According to recent data, approximately 21.5 million American adults (aged 12 and older) have battled a Substance Abuse Disorder (SUD) within the past two years. The devastating effects of these complicated diseases touch individuals, families, communities and society as a whole.
The road to recovery can be slow, difficult, and uncomfortable. The good news is that Yoga is increasingly being recognized by treatment professionals as an effective and empowering part of a whole-person healing strategy.
In this free download, Celeste Mendelsohn, a certified yoga therapist who works with people in recovery from SUDs, discusses some of the challenges of recovery and how yoga can help and ease symptoms and promote healing at each stage of the process. She also describes her approach, in which she merges the wisdom of ancient yogic philosophies with more modern approaches, such as 12-step programs.
Celeste points out that in addition to a wide spectrum of techniques, whether movement, breath-based, or more inner-focused practices, weaving together ancient yogic philosophies, such as the system of restraints and practices called the yamas and niyamas, with the modern language of recovery can contribute to a powerful, healing experience.
You might also enjoy Celeste’s course Carrying the Message to the Mat: Using Yoga in the Recovery from Substance Use Disorder.
