Categories: Rehab

Yoga and Meditation: Effective Santa Clarita Drug Treatment Program

There have been countless therapeutic modalities that have been used in the management of drug addiction and drug abuse in Santa Clarita, California. And while the state continues to fight its way in the drug scourge that has been enveloping the nation for almost 2 decades now, Clarita is turning to two highly unusual yet very effective methods of drug treatment. While meditation and yoga may look unconventional to many, it is perhaps two of the more useful treatment methods ever to be used in the management of drug addiction problems.

Drug Treatment and Relaxation

A luxury drug treatment and rehabilitation center serving the area of Santa Clarita has been using meditation and yoga in its drug treatment programs with highly measurable levels of success. The programs capitalize on the ability of the rehabilitee to relax and calm his mind so that he becomes more fully conscious of his thoughts, his feelings, and the variety of symptoms that reflects from the physiologic changes that is occurring in his body. This relaxed state of body and mind paves the way for other drug treatment programs to exert their therapeutic effects on the individual, leading to greater chances of success at leading a drug-free and more sober life.

Meditation and Drug Treatment

Many people equate meditation with spiritual activities, particularly Buddhists. However, the practice of meditation can be found in almost every other religion and cultural belief system. Whether it comes with spiritual intonations or purely cultural ones, meditation has been shown to be particularly effective among individuals who are receiving treatment for drug addiction and dependence.

The whole point of using meditation in drug treatment programs is that it helps the individual to literally train his mind. Some call this as the state of mindfulness while others simply refer to it as meditation or the act of conscious thinking. Studies have shown that meditation activates the parasympathetic nervous system of the body to slow down the heart rate and induce a drop in blood pressure. It has also been shown to significantly reduce the stress response of the body so that the individual becomes more relaxed, calmer, and in a generally more pleasant emotional and mental state.

In effect, when meditation is used in drug treatment, the individual is being taught to be fully conscious of his thoughts, his feelings, and his body. This allows him to take full control of the stressful situation and make the appropriate adjustments so that he will not be necessarily suffer the consequences of severe stress. Additionally, since meditation allows the individual to be fully cognizant of his body, he is able to take full control of his emotions and help minimize the many physical symptoms that he may be experiencing. This is often particularly helpful if, despite the intensive detoxification process that precedes any drug treatment program, there are still periodic episodes of minimally discomforting withdrawal symptoms. Technically, the individual is able to literally brush aside from his mind the painful or uncomfortable symptoms he is experiencing. This eliminates the need for more medications that may be ordered to manage the withdrawal symptom.

Helping to Heal Addiction with Yoga

Some Santa Clarita residents do not necessarily look at yoga as particularly beneficial when it comes to drug treatment. However, studies have shown that yoga may be particularly helpful to individuals who are suffering from stress, depression, as well as cognitive deficits. These symptoms, while not exclusive, are also seen among individuals who have drug addiction. While many members of the medical community question the validity and reliability of these research results, more and more individuals are including yoga in their alternative healthcare programs as a means of achieving optimum health and wellness. In fact, according to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, more than 7 percent of all Americans participate in yoga programs as an alternative therapy for a variety of health conditions.

When used in drug treatment, yoga can help individuals by teaching them to become more acutely aware of their bodies. Yoga is often performed with purposeful breathing, imagery, meditation, and soothing and relaxing music. It contains both exercise and meditative components to allow individuals to regain their pre-drug addiction physical performance and to become more aware of their bodies, their thoughts, and their emotions. This is crucial in terms of identifying the underlying cause of the drug or substance addiction. In fact, it is the mind and body connection that yoga can truly benefit drug rehabilitees. When individuals become acute aware of their physical movement, they get the impression that they are somehow in control of their bodies. With repeated yoga sessions, this control becomes all the more evident such that they eventually begin to realize that they can also control or manage their inner sensations and as such will bring forth the state of wellness that they all seek.

Luxury drug treatment centers that provide yoga in their drug treatment protocols often have to work closely with individual residents especially in the early stages of the yoga. This is to ensure that the correct breathing techniques are utilized and the correct body posture is attained and sustained for a given length of time. Tension in the muscles must be felt in order to stimulate awareness of the feeling of tension. The individual is then taught how to control the rest of his body in order to minimize these same tensions. When applied in the real world setting, a Santa Clarita drug treatment alumni will be able to readily recognize the tension produced by the temptation of drugs. He then becomes consciously aware of the threat and can thus initiate measures to either avoid the threat or manage the circumstance. Either way, the result is he remains free from drugs and stays sober as the day he left the rehabilitation and treatment center.

Santa Clarita residents now know that by taking full control of their consciousness, they can easily will their bodies to say no to illicit substances such as drugs and alcohol. They are able to manage their stresses and be able to embark on a journey of lifetime sobriety.

Las Vegas Office: Effective Drug Treatment Program

Miki Hunter

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