There are many modalities that can be used to stay sober. Practicing mindfulness and yoga in our yoga 12-step recovery program in Fort Lauderdale, can be very beneficial modalities to implement when in addiction recovery. They both can help you feel connected mind, body, and spirit. In turn, treating the whole person, not just their “issue” of addiction.
Understanding What it Means to Stay Sober in Addiction Recovery
There are many definitions of the word sober, or the word recovery, but typically staying sober in addiction recovery means abstaining from drugs, and alcohol. Because addiction is a chronic disease, recovery from addiction also means doing the work to find out why you abused substances in the first place. This can be done in many different ways, but the most successful ways address the mind, body, and spiritual health of an individual.
What is the Mind-Body Connection?
The mind-body connection is a vital part of how our bodies work. Simply, it means that our feelings, beliefs, thoughts, and attitudes can either negatively or positively affect our biological functioning.
For instance, if you are stressed and have a high heart rate, you may need to focus on your breathing to bring your heart rate back to normal. But, why were you stressed in the first place? Finding that out, could help you experience more positive emotions, feel good, and pay attention to your mind-body connection more frequently.
If our minds are healthy, our bodies are healthier. This is why it can be beneficial to use a holistic approach (treating the whole person) to addiction recovery.
A Holistic Approach to Recovery
A holistic approach to addiction recovery is treating the whole person, not just the singular “problem” of addiction. There are many reasons people develop a substance use disorder or alcohol use disorder. Getting to the root of the matter by treating the entire person enhances success rates of recovery.
Holistic approaches to addiction recovery
- Nutrition therapy
- Music or art therapy
- Exercise or recreational therapy
- Yoga
- Reiki or sound bath healing
- Acupuncture and massage therapy
When used in conjunction with traditional recovery techniques such as a 12-step program, these methods have proven to be effective in overall health.
What is Mindfulness?
Mindfulness is a holistic practice that was introduced by the Buddha as a path to spiritual enlightenment. Even though this was 2,500 years ago, the practice is still widely used. It’s basically just a gentle way of opening your mind to greater awareness. It helps to better understand yourself and the world around you.
Mindfulness-based relapse prevention has been found in scientific studies to reshape the brain in positive ways. It improves overall mental and physical well-being. It can also be used to help treat stress, depression, and anxiety, and help to have a greater awareness of yourself. This means you can cope better with emotions that may not be rooted in fact.
There are several mindfulness practices that are helpful in addiction recovery. Meditation is the most popular mindfulness practice. There are hundreds of apps, websites, and classes dedicated to mastering it. Then there is yoga, another popular mindfulness practice.
Yoga has been around longer than mindfulness, even though they are often grouped together. Yoga was developed by the Indus-Sarasvati civilization in Northern India over 5,000 years ago. Its purpose was for it to be used as spiritual development practices to train the body and mind to self observe and become aware of their own nature.
How Can Yoga Be Used in Staying Sober?
Yoga can be used in staying sober, also. Because of the way it connects our spiritual selves and physical selves, we learn a lot about our mental health during practice. Movement and mental health are so closely connected. There are certain poses that help with different parts of the mind-body connection.
For example, the child’s pose releases tension in the shoulders and spine. It relieves negative emotions, and mental fatigue and encourages feelings of safety and protection. Increasing the feelings of safety and protection can be vital to exploring difficult emotions that may be part of your recovery process. Something simple like the child’s pose can be done with or without yoga teachers, and many different types of yoga include this pose.
What is the Yoga 12-Step Integration?
The yoga 12-step integration at Agape Treatment Center in Fort Lauderdale, FL is a holistic approach created to address the mental, physical, and spiritual diseases of addiction. Addictive behaviors often disconnect a person from their loved ones, community, and themselves. Getting in touch with their spiritual selves, can help bridge those gaps and improve their quality of life.
Combining the spiritual and physical parts of a yoga practice with the proven healing of a 12-step recovery program addresses the body, spirit, and mind of the person. This also helps cultivate a solid foundation for continuous sobriety success.
Stephanie Robilio is an accomplished Clinical Director at Agape Behavioral Healthcare. With a Master of Social Work degree, LCSW license, and extensive training in Rapid Resolution Therapy under her belt, she brings a wealth of expertise to her role. Her unique combination of education and experience allows her to provide exceptional care to clients and lead her team with confidence. Stephanie’s joy comes from witnessing the moments when her patients creatively connect the dots and bravely move toward reclaiming their power. Her purpose is to help individuals understand their past so they can create a future full of hope, growth, and success. Stephanie attributes a large portion of her success to the supportive culture and strong sense of community fostered by the Agape team.
