Yoga and meditation are two powerful mind-body practices that go hand-in-hand. Practicing yoga can even improve your ability to meditate. Yoga and meditation both contain a treasure trove of benefits for those in recovery.
Benefits of Practicing Yoga
Yoga is an ancient spiritual practice rooted in Indian philosophy. According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), this practice “has become popular as a way of promoting physical and mental wellbeing” in the modern day.
The NCCIH lists many health benefits to practicing yoga. Some of these benefits include:
- Stress relief
- Promotion of healthy habits
- Improving mental and emotional health
- Management of chronic diseases
Overall, practicing yoga can greatly improve your quality of life.
Meditation
Like yoga, meditation is another ancient spiritual practice that fosters a mind-body connection. Yoga can even be considered a meditative practice.
Meditation can often seem daunting. Many people feel like they can’t “turn off” their minds and, thus, are unable to meditate. In actuality, meditation has nothing to do with turning “off” the mind. Instead, it helps you calm your mind by learning detached awareness and how to release thoughts without judgment.
Practicing Yoga and Meditation in Recovery
Both meditation and yoga together can help you practice mindfulness, a method where you train yourself to stay focused in the present moment.
According to a 2013 study in Complementary Therapies in Medicine, mindfulness-based practices can “target multiple psychological, neural, physiological, and behavioral processes implicated in addiction and relapse.” The study found yoga and mindfulness to be “promising complementary therapies for treating and preventing addictive behaviors.”
Yoga As an Aid to Meditation
If you feel like meditation is intimidating, you can instead begin with a yoga practice that will teach you the basic principles of inner self-connection. The NCCIH even says that yoga includes both meditative (mind) and physical (body) elements.
Yoga can help you stay focused as you calm your mind and body. Once you get comfortable with your practice, you can take the same concepts and apply them to meditation.
Holistic Healing at The Guest House
At The Guest House, yoga and meditation are two modalities that are central to our healing programs. Our beautiful 52-acre estate includes both indoor and outdoor spaces to enjoy yoga and meditation in a relaxed environment.
We offer a wide variety of treatment options, programs, and classes to help you find what works best for you and your personal journey. Our full range of holistic healing methods will allow you to strengthen your connection with your mind, body, and soul along your path to recovery.
Meditation and yoga are two ancient practices that teach you to be mindful in the present moment. Many studies have found both practices to be highly beneficial to those in recovery. At The Guest House, meditation and yoga are central to our holistic healing programs. We also offer a wide variety of other modalities that can help you strengthen your mind-body connection as you find peace along your personal recovery journey. For more information, call us today at (855) 483-7800.