Meditation is a mental exercise that involves focusing on a particular thought or activity. The purpose of meditation is to improve mental clarity. Meditation is often done for religious or spiritual purposes. However, it does not necessarily have to be connected to religion or spirituality.
There are a variety of ways that meditation can be done. However, it typically involves sitting in a quiet place and focusing one’s breathing. There are a variety of benefits that people who are going through addiction recovery can benefit from meditation.
1. Meditation Reduces Stress.
Meditation is great for getting rid of stress. While you are meditating, you will be able to take your mind off of the things that are bothering you. Many people turn to drugs and alcohol when they are stressed. The amygdala is a part of the brain that takes over when one is stressed.
High-amygdala activity can increase feelings of anxiety and depression. Meditation can shrink the amygdala, which makes it easier for us to manage stress. If you meditate for 1.5 hours per day, then you can actually change the structure of your brain.
2. Meditation Increases Happiness.
Many people turn to drugs and alcohol because they want to be happy. However, meditation can help you be happy without the need for drugs and alcohol. Meditation helps increase feelings of happiness by increasing the activity in the pre-frontal cortex. Studies have shown that people are happier when they have more activity going on in their pre-frontal cortex.
There was a study done that involved people who did meditation for one hour a day for eight weeks. The results of the study showed that the subjects had higher levels of pre-frontal cortex activity.
3. Meditation Helps You Control Cravings.
One of the reasons that people struggle to stay sober is because they cannot control their cravings. Meditation can make it easier for people to say no to their drug cravings. It teaches people how they can take control of their thoughts. Taking control of your thoughts will help you change your actions.
Meditation does not teach people to ignore their addictive thoughts. It teaches people how they can cope with the thoughts. Because people will have mental clarity after meditating, it will be easier for them to make healthy choices.
4. Meditation Improves Emotional Health
Many recovering addicts are constantly tormented by the memories of their past. This can ruin a person’s emotional health. It can lead to anxiety and depression. Meditation helps people achieve emotional balance by helping them deal with painful memories.
5. Meditation Improves Physical Health.
Any type of drug addiction can wreak havoc on a person’s health. However, meditation can help you improve your physical health. It can help you sleep better at night. Getting the proper amount of rest is one of the keys to overcoming an addiction. It also helps you improve your health.
Meditation can help you boost your immune system. Drugs and alcohol can wreak havoc on the immune system, which is one of the reasons that people with an addiction are more prone to illnesses. Many people use drugs and alcohol to alleviate pain. However, meditation helps naturally get rid of pain.
Additionally, meditation can help lower blood pressure. Studies have shown that meditation can lower blood pressure in people who are at risk for developing high blood pressure.
It is important to note that meditation is not considered a treatment for addiction. You will still have to go through an accredited drug rehab program in order to beat your addiction. However, meditation is still a helpful tool. That is why many addiction treatment centers are including meditation as a part of their program.