Yoga as Addiction Treatment During the Covid-19 Pandemic

Yoga is an effective treatment option for people undergoing addiction treatments in Ontario. One of the key advantages is that it is possible anytime, even during self-isolation. With the uniqueness of the COVID-19, yoga as a way to cope with cravings and stress fits nicely into the picture.

Thanks to the Coronavirus, we all have to reimagine situations that used to be the norm. In Canada, the government has had to take steps to curb the spread of the novel virus. For instance, all non-essential businesses have had to be closed down for the foreseeable future.

As a result, it can be a tough ask to continue with the normal addiction treatment steps that you are familiar with. Right now, group therapies and physical meetings with addiction treatment experts are impossible. Therefore, it is important to find positive treatments that can take the place of group therapy and support group meetings. Yoga is one such effective addiction treatment method.

yoga as addiction treatment
An alternative addiction treatment, Yoga can be classified as an ascetic discipline. It uses measures such as breath control, meditation and body postures for stress relief and relaxation. With the COVID-19 pandemic in full swing, it is important to note that yoga can be performed anywhere and at any time.

Long term substance abuse has far-reaching implications on the body and mental health. As an alternative treatment that places emphasis on mental health, yoga can help you find the balance to put your life back on track again. Addiction treatment in Canada or anywhere else requires great strength, determination and will. Essentially, you are trying to get rid of the old in your life and start a new positive lifestyle. One of the many benefits of yoga is that it offers great results for recovering addicts.

Are you struggling to cope with the demands of addiction therapy and recovery during the COVID-19 lockdown? In this blog post, we will explore the benefits of yoga for addiction treatment. More to the point, we will discuss the yoga poses that should become a part of your therapeutic process. Keep reading to find out more!

The Benefits of Yoga for Addiction Treatment

To the beginner, yoga may seem like a funny discipline with a lot of uncomfortable poses. However, the truth is these poses when combined with breathing and meditation techniques can be great for your addiction recovery process. Below are a few of the many benefits of yoga as an addiction treatment technique:

Helps maintain focus

Most of the time, issues with drug addiction is the result of an unhealthy coping mechanism. In a bid to escape certain shortcomings, many people choose to plug the gap with controlled substances, alcohol and pills. However, yoga as an addiction treatment technique will keep you focused on recovery.

Most yogis will tell you that yoga is all about the present. In fact, it is a discipline that focuses on channelling your emotions and thoughts properly. Doing this allows you to focus on what really matters.

With the COVID-19 pandemic in full swing, it is normal to feel anxious and uncertain. Furthermore, these feelings can cause confusion and possible relapse. However, with yoga, you can declutter your mind of these feelings and fully focus on your addiction treatment.

Helps you cope with emotions

The period of drug addiction recovery can be an extremely tumultuous one. Most of the time, it is full of emotional turmoil. Common feelings that recovering addicts have to get to grips with include stress, loneliness, unimportance and more.

For the best results, it is important that you confront these feelings head-on. As a recovering addict, you have to be able to separate these feelings from actual reality. One of the benefits of yoga is its unique ability to help you control your thoughts and emotions.

With yoga, you can self-reflect and meditate in a bit to truly understand your emotions. With understanding comes control, a necessity for successful addiction treatment.

Increased self-control

dependence on particular substance
Dependence on a particular substance is a habit that is incredibly difficult to break. However, this is nothing compared to the process of maintaining control during addiction recovery.

Without healthy ways to help you stay in control, you may feel like your independence is being taken away from you. In fact, many people lose sight of their addiction treatment goals in a bid to fight for their independence. Not to mention that addiction treatment comes with intense cravings that may be difficult to manage.

However, one of the many benefits you can enjoy from practicing yoga during addiction treatment is increased self-control. This discipline promotes increased control of the mind and its cravings. Additionally, it promotes a healthier standard of living that may be key to helping you fight addiction.

Helps deal with withdrawal symptoms

Withdrawal symptoms come with a lot of pain and discomfort. During addiction treatment, you may find that your body will attack itself again and again in a bid to find “refuge” in substance or alcohol abuse.

As a part of addiction therapy, yoga can help you ease the discomfort and pain associated with withdrawal symptoms. You don’t have to succumb to your body’s persistence for a particular substance. In fact, there are different poses in yoga specially designed to help you manage pain and discomfort.

Other benefits of incorporating yoga into your addiction treatment process include:

Reduced stress levels
Energy boosters
Promotes healthy sleep routine
Emotional healing
Improved overall health

Yoga Poses for Addiction Treatment

The many advantages that yoga holds for addiction treatment can be enjoyed by beginners and experts alike. Below are a few yoga poses that will be a huge boost to your addiction recovery process in Canada.

Spinal Breathing

spinal breathing This a breathing exercise aimed at helping you boost the natural connection that exists between your mind and body. In doing so, this yoga position for addiction recovery will keep your mind in the now. This presence of mind can help you cope with addiction cravings.

Here’s how it goes:

Start out while seating down comfortably.
With your palms facing downward, support your hands with your knees.
Close your eyes
Inhale deeply, while visualizing a light from your spine.
While exhaling, visualize the light melting away in the direction of the tailbone.
Do 10 repetitions of this breathing cycle.

Fish Pose

Fish pose helps relieve anxiety and stress associated with addiction treatment. It is a pose that stretches the thoracic spine, shoulders and chest.

Lie back with both feet together and your legs fully extended.
Lift your shoulders and chest, putting all the weight on the forearms.
Try to move your hips towards the elbows.
Put the corresponding hand under the right hip. Do the same for the left limb too.
Bring your fingers as close as possible to touching your glutes
Stay in this position for up to 10 full breathing cycles.

Other useful yoga positions include the downward-facing dog, tabletop pose and yoga bicycles.

Summary

In conclusion, yoga is an alternative treatment that should be a part of your addiction treatment process. Additionally, it is a discipline that is best practiced in solitude. Therefore, you don’t have to worry about the fact that you are at risk of contracting the coronavirus.

In the same vein, addiction treatment goes better with expert help. Here at Addiction Rehab, our experts can customize your addiction recovery process to get the best results. Speak to any of our experts for professional help with addiction treatment. Contact Addiction Rehab today!