Yoga is often beneficial when used in addition to other traditional substance abuse treatment methods. The Yoga Journal describes modern yoga as the use of physical postures to learn how to connect mind, body, and breath to gain self-awareness and focus attention inward.
According to data published by US News & World Report, around 21 million Americans practice yoga, a number that has doubled in the past 10 years. See why yoga can be a great addition to your process of addiction recovery.
Benefits of Practicing Yoga
Yoga has many potential benefits for those who practice it, including:
- Stress relief
- Increased physical stamina and strength
- Self-reflection and increased self-awareness
- Healthier exercise and eating habits
- Heightened self-confidence and improved self-image
- Pain relief
- Better sleep
- Increased energy levels
- Reduction in fatigue
- Emotional healing
- Overall health and wellness improvement
As you can see, practicing the craft of yoga can provide many benefits to help guide you in your recovery process. Recovering from substance abuse can be very challenging and tempting, but it’s important to set your mind on things to help distract you or help you focus on something else. Think of yoga as something you set your mind to, which also provides many benefits to our mental health as well.
Yoga is being used more frequently in substance abuse treatment programs and throughout recovery to help prevent relapse, reduce withdrawal symptoms and drug cravings, and provide a healthy outlet to cope with potential triggers and daily life stressors.
Here are a few poses to help aid your recovery:
Spinal Breathing Pranayama
Most yoga practices start with a basic breathing exercise to promote intuitive mind-body connections. Beginning a pranayama practice will help keep your mind calm and focused on the present moment, which will be helpful in changing addictive behaviors.
The Fish Pose
The Fish Pose is a great way to stretch part of the thoracic spine, the chest and the shoulders, and is also a great heart opener. The Fish Pose has also been known for ages to help relieve anxiety and stress.
Downward Facing Dog
The Downward Facing Dog is a wonderful yoga pose to find grounding as well as stress relief. Downward Dog gently strengthens and lengthens your muscles to not only strengthen your physical body but also help release mental and physical tension.
This is just a short list of yoga poses to begin with, but if you are interested in implementing yoga into your life, this should be the perfect message to get started. Additionally, if you or anyone you know need assistance with substance abuse, contact us today.
