Yoga
Yoga
Avalon Malibu is committed to excellence in residential treatment and offers the most advanced, holistic therapeutic modalities. We lead the way in addiction recovery and mental health treatment, and our clients have experienced the quality that only our programs can provide. We are proud of our methods and the ability to share them with our select patients. With our vision for exceptional practice, therapies and programs, we lead the industry in a new direction of advancement and innovation that helps individuals heal from within.
One example of this innovation is our Yoga Therapy program. We are enthusiastic about offering and utilizing yoga as a conscious living choice that helps you channel your energy in a positive and constructive way. Yoga has gained widespread popularity, and the profound science of yoga is now, more than ever, unfolding the infinite potential of the human body and mind.
What is Yoga Therapy?
Yoga is best known as a Hindu spiritual and ascetic discipline. It is an ancient practice that incorporates a variety of techniques to help people feel more in tune with themselves, such as breath control, simple meditation and specific body postures. For many, yoga provides a sense of balance and relaxation that opens physical pathways to flexibility in the body and removes mental or emotional blocks in the mind. Yoga is intended to improve the overall health and well-being of individuals, especially those recovering from addiction.
The word yoga means union. This union is of the individual consciousness or soul alongside a Universal Consciousness or what is called the Spirit. People may consider yoga only as a physical exercise with poses that challenge the limits of flexibility, but it is also an important tool for improving overall wellness by rebuilding the mind-body-spirit connection.
There are various paths you can assume in yoga that lead toward this goal, and each one is a specialized branch of one comprehensive system. There are varying styles and types of yoga, each purposefully applied to connect spirit, mind and body. The most effective approach to yoga employs methods of meditation that deal directly with consciousness and energy.
The Many Benefits of Yoga
Yoga is a holistic practice that offers several proven benefits for mental, emotional and physical health that are supported by research and science. Some of these benefits include:
- Stress reduction: Yoga helps to reduce stress by calming the mind and promoting relaxation. Studies show that people who practice yoga on a regular basis have lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol and decreased stress reactivity. Through the use of breathing exercises and meditation, individuals can learn to manage their stress levels and achieve a greater sense of calm and balance.
- Improved mental health: According to Harvard Health and other wellness experts, yoga has been shown to improve mood, thinking and memory. It also helps to alleviate symptoms of depression, anxiety and other mental health conditions. Regular practice can help individuals to feel more positive, focused and self-aware.
Physical fitness: Yoga helps to improve physical fitness by promoting strength, flexibility and balance. Those who practice yoga regularly may experience improved posture, increased energy and better overall health. - Mind-body connection: Yoga promotes a mind-body connection that helps individuals feel more connected to their bodies and emotions. Greater awareness of one’s thoughts and feelings promotes mindfulness and improved self-control.
- Improved sleep: Practicing yoga has been shown to improve sleep quality and duration. Those who struggle with insomnia or other sleep disorders may benefit from incorporating yoga into their treatment plan.
Overall, these benefits can support a more sustainable recovery and promote overall well-being. By working with Avalon’s experienced yoga instructors and incorporating yoga into their treatment plan, individuals in addiction recovery can develop a new set of tools for managing stress, regulating emotions and rebuilding their physical and emotional health.
Yoga in Recovery
Recovery is primarily a mental and emotional process that takes place internally and demands a great deal of courage, patience and determination. That’s why everyone looking to overcome addiction can benefit from holistic therapies and practices like yoga.
At Avalon Malibu, we’ve found that yoga in substance use and mental health treatment provides an opportunity for individuals to reconnect with themselves in a safe, supportive environment. It also helps them learn how to tap into their inner strength and balance and develop healthier habits to replace harmful patterns of behavior. To enhance the recovery process, our yoga instructors guide patients of all abilities and experience levels through breathing exercises, meditation and mindfulness training and yoga poses.
The variety of yoga postures is collectively deemed asanas. They are specific positions that are held for a period of time to improve flexibility, strength and concentration. Yoga also incorporates meditation and movement together with balance and breath to create a holistic mind-body practice. There are hundreds of different asanas, ranging from simple poses that can be done by beginners to more advanced poses that require years of practice to master. However, each yoga pose can be modified to suit an individual’s needs and ability level.
To Help You Become Familiar With Yoga, We Will Introduce You to a Few Common Modern Yoga Styles:
Hatha is one of the most popular yoga practices today. It is a system of physical postures, or asanas, whose higher purpose is to purify the body, giving one awareness and control over internal states and rendering one fit for meditation.
Karma yoga values selfless service to others as part of one’s larger self. The exercise includes meditation without attachment to results.
Mantra yoga is a practice centering the consciousness within, through repetition of certain universal root-word sounds representing a particular aspect of Spirit.
Bhakti yoga is the method where, through surrender and devotion, one strives to see and love divinity in every creature and in everything, thus maintaining an unceasing worship.
Is Yoga Therapy for Everyone?
Yoga can benefit everyone no matter how young or old. At Avalon Malibu, we impart the importance of listening to your body and attuning your goals into achievable actions and results. We never insist on practicing yoga if you encounter discomfort. We encourage you to embrace your own path at your own personal level of experience and comfort.
Who Leads the Yoga Therapy at Avalon Malibu?
At Avalon Malibu, we have specially trained yoga instructors who understand the practice of yoga and our clients’ specific needs. Well-being is key to helping individuals break the cycle of addiction, so yoga therapy is offered in all of our residential treatment programs. With yoga, we’ve seen that even individuals with the most serious substance use disorders can find relief from the terrible feeling of being stuck and overwhelmed — it can help them to heal fully and transcend addiction altogether. It helps teach the patience, diligence and openness of mind required to achieve lasting recovery, and the willingness to experience new ways of being.
Learn More About Our Methods
Yoga integrates the body, mind and spirit to help you unite movement, breath and intention in action. Incorporating yoga into your recovery will improve your physical health, emotional well-being and make you feel strong and remain abstinent. Call Avalon Malibu and find out how you can get involved in a higher level of addiction treatment at 888-958-7511.
