The 21st of June marks International Day of Yoga. A day to recognize and reflect on the ancient practice that has universally benefitted so many both physically and mentally. Whether you've tried yoga, practice it currently, or are thinking about starting, this may just be the thing to assist you in your journey.

History of Yoga

 You may have heard the buzz words: ‘Yoga’ ‘Mindfulness’ ‘Meditation’, and maybe it is something that you have considered, but been too nervous to try, or you simply tell yourself ‘I can’t meditate', 'I'm not flexible enough to do yoga’, or ‘I don't have time’ - but throughout history Yoga has been an effective tool for healing.

The practice of Yoga has its roots in an ancient philosophical system to help people analyze their own perceptions and consciousness. Now a days, it’s often used as an approach to teaching mind-body awareness and growth – and as such has made its way into therapeutic, clinical, and healthcare contexts as a method of reducing stress and practicing mindfulness.

Benefits of Yoga for Substance Use Management

Below are just some of the benefits that may encourage you to start out.

Helps Reduce Cravings and Urges

As many of you may know, cravings can be extremely difficult to manage without the right tools to help us.  You may be familiar with the concept of ‘urge surfing’ where we visualize ourselves surfing the crest of a crashing wave. You’ll feel the urge build, peak, subside and finally break, all whilst we are breathing through the urge.

Yoga consists of a wide range of breathing exercises that can aid you in surfing the urge. One deep slow and controlled breathing exercise called box breathing has been known to assist those trying to ‘surf the urge’. Below is a short example of how it goes:

How to Surf the Urge (also known as Box Breathing)

• Inhale through the nose for a count of 4
• Hold the breath in for a count of 4
• Exhale out through the mouth for 4
• Hold the breath out for a count of 4

You can read more about box-breathing and how to best understanding and managing cravings.

Reduces Stress and Anxiety

Certain yoga postures help activate our parasympathetic nervous system (the body’s rest & digest function). When activated, this can help regulate the body’s stress response (such as increased heart rate) and aid in relaxation. Even a short yoga sequence is an effective way to help reduce stress and anxiety in the body, a common cooccurring factor with substance use disorders.

The practice of yoga also encourages us to be in the present moment; by focusing our attention on our breath and moving our body we can start to reduce the feelings of anxiousness about what is to come.   

Moving mindfully helps us shift emotions and feelings through our body, cultivating peace and serenity.

Improves Overall Mental Health

Like many forms of physical movement, yoga can increase the release of endorphins (our feel-good hormone). With increased endorphins, we naturally enhance our mood. Yoga also has a positive influence on other neurotransmitters in the brain such as serotonin and dopamine.

Increases the Mind-Body Connection

When we analyze substance dependance, we often talk about mental elements such as the feeling a substance will give us. When we talk about withdrawal, we often discuss the physical elements. Yoga aims to increase the link between your physical state and your mental state.

This mindfulness practice helps us to become more aware of our feelings, thoughts and emotions, and accept them without judgement.  When we become more in tune with our bodies, we begin to strengthen the link between the physical and mental. In turn, this can assist us in understanding cravings and managing them better.

Fosters a Sense of Community

A common saying in recovery rhetoric is that the opposite of dependance is connection. The term yoga literally means to ‘join’ or to ‘unite’.  In this way, joining a yoga or meditation class can help create a sense of community. If joining an in-person class isn't accessible to you, there are plenty of online classes for you to join on demand or meditation apps you can make use of.

Practicing yoga will help connect you to yourself and then can be used as a tool to help connect with others.

Conclusion

 Above are just a few of the benefits of practicing yoga, mindfulness and meditation. This holistic practice is just one of the tools that can assist in your recovery journey, but please note that it does not replace any medical advice or professional counselling. Instead, yoga should act as a complementary therapy. You can also share any of your self-care strategies in our community space here.