Tag: Mindfulness Therapy

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Mindfulness and Addiction Recovery: Shakira Releford

From Behavior Therapist to Recovery Advocate: My Journey

As a former registered behavior technician and behavior analyst, I’ve spent years working with individuals navigating challenging circumstances. My professional focus was initially with those on the autism spectrum, but over time, I became deeply invested in broader mental health concerns. My current roles as an educator, researcher, and writer allow me to explore recovery-oriented approaches that empower individuals to lead fulfilling lives.

My interest in mindfulness as a recovery tool stemmed from seeing its profound effects on people dealing with addiction and co-occurring mental health challenges. Mindfulness bridges the gap between therapy and daily life, offering a practical, accessible, and transformative approach to healing. I’ve seen mindfulness shift clients’ perspectives, teaching them to respond to life’s challenges with intention rather than reaction—a skill that is invaluable in addiction recovery.

Discovering The Power of Mindfulness

Addiction is not merely about substances; it is a complex interaction of biological, psychological, and social factors. One of the greatest challenges in addiction recovery is managing cravings, stress, and negative thought patterns. These factors often create a vicious cycle, pulling individuals back into the grasp of substance use.

In a study published in Frontiers in Psychiatry by Li et al. (2018), the research suggests that stress is one of the most significant triggers for relapse1. In a fast-paced, distraction-filled world, many individuals in recovery struggle to develop healthy coping mechanisms for managing stress and emotional dysregulation. Additionally, addiction frequently coexists with mental health disorders (Li et al. 2018), creating a compounded challenge.

Without effective tools to address the mind-body connection, many in recovery face difficulties sustaining long-term sobriety. For this reason, the addiction treatment field has increasingly turned to holistic approaches, such as mindfulness. Mindfulness not only targets stress and emotional regulation but also cultivates self-awareness and resilience—key components for enduring recovery.

Understanding Addiction’s Complex Challenges

During my work as a behavior technician, I often incorporated mindfulness practices into behavior therapy sessions. The impact was immediate and measurable: individuals learned to pause and observe their thoughts rather than acting impulsively. Similarly, in behavioral therapy, by focusing on the present moment and accepting discomfort without judgment, clients can learn to dismantle the automatic reactions that fuel addiction. This same principle is pivotal in addiction recovery.

I’ve collaborated with clinicians who integrate mindfulness into addiction treatment programs. For example, Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention (MBRP2) is a therapeutic approach designed to help individuals navigate cravings and high-risk situations without resorting to substance use. Furthermore, my academic research and teaching have centered on how mindfulness enhances neuroplasticity (Li et al. 2018), which is the brain’s ability to rewire itself. Addiction disrupts normal brain function (Li et al. 2018), particularly in areas related to decision-making and impulse control. Mindfulness can counteract these effects, fostering healthier thought patterns and behaviors.

Applying Mindfulness in Practice

Mindfulness offers a sustainable solution to the challenges of addiction recovery. As a practice that encourages nonjudgmental awareness of the present moment, mindfulness helps individuals break free from the grip of cravings and triggers. Li et al.’s research supports this efficacy. Their research found that mindfulness-based interventions significantly reduced substance use and increased psychological well-being among participants (Li et al., 2018).

Mindfulness strengthens self-regulation, enabling individuals to tolerate discomfort without resorting to substances. This is beneficial during the early stages of recovery when cravings and emotional turmoil are most intense. Mindfulness fosters self-compassion, reducing the shame and guilt often associated with addiction.

The benefits of mindfulness extend beyond individual well-being. When incorporated into group therapy sessions, mindfulness fosters a sense of community and shared experience. Clients report feeling more connected to others, a critical factor in sustaining recovery. Programs such as MBRP and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) integrate mindfulness to great effect, providing clients with structured, evidence-based approaches to healing.

In my experience, even brief mindfulness exercises—such as focused breathing or body scans—can have a profound impact. These practices ground individuals in the present moment, offering a sense of calm and clarity. Over time, mindfulness becomes a way of life, equipping individuals with the resilience to face challenges without turning to substances.

Looking Ahead: Advocating For Mindfulness in Recovery

Mindfulness is not a panacea but a powerful tool in the recovery toolkit. Its ability to address the psychological and physiological aspects of addiction makes it a valuable complement to traditional treatment modalities. As mindfulness gains traction in addiction treatment, I envision a future where it is a standard component of recovery programs.

My goal is to continue advocating for mindfulness-based approaches through writing, research, and education. I aim to collaborate with recovery centers to develop accessible mindfulness resources, ensuring that individuals from all backgrounds can benefit. Additionally, I hope to contribute to further research on the long-term impact of mindfulness in addiction recovery, exploring how it can enhance not only sobriety but overall quality of life.

In recovery, progress often comes one mindful step at a time. By embracing the present moment, we unlock the potential for healing, growth, and enduring transformation.

-Shakira Releford, Professor of Psychology

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How to Meditate: Billy Wynne

In this article, I will provide core methods for practicing mindfulness meditation. In the first post of this series, I described the substantial evidence supporting the benefits of this tradition. In the second, I explored the definition of mindfulness meditation: the practice of paying attention to the present moment without judgement. Now, it is time to get started meditating. Here’s how you do it.

Body Posture: Upright and Relaxed

The first step in establishing an appropriate posture for meditation is to anchor yourself on three points. If you are meditating on a cushion on the floor, those three points are your knees and your tailbone. If you’re in a chair, it’s your tailbone and your feet. In either case, this tripod orientation is essential to achieving the stability of your body that will support the stability of your mind. 

The most common positions for floor meditation are one of the lotus variations, the Burmese style, or the seiza posture. The quarter lotus, typical for most American meditators (including the author), involves placing one foot on top of the calf of the opposite leg and tucking the other foot underneath the opposite knee. The half lotus entails placing that first foot on top of the opposing thigh, with the opposite foot still tucked under your knee, and the full lotus is putting both feet up on the opposite thighs. If you find the lotus posture unsuitable, I encourage you to explore the other postures mentioned above or to simply sit in a firm chair. 

Despite the assumption that it is a common meditation posture, the ”criss-cross applesauce” style we learned in pre-school is not optimal for this practice. It leaves the knees “floating” up in the air and it requires a tremendous amount of core strength to keep the torso upright when seated this way. 

However you decide to sit, the most important thing is to maintain an upright posture with a straight back. To accomplish this, you might tilt your hips forward so that your lower back curves naturally inward. If you are meditating on the floor, use a meditation cushion so that your hips are raised above your knees. Other types of pillows or even folded towels can also work fine. Then, elongate your spine up through your neck and head. I find it helpful to imagine there is a small hook on the crown of my head with a string tied to it that someone is gently tugging upward. 

As for the rest of your body: relax. Another helpful visualization I often use is to imagine my spine is a coat rack, directly upright, and the rest of my body is a long coat hanging effortlessly from the rack. As you settle into your meditation posture, scan your body for areas of tightness that you might relax by breathing in your awareness of that spot and breathing out whatever tension may be there. 

With most of your body nestled into place, you can allow your hands to rest comfortably in your lap. There are a variety of ways to position your hands. The simplest and most relaxed may be to put your dominant hand on the bottom, palm up, with the other hand placed gently on top, also palm up, with the middle knuckles approximately aligned. You can allow your thumbs to rest naturally or take up the “cosmic mudra” by letting the ends of the thumbs touch each other gently. 

While some meditation traditions call for placing the hands, upturned, on top of the knees, with the thumbs touching the tips of the middle fingers, maintaining that posture for an extended period of time can place unnecessary tension on the hands, arms, and upper back. In the long run, the posture that is most comfortable and relaxed will likely best serve your meditation practice. 

Finally, we get to your noggin and all of its wonderful components. Recalling that little hook, it’s important to keep the head up rather than letting it slouch forward, back, or to the side. Your mouth should be closed with your breath flowing in and out of your nose naturally. Many meditators find it helpful to let the tip of the tongue rest against the back of the top front teeth. (This may seem specific, but I promise the question will come up if you meditate for a while!) Your eyes can be open or closed; there are strong traditions of both. Either way, you want to let your eyes be soft, not focused on any particular thing. Similarly, let your ears be soft. Sounds may arise, but you don’t need to go out and grab them.

Ok, you are all set. Now we get to the trickier part… 

Mind Posture: Attentive and At Ease

Of all of the beautiful pictures you’ve seen of people meditating on hillsides with the sunset behind them, all of that external setting and the posturing of your body only serves one purpose: focusing and easing your mind. Once you have settled into your posture and allowed your breath to begin flowing naturally, it is time to turn your attention to this fascinating place.

As I stated plainly in my prior post, please forget about the idea that meditation is about stopping your thoughts. That would be like trying to stop your heart from beating or your gums from salivating. Secreting thoughts is what the mind does. There is nothing wrong with that. Meditation helps us learn to be with our thoughts in a different way. I will come back to mindfulness of thoughts practice, specifically, in a future post. 

The primary method of mindfulness meditation and numerous other meditation practices is to simply focus your mind’s attention on the sensation of your breath. Again, without feeling the need to alter the pace or depth of your breath, locate the part of your body where you feel your breath most prominently. That might be the tip of your nose, the nasal cavity or inside the mouth, or in the chest or belly. Wherever it is, try to maintain your attention on that place and gently experience the rhythm of your breath’s movement there. With time, you might begin to notice the unique sensations of the in and out breath, as well as the moments when the breath pauses between the two. 

As you can see, this is a simple practice, but it is not easy. Very quickly, your mind will start to wander off into thoughts of what you might have for your next meal, an email you need to answer, or a dream vacation you want to plan. All of this is completely natural and will be a part of your meditation practice forever. Please don’t worry about it. 

To support maintaining your focus on the sensation of the breath, it is recommended to count your breath to yourself. There are some variations on exactly how to do this and you are invited to explore the approach that works best for you. A common technique is to simply treat each full breath (both the in and the out) as one count. Many find it easiest to “mentally verbalize” the number during the full length of the outbreath. In other words, I breathe in all the way and then, in my mind, it’s “oooooone” as I breathe out. Then I breathe in again and, as I start to exhale, it’s “twwwwwwwwwwwo.” And so on. 

If you make it to ten without wandering off into paragraphs of thought, which is rare for beginners, then you can begin again at one. While this device can be very handy in maintaining your focus, it’s just as important to remember that this is not a “test” or, worse, a “contest.” There are no bonus points for making it to ten and that is not the goal. The goal is to give this one breath, the one that is here with you right now, your full attention. The rest – your expectations and doubts, critiques and comparisons – you can set aside for now. Let’s treat our meditation practice as the one sanctuary in our life that might be free from all of our incessant judgment.

The Golden Rule of Gratitude

Building on that last point, I find that the most important ingredient that enables people to maintain a consistent meditation practice is not having a flexible body or highly concentrated mind. It is not fierce dedication to discover “enlightenment” or drill sergeant-like discipline. 

The essential ingredient to maintaining a consistent meditation practice is the decision to simply enjoy the experience of meditating. Here you are, on your mat or chair. You’ve made a good decision to be there, and you’ve carved out some time in your busy life to take good care of yourself. It’s a unique and rare opportunity and, if you just simply let it, it will be relaxing. Pretty soon, you will start to experience your body and mind in a different way, even if for just a passing moment at first. 

So let’s be grateful. This practice is a gift. Our life is a gift. What a joy to simply be here with it intimately for a moment. 

Next Steps

Having examined the Why, What, and How of mindfulness meditation, next we will turn to the very practical considerations of When, Where, and Who (spoiler alert: it’s you). Please tune in next time for tips for integrating this healing practice into your busy daily life.  

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What Is Mindfulness Meditation?: Billy Wynne

Key Points

  • Mindfulness is the practice of paying attention to the present moment without judgment.
  • Mindfulness is not about suppressing thoughts or other aspects of our life experience. 
  • Mindfulness need not be religious and it is not a substitute for therapy or other clinical support for those who need it. 
  • Meditation is time we dedicate to the exclusive purposes of cultivating mindfulness. 

Just a few decades ago, mindfulness meditation was considered an esoteric, “new age,” or downright weird activity. Now, you would need to be living in a cave to miss reference to it. It has become so mainstream that it is on the verge of becoming cliché. Meanwhile, misperceptions about the practice abound, with common beliefs ranging from it being an exceedingly difficult and demanding discipline to it being little more than lazy navel-gazing. 

In a prior article, I summarized the persuasive evidence that mindfulness meditation can improve mental health, cognition, and overall wellness. In this article, I will explain what mindfulness meditation is and what it is not, with the goals of dispelling the mystique surrounding it and bringing this timeless practice down to earth and into your daily life.

What is Mindfulness?

It may be clearest to start by defining the mindfulness part of mindfulness meditation. Put simply, mindfulness is the practice of paying attention to the present moment without judgment. In this brief definition, you can discover four vital elements: 

  1. Mindfulness is a practice. Once we take it up, we can cultivate mindfulness in meditation (more on that later) and also in the car, going up the stairs, and in conversation with loved ones. Every moment is an opportunity to practice and deepen our mindful awareness, and that practice never ends. After a lifetime of reacting to circumstances automatically, with deeply ingrained habits, we are now setting a new course. It is a simple practice, but it is not always easy, and, as with any other new endeavor, it will get easier with practice.
  1. Mindfulness is about paying attention. How often do we coast through our lives without focusing on what we are doing? If we pause to observe, we might see that most of the time, while we engage in one activity, we are thinking about another. Taking a shower, we’re thinking about what we’ll have for breakfast. Engaged in a conversation, we are planning how we’ll respond. Going on a walk, we’re recycling an argument we had six months ago. Mindfulness is about coming back to awareness of what is here now. This awareness exists beneath our thoughts and activities, emotions and intentions. It is inherently clear, present, and non-judgmental. With practice, we can reconnect with this precious place. 
  1. Mindfulness is applied to the present moment. Thich Nhat Hanh said, you “have an appointment with your life….[It is] the present moment. If you miss the present moment, you miss your appointment with life1.” Our life only unfolds in moments. It doesn’t happen any other time. So often, we miss it while we’re preoccupied with revisiting our past or planning our future. Mindfulness is an invitation to reestablish an intimate relationship with what is happening right now, both inside of us and around us. In this way, it is about living fully and wholeheartedly. 
  1. Mindfulness is the art of nonjudgment2. We have a deep-seated instinct to rapidly assess each thing we encounter as beneficial or threatening. For the sake of our survival, it evolved over millennia as we learned to avoid predators and find sources of food, shelter, and other sustenance. Unfortunately, though we now live in relative security and comfort, our spigot of judgment never turned off. We apply it to sights, sounds, emblems of social status, our own ideas, and each other. Once you decide to notice your judging mind3, you might find that it is quite harsh, it never stops, and it reserves its fiercest criticism for its host: you. To be mindful is to practice noticing what’s happening before we add that second layer of judgment, allowing the dust we’ve stirred up to settle so we can see things more clearly.

What Mindfulness is Not

So many ideas about mindfulness have flooded into our culture that it is important to take a moment to “myth bust.” Here are a few corrections to common misperceptions about mindfulness:

  1. Mindfulness is not about stopping thoughts. As you can see in the description above, it is about turning toward the authentic experience of our life, here and now. It is not about suppressing; it is about acknowledging. This may be most important when it comes to our thoughts. We do not have to change them. We start by simply watching them as they rise and fall. Because we are no longer infusing them with more power, they will start to soften of their own accord. We will come back to mindfulness of thoughts in future posts.
  1. Mindfulness is not a substitute for therapy. While many individuals trained in psychology and other forms of therapy are also qualified to support your mindfulness practice, and the two techniques are often complementary, those who need clinical care for mental health challenges should not hesitate to seek it. This is particularly true for those who have experienced significant trauma. There are some instances where mindfulness when practiced without the support of a professional who is trained to deliver care for such conditions, can pose the potential for harm4. 
  1. Mindfulness is not a religion. The origins of mindfulness5 practice are most often traced to Vedic and Yogic traditions that were practiced in India over 2000 years ago, which we now generally refer to as Hinduism. Analogous mindfulness traditions also arose in aspects of ancient Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism, as well as indigenous religions around the world. Despite these roots, the techniques of mindfulness need not have ties to religious beliefs. Recently, they have been intentionally secularized, perhaps most decisively by the work of Jon Kabat-Zinn in establishing and rigorously testing Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). Whether or not you integrate mindfulness practice with your own religious or spiritual beliefs is entirely up to you. 

What is Meditation?

While we can engage with mindfulness anywhere, meditation is time we dedicate specifically to the purpose of deepening this practice. It’s the difference between the way we exercise our muscles all day versus the time we might spend in the gym lifting weights. 

Even within meditation, there are various forms – walking, lying down, etc. – but the most common, and the one we will focus on in this series, is seated meditation. We will delve into the details of these techniques in much greater detail, but the hallmark of seated meditation practice is finding stability of the body so that we can begin stabilizing the mind. There are forms of meditation that are characterized as “just sitting,” but usually it is recommended to engage our minds by focusing on a simple aspect of our experience, starting with the breath. 

While meditation often occurs in groups, and this can be quite helpful, it usually involves turning inward to investigate our own, unique experience and the nature of our own mind. With meditation, we can begin to see, perhaps for the first time, how our mind influences our perception of our circumstances and the ways we respond to it. In this way, as the clutter of our thoughts and judgments can begin to dissipate, we may discover a new way of being in the world and the boundless possibilities that offers. If mindfulness meditation has any “message” for us, it is simply to appreciate our opportunity to be here, now.

Next Steps

Having addressed the “What” of mindfulness meditation in this article and the “Why” in the previous one, my next installment in this series will focus on the “How.” I hope that, with what’s been presented so far, your interest is piqued and you are ready to jump in to this healing, invigorating, and joyful practice.

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Urge Surfing: A Mindful Technique to Navigate Through Cravings

Have you ever given in to a craving for sugar or salt? Coffee? A movie you’ve seen a dozen times, ignoring all the others on your roster?

These passing, innocent cravings happen to all of us. Indulging doesn’t usually cost your sobriety, relationships, or financial wellness. But the urge to take drugs, drink alcohol, or gamble can. Urges can arise at any point in your recovery journey and can derail even the straightest course. That’s where urge surfing comes in. 

Urge surfing, a specialized mindfulness technique, can help you “ride the wave” of an urge and experience them less and less. Urges typically last 30 minutes at most when they’re handled mindfully and calmly through urge surfing.

You can use urge surfing for more than addiction recovery, too. Use it to navigate any kind of urge, anytime, anywhere.

Introduction to Urge Surfing

Psychologist Alan Marlatt developed the mindfulness-based urge surfing technique1 as a quick and effective way for people to navigate cravings. Urge surfing is based on the mindfulness principle that urges, like waves, rise, peak, and eventually crash and dissipate. It sees addiction cravings as “rideable” and bearable with the right tools and practices.  

Compared to other interventions, like mindfulness-based cognitive behavioral therapy, urge surfing has a much faster impact. You may immediately notice benefits instead of the expected 2-4 weeks with traditional therapy and other interventions. You can also practice urge surfing almost anywhere, whereas traditional therapy often occurs in a specific setting (like an office you have to travel to). And, you can urge surf without the guidance of a professional, making it even more accessible.

With its ease and effectiveness, urge surfing has been used as a tool for addiction recovery1 and craving management. It teaches you to mindfully notice, sit with, and “ride” urges without self-judgment or fear.

Understanding Cravings and Impulses

Cravings are strong desires for something, like dessert after a meal or a cup of coffee on a groggy morning. People in recovery and active addiction often experience cravings for substances. Cravings can occur as your body adjusts to not having a substance, like alcohol. Certain places, situations, and emotions can also trigger cravings2, since your brain relates substance use to relieving stress and other unpleasant emotions. Even someone in long-term recovery can experience intense cravings. 

Impulses are sudden desires to do something. For example, you may see a soft blanket and feel a strong impulse to run your hand over it. You might reach out to touch it without even thinking about it. But, some impulses you first feel, notice, and then decide to act on it or not, like an impulse to touch a hot stove. While impulses are typically brief and fleeting, they can feel intense and usually lead to immediate action. This distinguishes them from cravings, which are persistent desires for something specific. 

An urge can feel more dire and discombobulating than a craving or an impulse. Negative emotions, like sadness and anxiety, can increase urges3 and make them harder to resist. But urge surfing can mitigate the urge and soothe the emotions flowing with it.

The Principles of Urge Surfing

The grounding principle of urge surfing is that you can navigate and alleviate urges without giving in. It hinges on mindfulness and experiencing emotions without self-judgment, fear, or worry. You may not experience a change in your urges, but rather in how you respond to them4. By staying present and focusing on the sensations in your body, you can ride out the urge without giving in to it.  

The “wave” you ride has 4 core parts: a trigger, rise, peak, and fall. As you continuously surf these waves, you’ll get better and better at understanding and alleviating urges. 

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Step-by-Step Guide to Urge Surfing

The process of urge surfing5, like cravings and urges themselves, varies from person to person. One person may quickly ride the wave of an urge, while someone else may need a half hour of peaceful solitude to reach the end of the wave. So–listen to your body and what works for you without expectations or judgment. If you don’t feel it helps right away, stick with it. Try it again and keep yourself open to the possibility of success.

Acknowledgment

Urge surfing starts by noticing and acknowledging what you’re feeling. This may look like:

“I want a drink right now. I feel my mouth watering and want the sensation of it in my stomach. I’m irritated and distracted because it’s hard to think of anything else.”

You can also notice your environment, mood, and other factors that may have triggered the urge. Did you see or feel something that triggered it? Make note of it if you can. 

Acceptance

Next, you accept the urge, rather than resist or condemn it. It’s happening, but you can choose how you respond to it. Now, if you want, you can also adjust your environment. Maybe sit in a private room, cross-legged with your eyes shut. Keep in mind you can urge surf anywhere, but have the option to pick your environment.

Stay Present, Curious, and Patient

Stay on the wave—notice and accept however intense the urge feels with curiosity and patience. Don’t force yourself to do anything about it, just experience it. Even if it feels bad or uncomfortable, you’re still in control. Picture a wave in your head, and that you’re on top of the crest as it moves towards the shore. 

Use your breathing as a grounding tool. Imagine it as the pulse of the water beneath you, moving within the wave. 

Reorient as You’re Ready

Check in on how intense the urge feels. Does it feel distant now? Do you feel more in control? If you do, you’re ready to come to shore. Reorient to your surroundings (what you can hear, feel, smell, and taste) and open your eyes if you shut them. 

Reflect on the experience and what you may have learned from it. Write it down or record a voice note. Keeping track like this can help you realize progress, learn what triggers your urges, and know yourself better.

Applications of Urge Surfing

You can use urge surfing for all sorts of cravings and urges, related to addiction or not. Less intense urges, like an urge to check social media or have a certain food, can pass quickly with urge surfing. The intense urges to use substances can take longer to “ride”, but it’s just as doable. 

You can also use urge surfing as a tool for emotional regulation, which works almost the same way. Instead of riding an urge, you move through an intense emotion like anger or panic. You’ll notice the emotion and accept it without judgment, then let it pass without acting on it.

Because you can urge surf almost anytime, anywhere, it’s a practical tool for the cravings, urges, impulses, and intense emotions encountered in daily life. You could surf the urge to respond angrily in a work email, or use urge surfing to cut down on or quit smoking.

Challenges and Support

Those who dislike or struggle with meditation may find urge surfing tedious. Practice and repetition can help, especially if you make your environment as comfortable as possible. Try playing instrumental music or binaural beats to help you focus.

The intensity and discomfort of urges can also pose a challenge, as urge surfing requires you to feel but not to act on the urge. Sitting with that discomfort can feel difficult at first. But as you keep doing it, you’ll get more used to the process and confident in your ability to “surf” safely to shore.

Build Hope as You Hang 10

Urge surfing serves as a powerful sobriety tool and resource for hope. Use it to manage urges to take substances, impulses, and reactive behaviors any time in your life. You can see just how capable you are of managing urges and navigating challenging moments.

As you become more adept at urge surfing, you’ll discover a growing confidence in your capacity to manage difficult situations and make empowered choices in your recovery. This skill doesn’t just apply to sobriety; it’s a life skill that enhances your overall self-efficacy and agency. Each successful experience of riding out an urge reinforces a hopeful outlook, showing you can overcome challenges and continue on your path to recovery and well-being.

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India’s Holistic Rehabs Treat Your Mind, Body, and Spirit

Travelers are drawn to India for its beautiful landscape and tropical climate. This country is perfect for people who enjoy warmer weather and striking views of the Himalayas, lush jungles, or vast beaches. And its vibrant culture has a focus on holistic wellness—which is a great fit for some people in recovery.

If you’re interested in integrated treatment for addiction, you may find what you’re looking for at a rehab in India. This approach is designed to help you heal as a whole person, instead of only treating one health issue at a time. 

What Is Holistic Treatment?

Most of India’s rehab centers take a holistic approach to addiction recovery. The goal is to help you heal your mind, body, and spirit as one. These programs also have a strong focus on spirituality. Treatment may include activities like yoga, meditation, and massage.

Some of these alternative methods are controversial, due to a lack of scientific data deemed legitimate in the Western world. However, many people find these ancient treatments helpful. Holistic techniques may be gentler than Western ones, with a larger-picture approach to healing and a greater focus on sustainable wellness. For instance, you may be able to go through treatment without taking prescribed medications. Instead, clients use diet and exercise as tools to improve their mental health.

And there’s no need to choose one philosophy over the other. You can do yoga and take antidepressants. You can join a support group and meditate. Some rehabs even recommend this combination approach. Lotus Wellness and Rehabilitation Center, for example, combines traditional Ayurveda with Western biomedical treatments. 

Lotus Wellness and Rehabilitation Center blog
Lotus Wellness and Rehabilitation Center in Tamil Nadu, India, combines holistic and Western treatment methods.

India’s Most Popular Therapies

You’ll encounter many different holistic treatment methods at rehab facilities around the country. These are some of the most popular.

Meditation and Mindfulness

Mindfulness is a practice that teaches you to just be in the present moment. These exercises can help you cultivate self-awareness and improve emotion regulation.

Meditation is a mindfulness technique that helps quiet your mind. You’ll feel more at peace, and learn to let your thoughts pass by, without attaching emotions to them. And you don’t have to meditate for hours to reap the benefits. Meditating for only 13 minutes a day, over the course of 8 weeks, had a profound effect1 on participants in one study. After treatment, they felt more positive and less anxious, and their memories improved. And mindful meditation can be an effective treatment2 for addiction.

Most treatment centers in India offer some form of mindfulness training. For example, Kairali The Ayurvedic Healing Village provides daily group meditation sessions.

Kairali The Ayurvedic Healing Village‘s peaceful surroundings in Kerala, India, set the tone for their meditation sessions.

Yoga for Mental Health and Addiction

You don’t need to be flexible or strong to try yoga. While this practice has physical benefits, it’s also about self-acceptance—not competition. And because yoga originated in India, you’ll get the full experience by practicing here. You may even enjoy it enough to continue after you leave rehab.

In addition to its physical health benefits, research shows that yoga contributes to positive mental health outcomes.3 It is especially helpful for people who are quitting smoking.  

These positive effects translate to people with other mental health conditions as well, like women with PTSD.4 One study discovered that practicing yoga for 12 weeks decreased these subjects’ PTSD symptoms. These changes were present both right after the study and at the 3-month follow up.

People in addiction recovery5 can also benefit from yoga. Research shows that yoga minimizes stress, decreases addictive behaviors, improves confidence, and increases self-control for these patients. One survey even found that yoga is “an effective tool” for people in every stage of recovery.6 Because this practice addresses both physical and spiritual wellness, it can be an important part of integrated treatment.

Ayurvedic Medicine

Ayurveda,7 also called Ayurvedic medicine, is an ancient, holistic approach to health. It teaches that diet, exercise, and herbal remedies can all contribute to a healthy lifestyle. 

Providers at Kairali The Ayurvedic Healing Village incorporate Ayurvedic teachings into rehab for addiction, chronic pain, and other conditions. They describe these techniques by explaining that “the human body is made up of 3 components,” or doshas.  Each dosha has 2 distinct elements:

  • Vata consists of space and air. Vata controls movement in the body and mind, like blood flow, waste elimination, breathing, and thought.
  • Pitta consists of fire and water. It is associated with heat, metabolism, and transformation within the mind and body. These functions include digestion, perceptions, and understanding right and wrong.
  • Kapha includes water and earth. This dosha governs structure and lubrication in both the mind and body, like the joints, lungs, and body tissues.

Depending on your specific needs, you may try various Ayurvedic therapies during inpatient treatment. These may include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Abhyangam is a type of oil massage that improves sleep, circulation, and more.
  • During Podikizhi, the practitioner pounds warm bundles of herbs onto the body. This relieves muscle spasms and joint stiffness.
  • In Sirovasti, a clinician pours oil into specially-designed head gear while you wear it. This treatment relieves migraines, stress, sinusitis, and other issues.
  • During Kavalagraham, you’ll gargle oils and other Ayurvedic medicines to promote oral health.
  • Dhoompanam is a practice in which you inhale medicinal smoke intended to detox your body.

Your Ayurvedic practice doesn’t have to end when you leave rehab. Kairali The Ayurvedic Healing Village also provides lectures on Ayurveda every week, helping clients learn how to implement these techniques into daily life.

Acupuncture for Physical and Mental Wellness

During an acupuncture session,8 a trained acupuncturist will insert small needles into specific anatomical points. These points correspond with meridians, which are channels of energy that run throughout the body. The goal is to remove energy blockages, so that your qi—or vital energy—can flow freely. According to traditional Chinese medicine, this treatment can improve your physical, mental, and spiritual health. 

Massage for Detox and Recovery

Massage treatments can help you heal—both mentally and physically. Research suggests that massage therapy can treat chronic pain and various mental health conditions.9 And it’s hugely beneficial for people in early recovery from addiction. In fact, massage might even help decrease withdrawal symptoms.10 Rehab centers in India may offer Western styles of massage, Ayurvedic massage, or a combination of these techniques.

Ayurvedic massage techniques11 incorporate special oils, which are chosen based on the client’s energetic balance. Different oils correspond with the doshas, and are used to achieve specific purposes during treatment. Your provider may also stimulate certain pressure points that correspond to other areas of the body.

Mamta Landerman, president of the California Association of Ayurvedic Medicine, addresses the importance of Ayurvedic massage.12 “Ayurveda addresses therapies that relate to all the 5 senses,” she says. “And a very important component is the sense of touch.” For many clients, this is an essential part of holistic treatment.

Nutritional Therapy

A balanced diet can contribute to better health—and not just physically. In fact, studies show that good nutrition improves mental health,13 lowering depression and anxiety.

Because of this, most rehabs in India offer some form of nutritional therapy. For example, many centers will design a personalized nutrition plan for each client. These healthy, organic meals help you heal from the inside out. 

Kairali The Ayurvedic Healing Village takes it a step further. This center offers cooking classes, where clients learn to make their own rejuvenating meals. With this new skill, you can continue to eat well even after returning home. And, like any other creative pursuit, cooking can help you find joy in recovery. 

Train Your Brain With Music

Studies show that listening to music can decrease anxiety.14 Research suggests that music may even be more effective than anti-anxiety medication. Music has a natural ability to boost levels of certain hormones in your brain—like dopamine—that can increase positive feelings. In addition, music can decrease cortisol, which is the hormone involved in stress. Because of the role dopamine plays in addiction,15 the chemical effects of music can support your recovery process.

Alpha Healing Center offers various holistic treatments, including a Brain Health Training Program. In this program, clients participate in various activities, one of which is Brain Music Therapy. They describe Brain Music Therapy as an innovative treatment “based on the premise that personalized music derived from a guest’s own brain wave patterns can affect emotional stability.” Because this treatment hasn’t produced any negative side effects, it’s safe to try, and worth combining with other therapies. 

Alpha Healing Center India blog
Located in Gujarat, India, Alpha Healing Center offers innovative holistic treatments like Brain Music Therapy.

Hypnotherapy for Substance Misuse

According to researchers, hypnosis16 is a “state of awareness, (or consciousness), in which a person’s attention is detached from his or her immediate environment and is absorbed by inner experiences.” Hypnotherapy is just what it sounds like: receiving therapy while under hypnosis. 

Research shows that this treatment can minimize pain and emotional stress. It’s highly effective for patients with depression17 and anxiety.18 And one study found that “clinical hypnotherapy is a powerful promoter of mental and behavioral change” for people healing from addiction.19 In the right environment, this can be an inspiring way to start your recovery journey.

How to Travel to—And Within—India

India’s 2 largest airports20 are Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi and  Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai. Each one serves over 80 destinations. Because of this, it’s easy to travel to rehab in India—although it may be a long flight.

In addition to India’s 30+ international airports,21 there are more than 100 domestic ones scattered throughout the country. This makes it easy to take a quick flight if you’re traveling within India. 

If you fly to rehab, most centers will pick you up from the airport. 

If you’re traveling internationally, you may need a visa for India.22 These regulations vary by country, and you may need to apply in advance. Check with your rehab’s admissions team to see if they can help you arrange for travel.

Start Your Recovery Journey in India

If you’d like to begin your healing journey in a place that emphasizes spiritual and personal wellness, India might be a great fit. Maybe you want to surround yourself with people who share your values. Or if you’re coming from abroad, you might not have access to these treatments in your home country. Whatever your reasons, India is waiting for you. And so is your recovery.

Visit our list of rehab centers in India to learn about their philosophies, amenities, and unique treatment options.

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Mindfulness as a Tool for Recovery From Substance Use Disorders

Mindfulness is more than a buzzword. It’s also a powerful way to approach both physical and mental health. This collection of techniques can help ground you in the present moment, gently navigating even the most difficult thoughts and feelings. Because of its holistic nature, many clients choose to approach recovery using mindfulness practices.

Although it’s become quite popular in the past few years, mindfulness is an ancient practice. With roots in both spirituality and medicine, it may be helpful for those with a wide variety of interests. It is both versatile and deeply personal to each client. Perhaps because of this flexibility, more and more healthcare providers are finding ways to integrate mindfulness into rehab programs around the world.

What Is Mindfulness?

According to experts, “mindfulness1 means maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment, through a gentle, nurturing lens.” Clients learn to accept their internal emotional experiences, as well as their external circumstances, without judgment. By focusing on the present moment, you can avoid getting overwhelmed by painful memories or anxiety about the future.

This philosophy has a long and storied history, originating in Buddhism2 and Hinduism. Some experts believe that mindfulness also has roots in Islam, Judaism, and Christianity.3 Wherever these practices began, we can be sure that it was popularized in part “through the work of Jon Kabat-Zinn and his Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program, which he launched at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in 1979.”

Since that time, western medicine has used the principles of mindfulness to treat a wide variety of conditions, from chronic pain to PTSD. While these techniques depend on focus and awareness, that’s only the beginning. Igor Grossman, professor of social psychology at the University of Waterloo, explains that “scientific understanding of mindfulness4 goes beyond mere stress-relief and requires a willingness to engage with stressors…It is, in fact, the engagement with stressors that ultimately results in stress relief. More specifically, mindfulness includes two main dimensions: awareness and acceptance.”

Mindfulness means different things for different people. And it can be applied in various ways to achieve certain goals. For example, the techniques that help reduce acute cravings might not be effective in managing generalized anxiety. It’s also important to note that some of these practices are inappropriate for certain clients, and may even be detrimental. Make sure you speak with your providers before delving too deeply into any one of these strategies.

Mindfulness Techniques

Many people—whether or not they are in recovery—strive to become more mindful during daily life. This is a laudable goal, but it’s not as easy as it sounds. You may get better results from focusing on a regular practice that helps you hone your skills. Over time, you can start learning to apply those skills in other situations. When you’re just starting to practice mindfulness, there are many different techniques to choose from.

Meditation

There are countless ways to meditate. You might use an app, listen to guided meditations, watch videos, or simply learn to sit in silence. With some experimentation, you may find that some of these strategies are a better fit for you than others. Remember that meditation is itself a tool. There is no wrong way to go about it, as long as you stay focused on the process.

Siam Rehab mindfulness
Residents at Siam Rehab in Chiang Rai, Thailand, are taught mindfulness techniques daily.

According to a therapist at Siam Rehab, everyone in recovery from substance use disorders “strives for inner peace. There are many ways to inner peace, but one thing that helps is meditation. We teach it every day.” This practice has the greatest benefits when performed daily. One study found that after 8 weeks of daily meditation,5 subjects exhibited “decreased negative mood states including decreases in mood disturbance, anxiety, and fatigue scores,” as well as enhanced attention and memory. These findings were not apparent in subjects who meditated daily for only 4 weeks.

This practice may also have powerful long-term health benefits. Preliminary research suggests that meditation may slow the brain’s aging process,6 simultaneously improving attention, memory, executive function, and even creativity. Some studies have also found that meditation can significantly reduce chronic pain.7 This may be especially helpful for clients in recovery from opioid misuse. Learning how to simply be present in each moment may help you make peace with even the most overwhelming emotions.

Mindful Breathing

Meditation isn’t appropriate for everyone. Some clients may have physical or mental health concerns that make it difficult for them to sit in silence. But everyone breathes. By simply focusing on your breath, even without changing its rhythm, you can ground yourself in your present physical experience.

If you’d like to deepen your relationship with your breath, there are countless styles of mindful breathing. Make sure to talk to your therapist before choosing a particular technique, as some of these may have unforeseen effects. When performed appropriately, these breathing practices can hugely benefit emotion regulation.8

Body Awareness

Centering yourself in your body can be extremely grounding. There are many ways to accomplish this. When you’re new to meditation, you might learn how to do a simple body scan,9 in which you bring your awareness to each part of your body, accepting how you feel in the moment. Some versions of this practice then ask you to release any unnecessary tension. As you relax, you may find that you also gain a greater awareness of your emotional state.

Some clients may prefer to engage in mindful movement, rather than sitting still. This could be as simple as doing a single stretch, or going for a mindful walk. During that practice, you might focus on the five senses: the sensation of your feet on the ground, the color of the leaves, the sounds coming from nearby or far away, and so on.

Yoga

Yoga is an ancient practice, designed to promote both physical and mental health. Preliminary research suggests that this type of movement may have specific benefits for people in recovery from substance misuse. This is especially true for clients who are healing from the use of alcohol or opiates, and those at risk of relapse.

According to experts, “The practice of yoga may be especially effective in the management of chronic pain for individuals who abuse alcohol or opiates10 because it focuses on psychological and physical characteristics.” This holistic approach can be helpful during any stage of recovery. If you’re able to begin doing yoga during rehab, you may be better equipped to withstand cravings after you complete inpatient treatment.

Oro House Recovery yoga outdoors
Yoga and other mindfulness therapies are integral parts of the addiction treatment program at Oro House Recovery in Malibu, California.

Because yoga approaches the mind and body holistically, it may help you begin to make peace with your own emotional experience. One study on the effectiveness of yoga in addiction treatment11 found that “the skills, insights, and self-awareness learned through yoga and mindfulness practice can target multiple psychological, neural, physiological, and behavioral processes.” By making these broad behavioral changes, you can develop the skills you’ll need to navigate life after rehab.

Benefits and Limitations of Mindfulness

Data shows that “mindfulness-based interventions12 are effective for treatment of both psychological and physical symptoms.” Specifically, mindfulness techniques have been shown to reduce stress.12 And since stress is linked to addiction,13 this “may prove beneficial in reducing cravings and promoting abstinence” during recovery from substance use disorders.

In addition to their holistic effects, these practices can significantly improve the symptoms of several different mental health concerns. “Structural and functional brain changes have been demonstrated in the brains of people with a long-term traditional meditation practice.”14 Due to these changes, clients experienced relief from anxiety, depression, and physical pain.

However, it’s important to note that general mindfulness may not be appropriate for all clients. Specifically, some meditation techniques may be triggering,15 to clients with PTSD. According to Dr. Willoughby Britton, associate professor at Brown University, “meditation can lead people to some dark places, triggering trauma or leaving people feeling disoriented.” Because of this, it’s very important to work closely with your therapist when you first begin these practices.

The Effect of Mindfulness on Recovery

Research suggests that these practices can be especially helpful for people in recovery from substance use disorders. In fact, meditation may be even more effective than other interventions at preventing relapse.16 They have noticeable neurological effects, and “may increase functional connectivity” between the areas of the brain that are involved in cravings and substance use. Ultimately, mindfulness17 has been shown to make substance misuse less reflexive, giving clients more control over their own behavior.

While the effects are more pronounced after long-term use, mindful meditation can be beneficial even after “a brief single training session,” finds a study on mindfulness for recovery from opioid addiction.18 People in recovery find that mindfulness benefits their psychological health:19 they experience a greater sense of well-being, decreased emotional reactivity, and greater equanimity when they engage in these techniques. With this sense of calm, it becomes far easier to make long-lasting changes.

Some rehab facilities have a specific focus on mindfulness as a tool for behavioral health. At Flatirons Recovery, for example, practitioners believe that the greater awareness of oneself and habitual patterns gained from mindfulness can empower clients in recovery to make sustainable changes.

Flatirons Recovery
Flatirons Recovery offers mindfulness-based addiction treatment among a serene setting in Lafayette, Colorado.

Making Meaning With Mindfulness

During recovery, part of the work is to imagine and then create a life you find meaningful. By incorporating mindfulness into your daily practice, you may become increasingly aware of your own emotional reactions to the world around you. Gently accepting these feelings can help you get in touch with your deepest needs, empowering you to make important changes.

These strategies can not only help during recovery; they may also improve your life in the long term. Even after you complete rehab, you continue implementing healthy habits to manage ongoing stress and avoid relapse.

Although mindfulness can be extremely beneficial, it’s important to proceed with caution. These techniques aren’t right for every client, and they won’t be appropriate for every situation you encounter. Make sure to engage in meditation, yoga, and similar work under the guidance of a therapist.

You can learn more about programs that incorporate this practice into recovery by browsing our list of rehabs offering mindfulness here.

Frequently Asked Questions About Mindfulness for Addiction Recovery

How does mindfulness help in addiction recovery?

Mindfulness promotes self-awareness, reduces cravings, promotes calm, and cultivates coping skills, enhancing the recovery process.

What are the techniques and practices of mindfulness in addiction recovery?

Mindfulness techniques include meditation, breathing exercises, body scans, yoga, and mindful awareness of thoughts and emotions.

Can mindfulness be combined with other addiction treatment approaches?

Yes, mindfulness can complement other treatment modalities, such as therapy, support groups, and holistic therapies, for a comprehensive recovery approach.