How Can Yoga Heal Trauma in Recovery?

Many treatment facilities are implementing more holistic practices into their treatment programs and curriculums. This is because of the benefits that they can offer to clients' lives and recovery journeys. Most of these practices benefit anyone hoping to improve their mental and physical well-being, especially when trying to work through trauma. So, how can these holistic practices help people in recovery? How can they help people heal from trauma? More specifically, how can yoga heal trauma in recovery? 

Many holistic practices can aid your recovery journey, but yoga will be our focus for today. Continue reading to learn more about yoga, its physical benefits, and how it can aid in your trauma work today. Furthermore, if you or someone you love is struggling with trauma and substance use disorder (SUD), consider treatment with us at West Coast Recovery Centers today. 

How Could Untreated Trauma Impact Your Addiction Recovery?

While our focus is to express the benefits of yoga, we're also focusing on its influence in treating trauma. Trauma is when people experience distressing situations that are difficult to cope with. It's an emotional response to these distressing events, and while these emotional responses are sometimes natural, they can become debilitating. 

In the most severe circumstances, untreated trauma can develop into post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Anyone can develop PTSD at any age and for almost any reason. However, in combination with SUD, symptoms can become exacerbated. Individuals may increase their substance use to cope with symptoms. Ultimately, this puts them at a greater risk of developing other mental health disorders, physical conditions, or overdose. 

Treatment is critical, but so is trauma work. By doing this work, you'll get to the core of your addiction struggles. You'll become better prepared to manage complex emotions surrounding that trauma, especially during recovery. Holistic practices can help with that, specifically, yoga. 

What Is Yoga?

The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) describes yoga as an “ancient and complete practice rooted in Indian philosophy.” It originated as a spiritual practice, but in the United States, it's become a popular way of "promoting physical and mental well-being.” Like any spiritual or physical practice, various yoga styles range from gentle to more physically intense practices. 

Studies indicate that yoga can provide a number of benefits for individuals. These range from stress management to mental and emotional health and even pain management in some cases. So, let's dive deeper into these health benefits of yoga. 

Physical Benefits of Yoga

The NCCIH highlights several health benefits that people can experience by practicing yoga. Yoga can:

• Relieve neck pain, tension headaches and migraines, knee pain due to osteoarthritis, and potentially low-back pain 
• Promote healthy weight management or weight loss
• Help people quit smoking or stop other harmful habits
• Improve or relieve menopause symptoms
• Help people manage chronic disease, chronic pain, or symptoms of other physical health conditions, improving overall quality of life

How Might Yoga Benefit Your Mental Health?

Along with many of these physical benefits of yoga also come mental and emotional benefits. Some ways that yoga can benefit mental health are by:

• Increasing overall wellness through stress relief, creating healthy habits, enhancing mental and emotional health, and improving sleep and balance
• Helping people manage symptoms of anxiety, depression, or other mental health conditions
• Enhancing mental clarity to help improve focus and think clearer
• Boosting self-awareness by teaching yourself to listen to your mind and body, ultimately improving your overall understanding of thoughts and emotions
• Helping individuals in treatment programs for SUD by improving mood, building confidence, and detoxifying the body 

All these benefits may make practicing yoga worth it, but how can yoga heal trauma? 

Can Yoga Heal Trauma?

Yoga alone may not completely heal one's trauma, but it can help. Trauma-informed yoga should help you become more aware of what's happening within your mind and body. Self-awareness is critical to healing from trauma and addiction. Practicing yoga can help open you up to yourself and can help you process the complex emotions behind your trauma safely and healthily. 

Yoga will be most effective with other holistic practices and evidence-based modalities through treatment. There's no better time than treatment to experiment with a new practice such as this and test its effectiveness with the support of your treatment facility. You'll also receive support to help you continue this practice throughout your recovery. 

How Will Yoga Heal Trauma Through Your Recovery?

Upkeeping healthy habits and holistic practices post-treatment is critical, especially when managing different challenges. Yoga can help you manage these challenges and continue the healing journey. Some of the continuous benefits you'll experience by practicing yoga throughout your recovery include: 

• Enhanced mental and physical health 
• Alleviated trauma symptoms or responses 
• Increased spiritual awareness and growth 
• Greater sense of peace and calmness 
• Better understanding of yourself, your struggles, and ways to stay sober 

The best treatment methods or holistic practices are the ones that work best for you. Can yoga heal trauma, specifically your trauma? Only you can know, but the only way to find out is by trying it. Consider yoga if it sounds like something that can help your mental and physical well-being and aid in your sobriety journey. For additional information or help finding treatment, contact West Coast Recovery Centers today. 

Many people who struggle with substance use disorder (SUD) also struggle with other mental health conditions. Getting to the root cause of these struggles requires a lot of work, but in many cases, trauma is at the core. Healing from trauma can be scary, but it can also be liberating. What's the best way to heal, though? Evidence-based modalities can be effective in the journey. However, holistic practices, like yoga, can also help. Yoga has many benefits. Specifically, yoga can increase your self-awareness in the present moment, thus helping you recover from the pain of past trauma. For more information or to seek treatment, call West Coast Recovery Centers at (760) 492-6509 today.