Hope Trust rehab has integrated Yoga in its addiction treatment program.The experience of Hope Trust is that Yoga is an excellent tool for individuals seeking to build a new life free from alcohol or drug addiction.

1. Yoga and Addiction Treatment
Yoga is best exercise in early recovery
Heavy exercise is not recommended in early recovery. First of all, it puts substantial strain
on the already damaged central nervous system which is in process of recovering from
substance abuse. This may trigger a health crisis. Secondly, individuals who indulge in
strenuous physical exercise such as weight-lifting, begin to feel that they have already
recovered . They ay ot realize that this feeli g is erely o a physical level. Si ce
addiction affects all areas of the addict, they need to address their cognitive, emotional,
social and spiritual areas too. This takes time. Heavy physical exercise may make them
complacent and vulnerable for relapse.
Yoga is an effective tool in addiction recovery for several reasons. Some are:
Yoga Teaches New Coping Skills
A primary area of co cer for addictio treat e t is the addict s inability to cope with
difficult thoughts and feelings. Addiction therapy mainly focuses on helping the individual in
identifying the negative thoughts and emotions and learning to manage these. Yoga teaches
new and effective stress-management techniques such as deep breathing to help manage
thoughts and emotions.
Yoga Helps Individuals Achieve Peace and Balance
Addicted persons usually carry a lot of suppressed anger within themselves. This may be
directed towards self (guilt and shame) or others (blaming and resentment). They abuse
alcohol or drugs in an effort to calm these uncomfortable emotions. They lack a sense of
balance and inner peace. The 12 Step approach helps in o e s situation and shortcomings.
Similarly, Yoga helps in balancing inner and outer peace by achieving balance – something
other types of exercise may not.
Yoga Encourages Spirituality
Addiction causes spiritual erosion. Meditation and prayer are found to be useful in addiction
recovery – as advocated by 12 Step programs. Yoga also encourages the individual to make
a spiritual connection through deep utterances and meditation.
Yoga Promotes Self-discipline
Unstructured and unhealthy lifestyle is the hallmark of an active addict. His or her life is
determined by drugs and alcohol. High impulsivity is common. Rehabs such as Hope Trust
introduce their clients to a structured daily schedule – eating, sleeping, attending sessions
and playing on time. It is important for basic health and helps in clearing the mind to be
receptive to therapeutic inputs. In recovery, gaining control over impulsivity is important.

2. Negative thoughts and emotions need to be replaced with positive action. Again, Yoga helps
in achieving these goals.
Yoga is an ancient Indian practice, recently getting worldwide popularity. Yoga is a natural
mood-stabilizer, releases negativity and promotes overall wellbeing. In the past decade, it is
increasingly been used in addiction treatment.
Since its inception in 2002, Hope Trust rehab has integrated Yoga in its addiction treatment
program. Yoga supplements the 12 Step centred approach that also includes Mindfulness
(meditation), CBT, individual and group therapy, audio-video inputs, nutritious diet,
recreation and medical/ psychiatric back up. The experience of Hope Trust is that Yoga is an
excellent tool for individuals seeking to build a new life free from alcohol or drug addiction.