Recently we discussed the benefits of enjoying
new activities for your addiction recovery process. Today, let’s turn our attention to a particular powerful activity.
The ancient practice of
yoga.
There are many different schools of yoga from the slow-paced, calming practice of
Hatha, to the more rigorous and energizing practice of
Ashtanga. Each school has its own merits and each is suited for a particular time of day and mood.
But no matter which you choose to practice today, yoga’s greatest benefit, and it’s greatest lesson in recovery, is the practice of
mindfulness.
Mindfulness is just that—the practice of being present and mindful in this very moment of your entire presence physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
Without realizing it, most of us in and out of recovery live our lives totally outside of our bodies, virtually numb to everything that is happening. Rarely do we feel, both physically and emotionally, at every moment.
We numb ourselves with the Internet, television, text messages, smart phones, over-working, and the rigours of daily life. For those of us with addictions, we sought out extreme measures to keep ourselves numb from our pain, sadness, and anxiety, or to simply quiet our overwhelming thoughts.
Mindfulness brings us back into our bodies.
Through practicing mindfulness on the mat, we become aware of our minds, and its thoughts and feelings. By requiring us to align our breath with our movement, yoga does not allow us to numbly or blindly move through our practice. Instead, we must focus and concentrate to bring thoughts, movements, and breath into alignment.
By far, the greatest lesson of yoga is learning how to take our mindfulness off the mat and learning to live our daily lives mindful of our own selves—our thoughts, bodies, and emotions—and of others.
Research has shown that
yoga,
meditation and mindfulness result in increased energy, satisfaction, and stability on the road to recovery.
Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons 
