What do you think when you hear the word ‘yoga’? If you are like most people, you think of an ancient Eastern practice rooted in Buddhism. But there are multiple forms of yoga, each with its own focus. Yoga nidra is one such form, and its benefits go far beyond mere relaxation. Some even recommend it as an addiction recovery strategy.
Addiction recovery tends to be a two-phase process. The first phase is medically supervised detox. The second phase is a therapeutic phase in which a variety of mental health therapies help those in recovery overcome their traumas and develop coping strategies for the future.
Yoga nidra has found a place in the therapeutic phase of addiction recovery. Incorporating it is based on a more holistic approach to overall wellness. Yoga nidra encourages treating the whole person rather than just the body. And it offers a path into the mind that traditional wellness therapies do not.
A Brief Description of Yoga Nidra
Yoga nidra expert and international educator Scott Moore describes the practice as a form of yoga that emphasizes a heightened state of awareness facilitated by deep relaxation. Yoga nidra is sometimes referred to as ‘yogic sleep’ because practitioners experience a state of consciousness that is somewhere between being fully awake and being fully asleep.
In this state, a practitioner is able to deeply explore their innermost thoughts, emotions, and motivations. Research suggests that yoga nidra can help recovering addicts not only learn more about themselves as people but also feel better without the need for substances.
Positive Research Is Growing
Yoga has been around for millennia. Yoga nidra is newer by comparison, having been officially developed and recognized about 60 years ago. As for employing the practice as an addiction recovery strategy, the body of research in support of it is growing.
One study conducted during a 5-month period in 2018 involved rehab clinic patients who voluntarily agreed to try yoga nidra instead of the other therapies being offered. The research team developed a self-assessment test as part of their study. To make a long story short, they concluded that yoga nidra had a positive impact on those patients who participated in it.
Another study conducted two years earlier demonstrated that yoga nidra can help alcohol-dependent individuals trying to reduce or eliminate alcohol consumption. Interestingly, the researchers in that study referenced an earlier study demonstrating the benefits of yoga nidra for women struggling with menstrual symptoms and depression. The results were all positive.
How It All Works
Although research seems to indicate that yoga nidra can be beneficial to addiction recovery, the mechanism behind its efficacy remains unclear. A small number of studies have looked at the practice and its physiological impacts on the brain. Some suggest that yoga nidra influences the brain’s reward systems, thereby making the practice at least as equally satisfying as drugs or alcohol.
Others have suggested that yoga nidra influences the amount of gray matter in the brain. And if that is the case, it would certainly have an impact on the brain’s reward systems. Either way, there is ample evidence suggesting that yoga nidra is a viable therapy for addiction recovery.
Nothing to Be Afraid Of
The most important thing to remember in all of this is that there is nothing to be afraid of in relation to yoga nidra. Practitioners do not become mindless zombies incapable of thinking for themselves. And in fact, it is just the opposite. Yoga nidra opens up a whole new level of consciousness that was previously hidden.