When it comes to mental or physical recovery, there are many things that we’re told can help us or speed up the process.
Often these things are not as effective as we might hope or as we have been promised. However, for therapeutic purposes, more and more healthcare experts are waking up to the benefits of yoga for rehabilitation.
Rehab yoga has been recognized as an effective way to beat addiction and mental or physical problems.
But is it really as good as they say?
Yoga vs. Drugs
One of the great things about using yoga for rehabilitation, especially recovery from addiction, is avoiding or minimizing the use of drugs for treatment.
Drugs work on the pleasure-reward system in our brains, giving us a hit of dopamine, the body’s own happy chemical. Our bodies then crave this sensation, making drug relapse a very real possibility.
A study in 2012 found that yoga boosts the production of endorphins, which are chemicals similar to dopamine.
With this natural surge in endorphins, our body gets its ‘happy hit’ and those cravings subside. This is a great reason to use therapeutic yoga for addiction and trauma recovery treatment.
Rewiring the Brain
With stress and addiction, our brain can become accustomed to this state as normal and rewire itself to expect more of the same. But, in fact, our brain’s wiring can be changed with regular good habits and training.
What better than yoga?
Using yoga for rehabilitation creates a new good habit that feels good and actually becomes addictive in itself. And, with a focus on physical wellbeing, relaxation, and channeling positive energies, yoga can yield positive results surprisingly quickly.
The Many Health Benefits of Yoga
For physical and mental rehabilitation, yoga has so many health benefits that it’s hard to ignore as a useful tool. Yoga has been shown to reduce blood pressure and stress, improving balance and flexibility, and reducing pain such as back pain or joint pain.
Yoga for rehab is an excellent way to reduce stress, which is a key factor in regressions with addiction recovery.
Improving Self-Confidence and Self-Control
A key factor for any therapeutic treatment for addiction is improving self-control and, by extension, confidence.
Controlling our breathing and our bodies while doing yoga builds an inner strength that has been shown to be very effective in rehab treatments. As an example, by practicing yoga for rehab, a former addict can find the inner strength to say no to temptation and to focus on positive aspects of their life.
And, as their strength and confidence grow, people are less likely to go back to their old ways.
Surrounded by Positivity
Another key feature of yoga for rehab is the sense of community that is created. With many people practicing yoga together, there is a strong sense of “we are in this together,” which builds common positive bonds.
It’s been proven that support is a key factor in recovery, including peer support or professional support services.
A yoga therapy group is a fantastic way to create a support network and encourage positive behavior to help addicts or trauma survivors get through to the other side.
The Final Word
Yoga is an excellent practice for anyone seeking a healthy lifestyle, for any reason.
For lowering stress, overcoming physical pain or discomfort, or just as a way to relax, more and more people are discovering the benefits of yoga therapy.
Can you really use yoga for rehab therapy? Yes! Discover the health benefits of yoga therapy and how it can be used to treat addiction, stress, and trauma.