The iconic spiritual leader Thich Nhat Hanh famously said, “Hope is important because it can make the present moment less difficult to bear. If we believe that tomorrow will be better, we can bear a hardship today.” This is what holistic healing can offer someone struggling with addiction – a chance at a better tomorrow.
What Is Holistic Healing?
Many people get confused regarding holistic healing. They think it is only related to Eastern medicine. While yes, holistic healing does use some Eastern methods, it is much more than that.
Holistic simply translates to “whole.” So, holistic healing is really about healing the whole capital “S” Self. This means healing physically, mentally, emotionally, and even spiritually. It is about healing at the cellular level.
Utilizing Holistic Healing for Recovery
If done right, holistic healing can be highly beneficial for addiction recovery. This includes connecting to the outside community.
According to the peer-reviewed journal Nordisk Alkohol- & Narkotikatidskrift (NAT), “At the establishment level, i.e., where the continuing care programme is delivered, we find that a clear holistic and user-oriented profile – comprising combined interventions including physical and social activities – can create a safe and stable environment that exerts a positive mental and physical influence on the user and thereby promotes abstinence from substances. However, our results suggest that the internal environment needs to connect more strongly with the external environment, such as a substance-free network, close family, and working life.” The benefits of holistic healing can also be increased via community involvement.
The Benefits of Holistic Healing
There are many effective holistic healing methods that can help one to recover from addiction (and co-occurring mental illness) at the cellular level. This includes holistic healing methods like acupuncture, massage therapy, yoga therapy, and mindfulness meditation. These holistic modalities can also be highly effective when used together.
Holistic modalities can offer a myriad of benefits. These benefits can be physical, emotional, mental, and even spiritual. The following are just a few of those benefits:
- Increased positivity and wellness
- Improved breathing
- Better strength and posture
- Acquiring a better sense of self
- Finding a better sense of mental balance and clarity
- Helping one connect with others and heal relationships
- A greater focus on mindfulness
- Creates empathy
- Connects individuals with new, relatable people
- Encourages spirituality
- Reduces anxiety and depression
- Can help individuals who struggle with suicidal ideations
As one can see, these benefits are vast and varied. These modalities also work very well with other types of treatment, making them even more valuable to individuals who are seeking a more comprehensive plan of action. The key is finding the right types of treatments that work together and sticking to them. It is also important to know which treatments aren’t working so they can be eliminated from a recovery plan.
Utilizing Yoga Therapy in the Community
Yoga has been practiced for thousands of years. Originally, it was solely used for religious and/or spiritual purposes, but it has since moved into the realm of recovery.
The benefits of yoga for recovery are vast and varied. According to the International Journal of Yoga (IJOY), “Therapeutic yoga is defined as the application of yoga postures and practice to the treatment of health conditions. Yoga therapy involves instruction in yogic practices and teachings to prevent, reduce, or alleviate structural, physiological, emotional, and spiritual pain, suffering, or limitations. Yogic practices enhance muscular strength and body flexibility, promote and improve respiratory and cardiovascular function, promote recovery from and treatment of addiction, reduce stress, anxiety, depression, and chronic pain, improve sleep patterns, and enhance overall well-being and quality of life.”
There are also many great yoga studios and a strong yoga community in the Charleston area that can help one recover from addiction. The same goes for an active and energetic meditation community.
Utilizing Mindfulness Meditation in the Community
Like yoga, meditation is also thousands of years old. The beauty of meditation is that it can be practiced anywhere. Also, while it is a solo practice, there are many meditation centers where one can connect to others with similar goals.
The benefits of meditation are countless. According to the International Quarterly Journal of Research in Ayurveda (AYU), “In this state [of meditation], dualities such as pleasure and pain, good and bad, etc., are not experienced. There is no experience of stress, anxiety, guilt, greed, envy, jealousy, anger, etc. The only experience in this state of unity is peace and bliss.”
Meditation can also lead to a more spiritual sense of recovery. This spirituality is often considered by many to be the cornerstone of their recovery.
Healing at the Cellular Level With Lantana Recovery
Here at Lantana Recovery, we believe in healing at the cellular level. This is why we include holistic healing components in all of our recovery plans. It is also why we involve the local community in our process. We believe in long-term success over short-term “fixes.”
Thich Nhat Hanh also famously said, “People sacrifice the present for the future. But life is available only in the present. That is why we should walk in such a way that every step can bring us to the here and the now.” We are here to help make the present moment a pleasant one. It is time to stop living in the past and start living in recovery.
Holistic healing is essential for recovery at the cellular level. Part of that holistic method is connecting with the community (“we cannot do this alone”). There are many community resources that can help one heal holistically, as well as focus on their recovery in the long term. If you feel like you or a loved one is struggling with issues of addiction, mental illness, or both, we can help get you on the positive path toward recovery right away. You don’t have to go through this process alone. For more information about effective communal holistic healing practices like yoga and meditation, please reach out to Lantana Recovery today at (866) 997-2870
