Exercise is an essential aspect of recovery from substance use. You might scrunch your nose up at the thought of going for a run or playing a sport. That type of exercise might not be for you, and that’s okay! Yoga is an excellent alternative that might interest you more. Yoga also promotes meditation and mindfulness, which are two essential components of mental health recovery. “Our yoga practice is a reminder that we deserve to be happy, in this exact moment, because we are already absolutely perfect,” says Jessamyn Stanley for In The Moment magazine. Continue reading to learn more about how you can implement yoga in your recovery.
“Yoga is for every body”
Regardless of your body shape or size, yoga is for you. You don’t have to be in tip-top form to benefit from yoga. Stanley explains that she was a large girl at a young age, and she became obsessed with losing weight. She says that she even hated her body for a long time. “I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that my childhood self-hatred created some very nasty, adult-sized emotional wounds,” Stanley explains. “In retrospect, all of these experiences directly point to a need for some kind of yoga. And not as an exercise routine, but as a way to stop acting like my own worst enemy.” It took her way too long to figure that out, she says. Although exercise is essential, yoga is so much more than just exercise. “Yoga is for every body.”
Healing through yoga
Yoga can help you learn to love yourself and practice meditation and mindfulness. You don’t have to be “in shape” for yoga. It’s not as demanding as running a marathon or participating in a game of basketball. Yoga doesn’t judge or leave you out if you’re unsure of how to do a pose. It meets you where you are. As for meditation and mindfulness, you can focus on the moment you’re in while practicing yoga. You can focus on yourself and the healing you are doing. It serves as a healthy distraction if you are struggling. There are so many benefits to yoga, you just have to seek them out!
Arbor Behavioral Healthcare is here to help you throughout your recovery journey. We can help you implement yoga in your daily routine. Call us today at 844-413-2690 for more information about the programs we offer. We can’t wait to speak with you!