For thousands of years, humans have benefited from consciously calming and directing their thoughts and emotions. Often centering on the breath, meditation offers practitioners a host of benefits. One of the most powerful applications of this form of self-work is support during addiction recovery. If you’re striving to get free from substance abuse, consider a meditative therapy program as part of your treatment approach. The benefits of meditation for addiction recovery abound. Call Northpoint Seattle at 888.483.6031 to learn more. Our Washington State facility offers a wide range of recovery programming, including meditation therapy.
What Can I Expect From Meditation for Recovery?
The ancient practice of mindfulness, the heart of most meditative forms, involves repeatedly returning attention to the here and now. Many forms of mindfulness can work with addiction treatment. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), in which patients focus primarily on cognitive reframing, is one major jumping-off point. Since the major thrust of CBT is mastery over mental content, it’s intuitive that mindfulness is incorporated. The result is present-moment focus that increases resilience to cravings and triggers to resume using.
Guided meditation is another effective mindfulness application for recovery. This format is especially accessible to people of all incomes and in all circumstances. This is so because of its approachable and affordable nature. In guided meditation, participants listen and follow along as they receive instructions related to mental imagery, breathing, and the like. This tool can be especially helpful for new meditators learning to harness present moment-focus to cope with stress, cravings, etc.
Finally, somatic therapy is a potent form of meditative practice. Disciplines like dance, yoga, and tai chi can all work as forms of somatic therapy. The body inherently exists in the present moment. Bringing one’s awareness to it can be a great way to connect with one’s resilient and abiding humanity through adversity.
What Are the Five Key Benefits of Meditation in Recovery?
Among the many benefits of meditating as part of an addiction recovery process are the following:
- Participants have an increased ability to get a good night’s sleep. Meditating daily generates calm and helps quell the racing thoughts that often contribute to insomnia. Sleep, in turn, supports recovery by ensuring time for physical healing from the negative effects of drug or alcohol abuse.
- Meditators can better cope with trauma processing, which is often part of addiction recovery. Although it may take practice to find comfort in meditation, over time, those who meditate can gain strength that supports trauma recovery. Tolerating and moving through flashbacks and other difficult inner contents thus becomes more manageable.
- Mental capacity increases through engagement with meditation. Although meditation arguably entails “emptying the mind,” this ultimately increases the brain’s processing power for cognitive tasks. Copious evidence shows that mindfulness stimulates the frontal cortex, thus increasing meditators’ ability to concentrate and form new memories. Given that recovery is a learning process as much as anything else, this power of meditation is similarly supportive.
- Somatic meditation forms boost bodily health and thus support the physical side of addiction recovery. Many forms of drug and alcohol abuse damage systems like the organs over time. Engaging in healthful practices like tai chi or yoga not only balances the mind but aids the body. These practices build flexibility and strength, lower blood pressure, and increase oxygen in the brain.
- Many people working through addiction have comorbid mental illness and meditation can help here too. With practice, meditators get a needed serotonin and dopamine boost from mindfulness, and their cortisol levels decrease. Many mental illnesses include features of chemical dysregulation in the brain, and the balancing powers of meditation go far to support a full treatment program.
Join us to learn more about how meditation for recovery can help support you or your loved one in the recovery journey.
Get More Information About Meditation Benefits and Other Rehab Approaches at Northpoint Seattle Today
Learn more about meditation and how it can support your recovery by contacting Northpoint Seattle today. You can reach our caring, knowledgeable staff at 888.483.6031 or by using our online contact form. Why wait to begin your journey toward greater freedom, comfort, and mental clarity?