There is no doubt about it, working to beat an addiction or mental or physical trauma is hard work.
Accepting the challenge of changing your life for the better is a brave step, but is one fraught with difficulties and conflicting advice. Although there is no magic cure for our problems, there are things that can make recovery easier, such as yoga for rehabilitation.
Yes, the same yoga of stretching, breathing, and tight pants.
But how can rehabilitation yoga benefit those in recovery from addiction or mental trauma?
1. Taking Time to Relax with Rehab Yoga
One of the many things that people say they love about yoga therapy is that it gives them time for peace and reflection.
When it comes to beating something like addictive substances, taking a step back to look at your life can make all the difference. With this new perspective, you can take a moment to reset your outlook on life and gain some deeper personal understanding that can help you to conquer your demons.
2. Rehab Yoga Releases Endorphins
Addiction is normally a quest for that missing feel-good sensation in your life. Whether you’ve been finding solace in a bottle of booze, in hard narcotics, or in prescription drugs, the common theme is often looking for an escape.
It’s been proven in many studies that practicing yoga releases endorphins and dopamine, which give you that positive high without the need for substances.
Yes, the yoga high is a real thing!
This is perhaps one of the biggest reasons why yoga for rehabilitation can be so effective.
3. Building Good Habits
We, humans, are creatures of habit, and a bad habit can be hard to break. But, the truth is you can change your habits with a little bit of willpower and consistency.
Using yoga for rehab, as part of regular therapeutic treatment, is a great way to build up a new good habit.
Many people often discover that using yoga for therapy leads to other good habits, such as eating well and taking time to meditate. Both are also great ways to beat addiction or trauma.
4. Peer Support
Yoga is often practiced in a group setting with other people having a mixture of backgrounds. And this peer network can be an invaluable source of support when it comes to any therapeutic treatment.
We humans work best when in a group, and peer support is a key factor in overcoming any problem, be it mental or physical.
By joining a therapeutic yoga group, you’ll have the encouragement of others to keep you focused on the end goal.
5. Beat Stress, Be Happy
When beating any addiction, the one thing that can make us snap back to bad old ways is stress. So it stands to reason that beating stress is going to help you overcome other challenges.
FACT: Yoga is great for beating stress.
And, another FACT: Yoga actually makes you happy….
How can stretching and breathing help you overcome stress? Well, look back on this list and there’s your answer.
Relaxing, happy hormones in the brain, and a network of supportive people all make for effective rehabilitation.
If you’re wondering how to change your ways and escape the grip of addictive substances or bad habits, yoga for therapy is a powerful solution that you should definitely consider.
The Final Word
Did you know yoga can be used for rehabilitation and treating addiction? This is how yoga therapy can help you beat bad habits and live life with less stress.
Need More Reading Material?
Read our latest article on rehabilitation yoga and meditation here.