How Yoga Breathes Life to Alcohol Recovery

by | Oct 22, 2021 | 0 comments

Cheers! yells the party-goer. Namaste breathes the yogi. They may be as compatible as oil and water, but both alcohol and yoga can be equally addictive. They claim to have calming effects on the mind and body, albeit their method of achieving relaxation is vastly different.  Yoga is a proponent of long-term health and well-being, alcohol can cause long-term and serious damage to the human body. Surprisingly though, alcohol and yoga can actually co-exist.

The Catch

Alcoholism is a serious condition with often debilitating repercussions. It affects not just the physical body but also the brain’s mental state. On the darker side, alcohol can cause anxiety, depression, and various psychological and physiological trauma that can take years to heal. 

Because of its gravity, several alcohol management and treatment programs have been introduced to curb alcohol addiction. And one holistic approach that has shown great promise when it comes to alcohol recovery is yoga. 

The Fix

Yoga has its early roots in Indian philosophy some 5000 years ago. Medical News Today defines it as a mind and body practice that incorporates various styles of physical postures. It includes breathing techniques, meditation, and relaxation, and focuses attention inward to gain self-awareness. 

Here’s a revelation. When the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine published its study on the efficacy of yoga in increasing gamma-aminobutyric acid levels in the brain, the results look encouraging: GABA levels increased by 27% which proves that yoga exercise can increase the chances of sobriety while also reducing cravings for drugs and alcohol.

Read on for more reasons why yoga can be pivotal to alcohol treatment and recovery:

  • Yoga is a gentle exercise that unifies the body, mind, and soul. It rejuvenates the body and has been shown to regenerate the nerves and glandular tissues. The difficult poses can also increase mental strength and physical endurance. 
  • Yoga has the ability to effectively regulate the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline. It is widely known that extremely high levels of these hormones can be very toxic to the body and may lead to anxiety, depression, and other stress disorders but yoga boosts the production of positive chemicals like norepinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine.
  • Yoga’s breathing technique quiets the mind and significantly brings down stress levels, thus lowering the chance of substance dependency. It has also been known to mitigate the physical symptoms of withdrawal syndrome.
  • Yoga brings harmony. It uses meditation and body posture to strengthen the mind to ward off outside negative energies and emotions. This mindfulness meditation creates a great opportunity for introspection and a deeper connection with the inner self. It brings focus and self-awareness to the core which is a very important component in maintaining sobriety.

The Support System

Yoga is not a cure-all for alcohol addiction but it has proven to work wonders in healing and recovery. Traditional, non-traditional and complementary treatment methods are best combined together to achieve sustainable recovery. 

A unique online program that you can also incorporate into your treatment and recovery plan is Heal@Home. They have an exclusive app that you can access anytime, anywhere so you can continue to heal in the privacy and comfort of your home. 

Heal@Home understands alcohol management and treatment better than anyone else. Counseling and therapy programs are offered according to each person’s individual needs and certified counselors provide professional help every step of the way. Revolutionary, easy, and convenient– Heal@Home is the answer to an effective continuous recovery.

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