Yoga: A Powerful Tool for Mental Health and Addiction Recovery

Yoga is a great example of a mindfulness-based physical activity. Not only is it an opportunity to move and stretch our bodies, it also focuses on the balance of the mind and spirit. Throughout yoga practice, clients will learn how to concentrate on their bodies while developing the mental strength to pursue their recovery goals at the same time. It is a physically accessible practice with opportunities for increasing difficulty, so clients can start where they feel comfortable and watch how they progress.

Practising yoga at Simcoe Rehab allows clients to find a calm, quiet environment that promotes self-awareness and well-being, and can quickly become a regular practice. For these reasons, yoga can be used as a direct coping mechanism or as a preventative factor for anxiety, stress, and addiction-related cravings.

Benefits of yoga in recovery:

• Yoga is accessible at any given point and can be practised for as long as one desires. 
• Opportunities to test one’s concentration. Yoga allows us to build mental resilience, which can be extremely helpful for recovering addicts with cravings. 
• Relaxation. It promotes a peaceful state and outlook on our lives, no matter what is going on at that moment. This goes a long way when it comes to cravings and setting goals during recovery.
• Better sleep: yoga allows our nervous system to relax.
• Emotional regulation by stimulating the brain, specifically the prefrontal cortex. This part of the brain is responsible for self-control, often compromised by addictions.
• Strength training and flexibility. 

Clients can try out yoga as a simple, low-impact activity throughout the day, and will likely find that this small practice of mindfulness leaves them feeling balanced and relaxed. These feelings, alongside the mental resilience that one can learn in yoga, are beneficial in restoring one’s confidence and sense of self. Not to mention, it’s a great way to get our hearts pumping and strengthening muscles. When yoga is used as a means of physical, mental, and spiritual exercise, it can be transformational for our health and well-being.