The Healing Benefits of Yoga
Spring Gardens Recovery center in Florida supports the recovering addict with a variety of programs designed to promote health and wellness. One of the most popular of these programs is yoga.
Yoga is an ancient practice that has proven mental and physical benefits. And, as Everydayhealth.com points out, “You don’t have to be an expert to reap the benefits — adding just a few poses to your daily routine can help your health in all kinds of unexpected ways.”
Everydayhealth.com spoke to Linda Schlamadinger McGrath, founder of YogaSource Los Gatos in California, who said, “On a physical level, yoga helps improve flexibility, strength, balance, and endurance. On an energetic level, yoga teaches you how to cope better with stress by cultivating a sense of ease in both active or passive poses. On a psychological level, yoga helps to cultivate mindfulness by shifting your awareness to the sensations, thoughts, and emotions that accompany a given pose or exercise.”
Research has shown that yoga can help with stress reduction, anxiety, depression, insomnia, back pain and other ills. And ongoing research continues to discover even more ways that yoga can help you live your best life.
According to Everydayhealth.com, yoga may be even more effective than other forms of exercise when it comes to boosting emotional health. “All exercise has been shown to help people with depression feel better, and yoga is no exception,” they report. “In fact, a study from Duke University Medical Center suggested that yoga could benefit those living with depression, schizophrenia, other psychiatric conditions, and sleep problems.”
McGrath added that, “Practicing in a group setting, such as a yoga class, stimulates the production of oxytocin, the love and bonding hormone. Practicing mindfulness through yoga and meditation also results in higher serotonin levels (the happiness hormone), and long-term practitioners have shown more mass in the areas of the brain associated with contentment.”
Lots of research has been done on yoga’s ability to ease chronic back pain. The Annals of Internal Medicine published a study that showed people with chronic low back pain were able to achieve better back function, though similar levels of pain, after a few months of practicing yoga.
Another study cited by Everydayhealth.com, revealed that individuals with low back pain who “participated in just one week of yoga showed less disability and greater flexibility than patients who completed other physical exercises.”
Research has also shown that yoga can be beneficial for those who suffer from heart disease, asthma, arthritis and multiple sclerosis. It can also be used as a fertility aid.
If you’re having trouble sleeping as a result of your Florida detox process, you’ll be happy to know that yoga may even help you get some rest. “According to a review article that looked at several complementary and alternative medicine strategies for treating insomnia, yoga was one of the most effective approaches for getting a good night’s sleep,” the experts at Everydayhealth.com reported.
The website quotes Tamal Dodge, director of the Tamal Yoga School, who said, “When experiencing insomnia, practice relaxing asanas or postures, such as forward fold (uttanasana) or lying on your back with your feet up the wall. This will help with circulation as well as calming your body and, most importantly, your mind.”
Yoga’s beneficial influences on the brain also include boosting memory and providing relief for those who suffer from PTSD. Everydayhealth.com refers to a study published in the Journal of Traumatic Stress that found yoga could be a beneficial adjunctive treatment for PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder).
Many of those who have found relief from their addiction at Spring Gardens, one of the leading detox centers in Florida, know how helpful the ancient practice can be in the recovery process. Yoga, which has its roots in India, can help you clear your mind and harness your mental and physical strength for the challenge so many face in Florida detox centers. Yoga classes at Spring Gardens Recovery treatment center in Florida even include guided meditation, relaxation, and breathing exercises.
