A Key Part of Holistic Care
Where Yoga Came From
Yoga, an ancient practice that originated in India over 5,000 years ago, is deeply rooted in history. Its first mention can be found in the Rigveda, one of the oldest holy books. The sage Patanjali, around 400 CE, compiled its principles in his Yoga Sutras. Yoga, in its early days, was a spiritual practice that incorporated breathing exercises, meditation, and physical poses to unite the mind, body, and spirit. This rich history connects us to the roots of this holistic practice.
Benefits of Yoga
Yoga, a multifaceted practice, offers a myriad of benefits for both the body and mind. It enhances strength, flexibility, and balance, and contributes to overall longevity. Regular practice can also improve heart health, aid in weight management, and alleviate chronic pain. Moreover, Yoga is renowned for its stress-relieving, anxiety-reducing, and mood-enhancing effects, fostering a sense of relaxation and mindfulness. By facilitating a deeper connection between the mind and body, Yoga promotes inner peace and emotional well-being.
Types of Yoga
The world of Yoga is diverse, offering a multitude of types, each with its unique exercises and objectives. Hatha Yoga, often considered a foundational practice, focuses on breath control and body posture. Ashtanga Yoga, a more demanding style, follows a set sequence of poses, while Vinyasa Yoga transitions between poses more fluidly. Yin Yoga, which concentrates on deep stretching and relaxation, is another popular type. Kundalini Yoga, on the other hand, combines spiritual and energetic practices to awaken your inner Kundalini energy.
Yoga’s Current Popularity
Yoga has become a global phenomenon, particularly in the Western world, where it is embraced for its relaxation and fitness benefits. Its adaptability to different fitness levels and lifestyles has made it accessible to a wide range of people. With numerous yoga studios, retreats, and online classes, it caters to the needs of millions of practitioners. The support of many celebrities, athletes, and influential figures has further popularised Yoga. This ancient practice’s global fame is a testament to its holistic approach to health and well-being.
The Amazing Ways Yoga Can Help You in Addiction Recovery
Did you know that Yoga can help people who are addicted? Integrative therapy like Yoga helps people improve by focusing on the whole person.
Yoga is often used as a form of therapy in recovery centres to help people deal with stress and withdrawal symptoms. Yoga also helps keep the mind and body in balance, which makes it easier to stop doing things that are addictive.
The evidence might shock you. Read on to find out all the great reasons why Yoga can help you recover from addiction.
Reduces Stress
One of Yoga’s many benefits is that it can help lower stress. Mindfulness training and even simple breathing exercises can help.
Because it lowers stress, Yoga for recovery is beneficial as a part of addiction treatment.
Yoga can help you stop self-destructive habits when stress makes you do things you shouldn’t. People in recovery feel better about themselves when they resist temptation.
As a bonus, Yoga makes you feel better and gives you more self-control, both of which help lower stress.
It helps keep cravings and addictions in check
Addiction changes the brain in ways that affect both its structure and how it works. So, it’s not as easy as just saying “no” to beat addiction.
Addictions to drugs, alcohol, and other compulsionstake over the brain. They put too much dopamine into the nucleus accumbens.
As part of the brain’s reward system, dopamine is a neurotransmitter that makes you feel good. When someone is addicted, they feel too much pleasure, which can lead to drug abuse or even overdoses.
Yoga, on the other hand, can help restore the dopamine levels in the brain to normal. This helps stop those cravings linked to the brain’s dopamine rush.
It makes you more self-aware
Regular yoga practice can help people become more in tune with their bodies. They know how to spot the early warning signs of addictive behaviour before it happens.
To control your cravings, you need to be aware of and accept them as they happen. People learn to listen to and understand their bodies without judging them whenever they show signs.
GABA helps with anxiety
A healthy rise in GABA, or gamma-aminobutyric acid, is another benefit of Yoga. GABA is a neurotransmitter that makes you feel less stressed and anxious. People who are going through drug or alcohol withdrawaloften feel both stressed and anxious.
Your heart rate and blood pressure increase when youare stressed or anxious. Stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol also rise when you feel that way.
Regular Yoga may improve and grow parts of the brain that help with stress relief, like the hippocampus.
It helps you take back control
A lot of people who have problems with addiction feel like they can’t change their lives. They might feel stuck and unable to get back up because they think they’re going downhill.
It may be hard to feel in charge of your body when youare addicted because of how it changes your brain.
Yoga helps people be more responsible. People learn to think about their actions and keep calm instead of reacting emotionally.
When people do Yoga as a form of recovery treatment, they often find it easier to own up to their choices. This helps the mind and body feel like they are under control again. It feels like a victory in the fight against substance abuse.
It brings about a spiritual awakening
Yoga is an old practice that makes you feel more spiritual. You also don’t need to be religious or know much about spirituality to do Yoga.
A lot of what you do in Yoga is mental, so it is more than just a physical workout. When people change how they think and act, they see themselves differently and think about how that changes the world around them.
When people do Yoga and meditate, they learn to be aware of their surroundings and to recognise that some things are out of their control.
One thing you can’t do is stop a dog from barking or make your boss happy. People who are dealing with addictive behaviours find that giving up control and just observing helps them feel better.
It helps with withdrawal symptoms
One of the things that Yoga does is help people trying to get off drugs. During detox, holistic treatments like Yoga and exercise therapy are used along with other types of treatment.
Aside from stress and anxiety, people may also feel angry and guilty and have low self-esteem. These symptoms are common during detox and are helped by behavioural therapy and Yoga.
Regular yoga practice helps people learn to be patient. It also helps them change their negative feelings and thoughts into positive ones. People learn not to let their guilt or shame get the best of them.
It brings peace to your heart and mind
Regular meditation and relaxation techniques can help you feel calm and at peace with yourself. As a result of doing Yoga, many people feel emotionally stronger.
Yoga helps people control their impulses, allowing them to focus on mindfulness instead of temptations. This inner strength can then help people feel more confident.
It helps keep relapses away
It’s so common for people who have recovered from addiction to slip up again before they beat it. However, people with an addiction can lower their chances of relapsing by learning the signs and doing Yoga after they get better.
People who do Yoga to deal with addiction get in touch with their bodies. They can spot the signs of a relapse before it happens.
Yoga also stops many thoughts and actions that lead to relapses, such as losing control and judgment.
Yoga and other forms of relaxation can help you fight off negative thoughts. Yoga encourages people to examine and accept their feelings instead of ignoring them.
Using Yoga to help with addiction recovery
Using Yoga to recover from addiction is a complete treatment method that helps people get over their addictive behaviours and urges. Yoga and other treatments help people get their minds and bodies in balance and control.
Recovery is a long process with many challenges along the way. Yoga is one way to keep from relapsing. Plus, people who are struggling with addiction can always use Yoga as a tool.
AddictionsUK is embarking on another Learning Journey to India, along with some of our service users, to learn about Yoga and other spiritual practices to augment their recovery.
If you or your loved one is struggling with any addiction-related issues, call Freephone at 0800 140 4044
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