When people think of recovering from alcohol addiction, also known as alcoholism and alcohol use disorder (AUD), they likely picture a person going to support groups and therapy sessions. Without a doubt, these tools are pivotal in assisting someone to achieve and maintain sobriety.
But there are alternative therapies that can be used to help a person overcome substance use. Meditation is one of the many alternative therapies that can be used in a person’s treatment, but it’s not the only one. Another kind of holistic therapy is yoga, which can help the mind and body recover from alcohol use.
Kembali is a world-class addiction treatment centre in Bali. We’re committed to providing our guests a luxury experience and nurturing environment to help them overcome their struggles.
What is Yoga?
Yoga is an ancient practice originating in India. It is over 5000 years old and a holistic discipline involving the mind, body, and spirit. It promotes mental clarity, physical fitness, and spiritual growth.
‘Yoga’ comes from the Sanskrit word ‘yuj,’ which means ‘to join.’ This symbolises the unity between the mind, body, and spirit. The key components of yoga are the Asanas (postures), the Pranayama (breathing techniques), meditation, dhyana (concentration), Yamas and Niyamas (ethical guidelines), and Samadhi (State of Enlightenment).
Why Practise Yoga?
There are many benefits to practising yoga. One major benefit is that it can improve a person’s physical health. The poses required by yoga, particularly the advanced ones, require great flexibility and strength. As such, regularly going to yoga classes can help a person get stronger and more flexible.
Another way that yoga helps is that it can help a person deal with mental health issues such as stress, anxiety, and depression. It can promote mental clarity, resilience, and concentration.
How Yoga Can Help With Overcoming Addiction
There are a number of ways that yoga can be beneficial in someone’s treatment programme for alcoholism. Some of the benefits of yoga in treating addiction include:
Stress and Anxiety Reduction
As mentioned previously, yoga can help a person manage stress and anxiety. Both of these are major triggers for drinking. By managing these triggers healthily, yoga can help a person manage their urge to drink.
Improves Physical Health
Alcohol misuse can affect a person’s physical health. While yoga alone can’t help address some more serious damage, such as liver problems, it can help a person rebuild their strength and boost their overall health.
Emotional Healing
Addiction can have a major effect on a person. Many can feel weak and worthless. They may feel as if their addiction was caused entirely by their own choices and not a complex set of factors, some of which a person has no control over.
However, yoga can help people process their emotions, including guilt and shame. This can help a person heal emotionally from their addiction.
Build Resolve
Yoga is not an easy practice. Many people do not have the strength or flexibility required to get into certain postures when they first start attending yoga sessions. Over time, and with resilience, a person gets stronger and more flexible, allowing them to fold their limbs into advanced poses.
The resilience that is developed through yoga can also be applied to a person’s alcohol dependence, allowing them to feel and withstand their urge to drink without acting on it.
Increased Mindfulness
Building on the above, feeling cravings without acting on them is a core tenet of mindfulness in addiction recovery. Yoga encourages a person to be present at the moment, which means that when they feel the urge to drink alcohol, they can acknowledge it without acting on it.
Spiritual Growth
Many treatment plans emphasise spiritual growth in the recovery journey regardless of a person’s religious beliefs. Yoga is intended to help a person grow spiritually.
Community
Yoga can be practised alone, but most people attend regular yoga classes wherein they train with other students. This can allow many people to make new connections and form a supportive community.
Common Types of Yoga in Addiction Recovery
There are a number of different types of yoga that can be used in addiction recovery. Hatha yoga can help patients manage stress, relax, and increase their physical strength. Kundalini yoga can help patients connect with their inner strength and release pent-up emotions.
Yin yoga encourages practitioners to be more introspective and to release their emotions. Restorative yoga promotes relaxation and helps manage anxiety and insomnia, both of which can be common in the recovery process. Vinyasa yoga can help a person build resilience and physical strength, both of which are crucial in addiction recovery.
How to Start Practising Yoga for Alcohol Addiction Treatment
Yoga can be a difficult art for people to pick up. This can be especially true for those recovering from substance use disorder, as addiction can have profound effects on a person’s physical health. As such, it is best to start slow.
Speaking of which, it’s best to practise kindness, not just to others but also to yourself. You won’t become a master during your first session or even your twentieth. No matter how slow your progress is, remember that you’re making progress and that you should be proud of yourself for even having the courage to try.
Something else that a person should do before starting any adjunct treatment for alcohol dependence is to set their intentions.
People in recovery should decide what they want to accomplish with yoga. It can be stress management, building strength, or increasing mindfulness. Whatever it is, a person should know what they want before they start yoga for addiction recovery.
Learn How to Incorporate Yoga into Treatment at Kembali
Holistic therapies have sceptics. Some people don’t believe that mindfulness practices such as yoga and meditation can help a person overcome alcohol addiction.
However, these practices are deeply spiritual and can heal a person in ways other treatments can’t. While they may not be used as a frontline treatment, yoga as an adjunct treatment for addiction can be profoundly beneficial for those who need to recover from AUD and other addictions.
At Kembali, we believe firmly in healing not just the body and the mind but also the spirit. That’s why we integrate holistic practices such as yoga into our treatment.
