05 Dec How To Heal From Addiction: Real Men Do Yoga
Yoga is often seen as something that women do or perhaps an activity that men do to meet women. In recovery, yoga is a powerful tool for healing that can reconnect the mind, body, and spirit and help to prevent relapse in recovery. Yoga, along with many other forms of grounding and mindfulness techniques such as meditation, massage, and Reiki are just a few of the tools that you can add to your toolkit to maintain your recovery success.
Do not let the toxic masculinity stereotypes of these practices deter you, as these are all techniques that can help you stay sober and keep the life you have worked so hard in treatment to achieve. When it comes to healing from addiction and preventing relapse, real men utilize the benefits of yoga.
The Importance of an Open Mind
Recovery is about changing your life. Throughout these changes, there may also be many opportunities to change your mind about the progress you have made. You may develop a negative stigma surrounding many skills and ideas that could be life-changing or simply be skeptical of their efficacy. Being willing to be open-minded about different forms of treatment, healing, and coping mechanisms can increase your chances of success and improve your versatility in recovery.
Using Yoga to Heal and Reconnect
During active addiction, your mind and body can become disconnected. The mind can begin to focus on the acquisition and use of substances to the point that you no longer notice normal bodily sensations or sensory reactions to the world around you. As you begin to heal, you can find ways to bring your mind, body, and spirit back together. This allows you to properly feel your body’s sensations and perceive them appropriately by giving yourself what you need.
One such method, which has been used for thousands of years, is yoga. While yoga began as a spiritual practice and is often now used for fitness, it can be used as a meditative tool. Yoga provides the ability to reconnect the mind, body, and spirit in the healing process of addiction which allows the practices to stand out from other methods. Because yoga addresses all three areas simultaneously, it can be used for physical exercise, spiritual practice, mental purposes in recovery, or all three. It is like the Swiss Army knife of healing in your toolkit.
Mindfulness Techniques
Mindfulness techniques are important not only to help strengthen and train your mind but to help you handle moments of crisis. Practicing yoga and mindfulness meditation are like workouts for your mind. They help train your mind to be present and increase your resilience. These practices can be used every day to make your mind stronger and help lower your stress levels while realigning your focus on your recovery.
Yoga and meditation are also coping skills that you can implement when triggers or cravings present themselves. These practices can help you focus on your breathing and mindfully manage a moment of crisis. These tools become more powerful with use, as your mind will be able to access the results easier. As a bonus, yoga and meditation may decrease the number of cravings you have as your stress levels are decreased.
Using Yoga as a Tool
Sometimes, you are at risk of relapse due to being emotionally overwhelmed. Other times, a craving may suddenly hit, making it so that is all your mind can focus on. In these situations, it is important to stay grounded, or “in your body.” Distracting your mind from physical sensations can help you work through these moments.
There are many tools you can use to help stay grounded, including yoga, Reiki, and massage. When it comes to finding effective tools to help you stay sober, stigma goes out the window. Being sober is far more important than old stereotypes and belief systems. Yoga is a great resource to find your inner peace and balance.
Sobriety Is Tough
When it comes to being tough, staying sober demands it. Real men know that to be tougher than sobriety, you have to put recovery as a priority over stereotypes. This means having the best support and self-care. Tools like yoga, mindfulness meditation, Reiki, and massage are all peaceful, calming tools that do not evoke typical male “tough guy” images but can be used to help keep you grounded and lead you to success.
When it comes to standing up to addiction, having those tools to ground yourself can help you feel stronger. When you have an open mind and are willing to learn what works to heal from addiction, you will realize that real men do yoga. Encourage your friends to participate in this exercise with you and enjoy the benefits together.