Meditation and Recovery
Detox, rehab, and traditional one-on-one counseling may all become pivotal pieces of the puzzle that a professional treatment facility will construct to encourage your long-term recovery journey. But there are other ways you can supplement your care, including art therapy, nutritional education, yoga therapy, and mindfulness. Another way to foster sobriety, healthy living, and a lifetime of happiness is by understanding that meditation and recovery are linked. Reach out to us online today or call 833.685.1700 to discuss how our yoga therapy can play an essential role in helping with your healing from addiction.
What is Meditation?
Meditation garners a lot of press these days, but the practice has been around for thousands of years. In fact, you have likely meditated without even realizing it because many religions use some form of meditation as a way of communicating with a higher power. Healing from meditation has been and remains a spiritual practice used by many cultures. That said, you don’t need to be religious or tie meditation to spirituality. It can be practiced for a variety of reasons, support your well-being, and there’s a link between meditation and recovery. This is because meditation can help people establish a healthy balance in their lives which may prove helpful in getting and staying clean for a lifetime.
Meditation is usually practiced by sitting still and quietly observing your thoughts and physical body. Some who meditate choose to focus on:
- Their breathing, allowing it to swell inside their chest before exhaling slowly
- Their physical experience, listening to their body, and allowing each physical sensation to be without any judgment
- Sitting still and allowing new thoughts peacefully flow into and out of their mind
Healing from meditation is experienced by grounding you in the present moment, bringing a sense of much-needed calm, and helping you shut out the noise of the world for a time. The result can be life-altering, which is why meditation and recovery can go hand in hand.
How Meditation and Recovery Are Connected
Most types of meditation have three key components:
An Attention to the Present Moment
Being disconnected from your thoughts about the future and the past can permit your mind to center on the present tense. You will be able to reconnect with the world around you and your own body and may experience healing from meditation.
Focus on Relaxation
When the body and mind are relaxed, new insights and ideas will flow more freely.
A Non-Judgmental Attitude
One of the keys to healing from meditation is developing a non-judgemental attitude towards yourself and others around you. Practicing non-judgment allows you to see yourself and the world with compassion in your heart and with clarity of thought, which is helpful to enjoy both meditation and recovery.
The Types of Meditation for Addiction Recovery
There are multiple ways to practice meditation and recovery. Here are three ways, during your lifetime of recovery, you can find essential healing from meditation:
Mindfulness Meditation
Usually practiced in a peaceful setting while seated in a comfortable position, mindfulness meditation focuses your attention on the present moment at hand. The goal of mindfulness is to simply observe your thoughts, emotions, and feelings without engagement in them or judging yourself. Mindfulness can be one of the ways you experience healing from meditation because many students receiving addiction treatment and in recovery have spent years avoiding stress and anxiety, hiding from feelings, and masking difficult emotions with substances. Being present and mindful will help you learn how to cope without the crutch of drugs and alcohol.
Breathing Meditation
Through breathing meditation and recovery, you will work to develop inner peace and calm your mind. With eyes closed, you will breathe deeply and slowly and concentrate on each breath as you inhale and exhale with purpose. You will experience your muscles relaxing and your whole sense of self centering on your breathing. Gone will be thoughts of harm, and instead, your patterns of breathing will be how you begin healing from mediation, restore calm and keep your recovery on track.
Moving Meditation
Many people might think all mediation involves sitting in silence but not moving mediation. You’ll be practicing mindfulness while engaging in focused movement in your own home or a peaceful place outside. It is here where yoga therapy can help in addiction recovery. You’ll focus on the information your senses are receiving from the environment surrounding you, including birds, leaves in the trees, and more naturally occurring sounds.
Learn More at Alina Lodge
Discovering how healing from meditation can play an essential part in your ongoing recovery from a substance use disorder. Contact us today using our secure online form or call us at 833.685.1700.
