Do I Need a Spiritual Teacher to Meditate in Recovery?

Thich Nhat Hanh famously said, “People sacrifice the present for the future. But life is available only in the present. That is why we should walk in such a way that every step can bring us to the here and the now.” This is symbolic of the steps we often take in recovery — the steps toward long-term success. There are also many means that can help us achieve that success. This includes psychotherapy and experiential therapy. It also includes the benefits we get when we meditate in recovery.

What Does It Mean to Heal at the Cellular Level?

Healing at the cellular level is all about healing holistically. Now, when many people hear the word “holistic,” they automatically think of Eastern medicine and practices like yoga. While yes, this type of healing method is important, it is not what “holistic” solely means. “Holistic” simply means “whole.” So, to holistically heal oneself means to heal the whole self – the physical, mental, emotional, and even spiritual.

It is also important to understand that healing at the cellular level does not happen just because one chooses to recover. They require proper support and guidance. This is why finding a recovery center that focuses on individualized and comprehensive addiction care is so important. The reality is that the addiction recovery industry has boomed to be worth multi-billions of dollars. While this is positive in that it can mean there are more recovery places for people to go, it also means that there are more “bad actors” out there looking to put their financial bottom line over their clients’ well-being. This is no way to heal at the cellular level.

Here at Exclusive Hawaii Rehab, we know that this type of addiction care is rarely effective. “One-note” recovery plans can only get someone so far in their journey, and long-term success should always be the goal. That is why all of our addiction recovery plans are individualized and comprehensive, with a focus on the future. We take recovery seriously, with every client.

Better Understanding Addiction as a Disease

Addiction affects millions of people every day. This includes people both in the U.S. and around the globe. It is estimated that in any given year, over 300 million people struggle with addiction worldwide. Many people also struggle with the concept of addiction. Without proper knowledge, many people think of addiction as some type of moral failing, intentional action, or “choice.” This is simply untrue. Addiction is a disease.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), “Addiction is defined as a chronic, relapsing disorder characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use despite adverse consequences. It is considered a brain disorder because it involves functional changes to brain circuits involved in reward, stress, and self-control. Those changes may last a long time after a person has stopped taking drugs.” Yes, addiction is a disease. Most medical and addiction recovery professionals agree that addiction has more in common with other chronic diseases like cancer, diabetes, and heart disease than it does with a “choice.” Addiction is also a “family disease.”

Better Understanding Addiction as a Family Disease

So, what exactly does “family disease” mean? It simply means that addiction affects far more people than just the individual who is struggling (especially the family). This is often why many people in 12-Step recovery refer to addiction as “a tornado that destroys everyone and everything in its path.”

Addiction affects the very way a family functions. According to the peer-reviewed journal Social Work in Public Health, “The family remains the primary source of attachment, nurturing, and socialization for humans in our current society. Therefore, the impact of substance use disorders (SUDs) on the family and individual family members merits attention. Each family and each family member is uniquely affected by the individual using substances, including but not limited to having unmet developmental needs, impaired attachment, economic hardship, legal problems, emotional distress, and sometimes violence being perpetrated against him or her.”

However, the good news is that while the family is often the most affected by a loved one’s addiction, they are also in the best position to help. However, they must first know the signs and symptoms of addiction to look out for.

The Signs and Symptoms of Addiction

Now, the signs and symptoms of addiction (also co-occurring mental health disorders) are always going to vary based on the individual. However, one can look out for many universal signs and symptoms of the disease of addiction. The following are just a few of those signs and symptoms:

• Isolating away from family and close friends
• Losing interest in activities once enjoyed
• Experiencing trouble at work or school
• Having trouble with sleep cycles, including sleeping too much and not sleeping enough (hypersomnia and insomnia)
• Exhibiting excessive mood swings
• Having feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness, and helplessness
• Not being able to stop once starting to drink or use substances
• Experiencing physical ailments such as headaches, body aches, and gastrointestinal problems
• Feeling anxious, nervous, or overly “stressed out”
• Loss of appetite and a lack of care regarding physical appearance and well-being
• Engaging in risky behaviors
• Causing harm to oneself or others
• Having suicidal ideations

Now, as one can see, these signs and symptoms are significant and can even be deadly. This is why reaching out for professional help as soon as possible is critical. Doing so could mean the difference between short-term side effects and long-term consequences. Another way to avoid these long-term consequences is learning to meditate in recovery.

How to Meditate in Recovery

Many people think that meditation requires a lot of preparation and a specific environment. While these aspects can be important, to start, this is simply untrue. One simply needs a quiet space, some solitude, and a willingness to quiet the mind.

Of course, quieting the mind is often easier than it sounds. However, like anything else that is important, learning to meditate in recovery takes time. For some people, reading books on meditation can help, as well as playing calming music and utilizing aromatherapy. 

Mindfulness meditation also offers countless 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.” Now, connecting with a spiritual teacher may help to increase these benefits.

Do I Need a Spiritual Teacher to Meditate in Recovery?

So, do you need a spiritual teacher to garner the benefits of meditation? The short answer is “no.” However, can a spiritual teacher be highly beneficial? Absolutely, yes!

A spiritual teacher can help one establish a stronger foundation of meditation. They can introduce spiritual principles that one may not be familiar with otherwise. A spiritual teacher can also keep one accountable to their meditation practice, because it can be very easy to give up on meditation if the results aren’t felt right away.

A spiritual teacher who is also focused on addiction recovery can also help with other aspects of a treatment program. This includes keeping an individual connected to “evidence-based” psychotherapies.

Meditate in Recovery and Engage in Psychotherapy

It should also be noted that meditation should not fully replace traditional evidence-based therapies like cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). Spiritual mindfulness meditation often helps these traditional therapies be more effective.

CBT can be particularly effective because the individuals engaged with it become more “active participants” in their own recovery. According to the peer-reviewed journal Cognitive Therapy and Research, “Consistent with the medical model of psychiatry, the overall goal of treatment is symptom reduction, improvement in functioning, and remission of the disorder. In order to achieve this goal, the patient becomes an active participant in a collaborative problem-solving process to test and challenge the validity of maladaptive cognitions and to modify maladaptive behavioral patterns…. Although these strategies greatly emphasize cognitive factors, physiological, emotional, and behavioral components are also recognized for the role that they play in the maintenance of the disorder.” 

DBT also works particularly well at specifically addressing underlying issues of co-occurring mental illness and addiction. This started with borderline personality disorder (BPD) but has since expanded to most issues. According to the peer-reviewed journal Borderline Personality Disorder and Emotion Dysregulation, “Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is a psychotherapeutic intervention with a growing evidence base in treating individuals who have received a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder (BPD). Over the past three decades, there have been a number of randomised controlled trials across different sites that have demonstrated the efficacy of DBT in treating individuals with this diagnosis. Results have demonstrated reductions in a number of outcomes associated with BPD, including self-harm, suicidal behaviours, and hospital admissions.”

Meditate in Recovery and Engage in Experiential Therapy

Experiential therapies often offer added benefits to a practice of meditation. 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).” This ”connectedness to nature” can also be felt out on the ocean while engaging in surf therapy.

Many people may not be aware that some of the best surfing in the world happens on the Hamakua Coast of Hawaii’s Big Island. But it’s true. The good news is that a mere 15-minute journey from our luxury 30-acre property at Exclusive Hawaii Rehab sits one of the best surf breaks on the island. Here, one can catch some of the best waves that the Pacific Ocean has to offer while also meditating between epic rides. 

Surf therapy has been shown to offer a myriad of benefits for individuals struggling with addiction (and mental illness). 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.” Surf therapy and meditation can also be bolstered by other holistic healing methods.

Meditate in Recovery and Utilize Other Holistic Healing Methods

If done right, overall holistic healing can be highly beneficial for addiction recovery. It also creates community. According to the peer-reviewed journal Nordisk Alkohol- & Narkotikatidskrift (NAT), “At the establishment level, i.e., where the continuing care programme is delivered, we find that a clear holistic and user-oriented profile – comprising combined interventions including physical and social activities – can create a safe and stable environment that exerts a positive mental and physical influence on the user and thereby promotes abstinence from substances. However, our results suggest that the internal environment needs to connect more strongly with the external environment, such as a substance-free network, close family, and working life.” 

Besides meditation, many effective holistic healing methods can help one to recover from addiction (and co-occurring mental illness) at the cellular level. This includes holistic healing methods like acupuncture, massage therapy, and yoga therapy. These holistic modalities can also be highly effective when used together. Many holistic modalities can offer a myriad of benefits. These benefits can be physical, emotional, mental, and even spiritual. The following are just a few of those benefits:

• Creates empathy
• Connects individuals with new, relatable people
• Encourages spirituality
• Increased positivity and wellness
• Improved breathing
• Better strength and posture
• Acquiring a better sense of self
• Finding a better sense of mental balance and clarity
• Helping one connect with others and heal relationships
• A greater focus on mindfulness
• Reduces anxiety and depression
• Can help individuals who struggle with suicidal ideations

As one can see, these benefits are vast and varied. The key is finding the right types of treatments that work together and sticking to them. It is also important to know which treatments aren’t working so they can be eliminated from a recovery plan.

Healing at the Cellular Level With Exclusive Hawaii Rehab

Thich Nhat Hanh also once said, “Hope is important because it can make the present moment less difficult to bear. If we believe that tomorrow will be better, we can bear a hardship today.” Here at Exclusive Hawaii Rehab, that is what we offer – hope. Hope that the past will be reconciled, hope in the present, and hope for the future.

At Exclusive Hawaii Rehab, we believe in long-term success over short-term “fixes.” That is why all of our recovery plans are individualized and comprehensive, with a focus on the future. This is also why all of our plans take a multi-angled approach that utilizes evidence-based therapies, experiential therapies, and holistic healing methods like meditation. We can also connect clients to some of the most amazing spiritual teachers around.

It is important to remember that recovery is about the journey and never the destination. That destination can be right here on the Hamakus Coast of Hawaii’s Big Island. The time for recovery is right now. Right here on the Hamakua Coast of Hawaii’s Big Island. You can do it! We can help. 

Many people who are in recovery avoid meditation because they feel that it is too much of a process. This is simply untrue. The reality is that meditation is accessible to all and can be vital in recovery. There are also many spiritual teachers and communities that can aid in one’s meditation journey. If you feel like you or a loved one is struggling with issues of addiction, mental illness, or both, we can help get you on the right road to long-term recovery right away. You don’t have to go through this process alone. For more information about the benefits of meditation for addiction and/or mental illness recovery, please reach out to Exclusive Hawaii Rehab today at (808) 775-0200.