FEATURE: YOGA AND ADDICTION RECOVERY
Yoga and
Addiction Recovery
By Emma Huddleston
Yoga classes revolve around the sound
of breath and the movement of bodies in
time with those inhales and exhales. A
place where “Namaste” is more common
than “hello” seems like an unlikely spot
for addicts to hang out, but if those addicts are seeking treatment, it may help
save their lives.
Addicts are in a
constant state of
dissociation... Yoga
is all about reality.
Connecting breath
with intentional
movement re-ignites
the link between
mind and body that
addiction severs. ”
36
One in ten American teens and adults
are addicted to drugs or alcohol.
Addiction has become an epidemic, and
it isn’t going away. Most addicts don’t
recover. Even among the ones who do,
relapse is rampant. The most optimistic
estimates of success rates hover around
33 percent--the lowest are below 10 percent. Only 10 percent of addicts ever
seek treatment in the first place, so if
only 10 percent of them recover successfully, that means only 1 percent of addicts achieve long-term sobriety. Hospitals, doctors, and treatment centers are
at a loss, and some are embracing treatment supplements to the current standard of drug replacement therapy, medical and mental health interventions, and
12-step programs. These supplements
include yoga and mindfulness training.
How can yoga help with addiction? Yoga
boosts physical health, increases distress
tolerance, improves self-soothing skills,
and provides a spiritual outlet. Most
importantly, it stops the process of dissociation. Addicts are in a constant state
of dissociation. They dissociate from
reality by taking their drug of choice,
and they dissociate from themselves by
ignoring the physical and emotional
damage from substance abuse. Yoga is
all about reality. Connecting breath with
intentional movement re-ignites the link
between mind and body that addiction
severs. Yoga delves much deeper than
the physical poses, but the yoga masters
of the last century all agree that placing
the body in these poses is the gateway
to further study that brings self-knowledge, personal responsibility, non-attachment, and spiritual connection. Not
surprisingly, those three qualities are at
the core of twelve-step programs.
CITYOGA in Indianapolis is a hub for
yoga and recovery. Owner Dave Sims
has over thirty years of sobriety, and
Yoga of 12-Step Recovery founder Nikki
Myers kick-started the studio more than
15 years ago. This April, CITYOGA
hosted three workshops with leaders in
the recovery and yoga movement. Myers, Rolf Gates, and Taylor Hunt are
yoga teachers who incorporated the
practice into their recovery programs
with amazing results, and they want to
help others do the same. Indiana Yoga
Magazine had the opportunity to talk to
all three of these teachers and find out
their unique take on the connection between yoga and addiction recovery.
INDIANA & YOGA MAGAZINE ISSUE I