation and reflection.
The Benefits of Meditation and Reflection for Recovery
Spiritual teacher and author Amit Ray famously said, “Beautify your inner dialogue. Beautify your inner world with love, light, and compassion. Life will be beautiful.” This is what meditation and reflection are all about: changing the way one views oneself and the world around oneself.
Meditation has been practiced for thousands of years. Originally, it was solely a religious practice, but it has since moved into many other realms. This includes the realm of recovery.
Meditation and reflection offer physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual benefits. According to the International Quarterly Journal of Research in Ayurveda (AYU), “Research has confirmed a myriad of health benefits associated with the practice of meditation. These include stress reduction, decreased anxiety, decreased depression, reduction in pain (both physical and psychological), improved memory, and increased efficiency. Physiological benefits include reduced blood pressure, heart rate, lactate, cortisol, and epinephrine; decreased metabolism, breathing pattern, oxygen utilization, and carbon dioxide elimination; and increased melatonin, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S), skin resistance, and relative blood flow to the brain.”
Meditation and Reflection for Healing at the Cellular Level
Reflection is also an essential part of addiction recovery. It helps individuals start their day off in a healthy, positive light and end the night by reflecting on what went well and what can be worked on. Also, it is a great way to reduce the chances of a relapse.
Many people don’t realize just how prevalent relapse is in the U.S. According to the peer-reviewed journal Current Psychiatry Reports, “It has long been known that addictive disorders are chronic and relapsing in nature. Recent estimates from clinical treatment studies suggest that more than two-thirds of individuals relapse within weeks to months of initiating treatment.” Also, “For 1-year outcomes across alcohol, nicotine, weight, and illicit drug abuse, studies show that more than 85% of individuals relapse and return to drug use within 1 year of treatment.”
Adding Yoga to Meditation and Reflection
The iconic yogi and spiritual leader B.K.S. Iyengar famously said, “Yoga allows you to rediscover a sense of wholeness in your life, where you do not feel like you are constantly trying to fit broken pieces together.” Like meditation, yoga has also been practiced for thousands of years. A large aspect of yoga also includes yoga and meditation (depending on the style of practice).
The benefits of yoga for recovery are vast and varied. According to the International Journal of Yoga (IJOY), “Therapeutic yoga is defined as the application of yoga postures and practice to the treatment of health conditions. Yoga therapy involves instruction in yogic practices and teachings to prevent reduce or alleviate structural, physiological, emotional, and spiritual pain, suffering, or limitations. Yogic practices enhance muscular strength and body flexibility, promote and improve respiratory and cardiovascular function, promote recovery from and treatment of addiction, reduce stress, anxiety, depression, and chronic pain, improve sleep patterns, and enhance overall well-being and quality of life.”
Of course, yoga is not the only other modality that benefits meditation and reflection. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is also highly beneficial.
Meditation and Reflection Alongside CBT
Like meditation and reflection, CBT works to get to the underlying issues that cause negative thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. This therapy also helps to change the negative way that one views oneself and the world around them.
CBT has been utilized since the 1960’s. According to the peer-reviewed journal Cognitive Therapy and Research, “Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) refers to a class of interventions that share the basic premise that mental disorders and psychological distress are maintained by cognitive factors. The core premise of this treatment approach, as pioneered by Beck (1970) and Ellis (1962), holds that maladaptive cognitions contribute to the maintenance of emotional distress and behavioral problems. According to Beck’s model, these maladaptive cognitions include general beliefs, or schemas, about the world, the self, and the future, giving rise to specific and automatic thoughts in particular situations.”
There are also many other types of therapies that meld well with meditation and reflection. This includes experiential therapies like nature immersion therapy, surf therapy, and art therapy.
Meditation and Reflection Alongside Experiential Therapies
A big part of experiential therapy has to do with reflection. For example, art therapy is all about reflecting on what one creates.
According to the peer-reviewed journal Cureus, “Art therapy is used most commonly to treat mental illnesses and can aid in controlling manifestations correlated with psychosocially challenging behaviors, slowing cognitive decline, and enhancing the quality of life. Art therapy can help people express themselves more freely, improve their mental health, and improve interpersonal relationships. The basis of art therapy is established on the idea that people can recover and feel better via artistic expression.” Of course, while art therapy focuses on creative output, other experiential therapies focus on physical activity. This includes nature immersion therapy.
The Benefits of Nature Immersion Therapy
Many people prefer to meditate and reflect while in nature and/or to meditate and reflect on nature. These are the individuals that also highly benefit from nature immersion therapy. Though, of course, anyone can benefit from nature immersion therapy.
It has long been known that nature can be extremely healing. According to the National Park Service, “5 minutes walking in nature improves mood, self-esteem, and relaxation. Frequent exposure to nature reduces anxiety and depression while promoting a sense of well-being and fulfillment.” Also, “Physical activity in a green space can reduce stress and lower cortisol levels by 15%.”
Nature immersion therapy offers a myriad of benefits. According to the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, “Besides improvements to physical and psychological well-being, exposure to natural environments has been shown to bring about positive impacts on cognitive functioning… While cognitive restoration and physiological well-being are the prominent and renowned benefits of nature exposure, there is one important construct that is often overlooked in environmental psychology research studies – that is, the human-nature relationship; also known as connectedness to nature (CN).”
Another experiential therapy that also offers essential “connectedness to nature” is surf therapy. Surf therapy also has many elements of meditation and reflection.
The Benefits of Surf Therapy
There may be no better place to meditate and reflect than on a surfboard floating in the beautiful blue Pacific Ocean. This is just one of the benefits of surf therapy.
According to the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, “Carefully planned water activities tailored to the needs of the individual can contribute to correct psychosocial and cognitive development. The International Surf Therapy Organization summarizes the benefits of adequately indicated surf therapy as follows: improved physical health and mobility; improved mental health, including reduction of specific symptoms, such as posttraumatic stress and depression; improved well-being (strengthening of trust and confidence, encouragement of independence, resilience and protective coping strategies) and improved social skills.”
While many people choose to meditate and reflect out on the ocean, others choose to do so in the garden. For these individuals, horticulture therapy is ideal.
The Benefits of Horticulture Therapy
As with many other types of activities that involve meditation and reflection, horticulture activities have also been utilized for thousands of years to center and find balance. It has only recently been seen as a specific tool to help people with their recovery.
The benefits of horticulture therapy can be hard to quantify. According to the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, “People’s interactions with plants, through goal-orientated horticultural activities in the form of active gardening, as well as the passive appreciation of nature, could be therapeutic to people with mental disorders in many ways. First, horticulture could have emotional benefits, such as reducing stress, reducing psychiatric symptoms, stabilizing mood, and increasing the sense of tranquility, spirituality, and enjoyment. Second, it could help people to reduce fatigue and restore attention and cognitive ability.”
Long-Term Recovery and Meditation and Reflection
As previously mentioned, a big part of meditation and reflection is about relapse prevention. There are many types of mindfulness techniques for this.
According to the peer-reviewed journal Substance Abuse and Rehabilitation, “Researchers and clinicians have begun to explore mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) for intervening in SUDs and relapse prevention. Mounting evidence supports the use of MBIs to address psychiatric disorders. Building on the first-generation MBIs (eg, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, MBSR12; Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy, MBCT13 success in intervening in stress-related conditions and affective disorders), newer MBIs like Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention (MBRP), and Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE) use tailored mindfulness-based intervention strategies to reduce, stop, and prevent substance use.”
The ultimate goal of recovery is long-term success. To ensure this, individuals must utilize as many means, methods, and modalities as possible. This is how one is going to, ultimately, heal at the cellular level.
Healing at the Cellular Level With Exclusive Hawaii Rehab
Here at Exclusive Hawaii Rehab, we have a luxury 30-acre property that offers some of the best opportunities for meditation and reflection in the world. This includes some of the most beautiful waterfalls, outstanding overlooks, white sand beaches, and even a live volcano for one to reflect upon while engaging in nature immersion therapy.
Our property is also a mere 15-minute journey from some of the best surf breaks in all of Hawaii. Here, one can catch some of the best waves in the world while meditating between the breaks as green sea turtles swim below.
At Exclusive Hawaii Rehab, we have some of the most amazing citrus and coconut trees on our property. We also have bursting guava buses, pineapple patches, and exceptional vegetable boxes just waiting for clients to get their hands dirty, meditate, and cultivate.
Saint Francis de Sales also said, “Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit. Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset.” This is the inner peace that can be gained via meditation and reflection. It is also an inner peace that can be gained while recovering at Exclusive Hawaii Rehab.
Now, it is always important to remember that treatment is about the journey and never the destination. That successful journey can start right here at Exclusive Hawaii Rehab. Recovery is possible. There is hope. We can help.
Many people are unaware of the transformative benefits of establishing meditation and reflection routines to aid cellular healing and promote holistic recovery. For those individuals seeking effective self-care practices that integrate seamlessly into their daily lives, Exclusive Hawaii Rehab is committed to offering the best holistic, cellular-level healing modalities available. If you feel like you or a loved one are struggling with issues of addiction, mental illness, or co-occurring disorders, we can help get you on the right road to recovery right away. You don’t have to go through this alone. For more information about the benefits of meditation and reflection for mental health and addiction recovery, please reach out to Exclusive Hawaii Rehab today at (808) 775-0200.