Holistic practices have long been accepted within the recovery community as a means to complement addiction treatment and offer ongoing maintenance of an addict’s daily reprieve.
There isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to finding the right holistic practice, but yoga has stood out from the crowd when it comes to the benefits it can offer addicts recovering from addiction.
What Is Yoga?
Yoga is an ancient practice that originated in India and blends spirituality with physical exercise.
The holistic practice involves a combination of breathing exercises, physical postures, and meditation used to achieve mindfulness and a state of well-being. There are numerous styles of yoga that vary in difficulty,
Strength can also be gained from practicing yoga. Some addicts have reported it is an effective way to keep the demons at bay in recovery
What Are The Different Yoga Styles
Popular styles of yoga include:
- Ashtanga
- Hatha
- Hot yoga
- Iyengar
- Kundalini
- Power yoga
- Restorative yoga
- Vinyasa
Can Yoga Help Addicts?
Yoga in addiction treatment shares some benefits with mindfulness in meditation plus an added layer of physical well-being that offers a wide array of benefits for addicts in recovery.
Studies have shown that incorporating yoga into addiction treatment can make a real difference in the success of addiction therapy.
Yoga induces dopamine homeostasis, which means that yoga helps balance brain functions related to dopamine.
Our reward system is driven by dopamine, which is directly related to addiction to substances that create a dopamine imbalance in the brain, such as drugs and alcohol. As a result of this balance induced by yoga, addiction can be managed and a healthy recovery can be achieved.
Generally speaking, yoga might be able to help addicts manage their mood and anxiety levels as well as provide a healthy output to focus their energy.
Yoga in addiction treatment offers practitioners an excellent way to clear their minds and leave their troubles on the mat. Additionally, yoga has numerous scientifically proven benefits, which can be beneficial to addicts during their recovery.
Since many 12-step programs deal with spiritual concepts, they’re well-received in that community as well.
Health Benefits of Yoga in Addiction Treatment
Research shows that practicing yoga can have a number of benefits for addicts include:
- Improve general wellness
- Release of stress
- Improved mental/emotional health, sleep, and balance
- Relieving lower-back pain, neck pain, and possibly pain from headaches and osteoarthritis
- Weight control
- Reduce anxiety and combat addiction
- Helps reduce depression
- Relieve menopause symptoms
- Improves posture and flexibility
- Improves concentration and coordination
How Our Drug Rehab Center Incorporates Yoga into Addiction Treatment
Yoga is increasingly being used as a complementary practice in rehab. By providing a healthy outlet for tension, it prevents relapses, manages withdrawal symptoms, and helps relieve withdrawal symptoms.
But the benefits of practicing yoga in rehab don’t end there. Yoga in rehab may boost energy levels and promote a healthier lifestyle. Practitioners eat healthier, improve the quality of their lives and relationships, and feel better emotionally and physically.
At Ava Recovery we offer holistic treatments as part of our luxurious addiction treatment program. In other words, we’re big fans of yoga and other activities that promote mindfulness and healthy living.
Although yoga is not a solution on its own, we believe it can be an essential component of the journey toward sobriety.
Our yoga instructors will help you learn the practice and build a habit that you can carry with you after you leave the facility.
Make sure to get in touch and contact us today to learn more about how you can benefit from yoga in addiction treatment.
