Yoga For Addiction Recovery

Untangling yourself from the grip of addiction can seem impossible, but yoga can lift you to higher ground.

The Practice of Yoga for Addiction Treatment

Nowadays, yoga is one of the most practiced holistic therapies offered at comprehensive addiction treatment facilities. With yoga being used for addiction treatment, it fits as a natural companion to the 12-Step based recovery program, sharing many of the same goals such as self-acceptance and the importance of ‘staying in the moment.’ Incorporated into addiction treatment, yoga supports the efforts of recovering individuals by:

• providing a way to cope with potential triggers and stressors
• teaching the use of controlled breathing as a means of gaining control of thoughts and emotions
• promoting overall well-being

Individuals who have adopted the practice of yoga for addiction recovery report being focused on their recovery and feeling connected with their inner-self.

Clients attending inpatient addiction treatment at Long Island Center for Recovery (LICR) are encouraged to participate in yoga therapy for their addiction treatment, as it supports the recovery philosophy of treating the physical, emotional and spiritual aspects of the disease of addiction. For those who adopt yoga for addiction, the benefits of its practice will follow long after treatment has ended.

We at LICR invite our clients to embrace yoga for addiction recovery and explore other holistic therapies that have been proven beneficial in aiding the recovery process, such as acupuncture and massage therapy.

Laura Didyk, the writer of Off the Mat and a former Kripalu Online column, says: “A person in recovery, or anyone hungry for spiritual connection, is wise to take what Rolf Gates says to heart: ‘It is my understanding that the Buddha told his students that there is only one mistake you can make on the path to awakening, and that is to stop.’”