Meditation involves clearing the mind of running thoughts, making it possible to exist fully in the present. It is described as a practice because learning to quiet the mind takes time and dedication. Many benefits are associated with meditation, including stress reduction, improved sleep patterns, increased self-awareness, and more.
The practice of meditation is uniquely helpful to people in recovery from drug and/or alcohol addiction. Incorporating meditation into addiction recovery can provide structure through routine, allow for the development and deepening of spiritual connection, build bonds between practitioners, increase relaxation, and more, all of which can help practitioners maintain recovery.
What Is Meditation?
Meditation enhances the mind-body connection. It teaches practitioners how to quiet their thoughts, which may be done in part by paying attention to bodily sensations and/or movements. The intent is to act as a peaceful observer, allowing thoughts and sensations to pass without judgment or fixation. Meditation can be done almost anywhere at any time, though it’s recommended to do so in a tranquil environment, especially for people who are new to meditating.
The practice of meditation has existed for thousands of years. It is thought to have originated in India and is an integral part of many religions. Meditation is also becoming more mainstream, with many people practicing apart from any religion. Today, about 11.8 million people in the U.S., or 5.2% of the population, practice meditation at some point during their lifetime, according to Scientific Reports.
Learning How To Meditate
The purpose of meditation is to still the mind, but learning how to meditate doesn’t necessarily start there. Meditation is a practice because it requires practice, and often lots of it.
Everyone experiences racing thoughts from time to time, but for people with substance use disorder (SUD), these thoughts may be particularly pervasive or negative.
Learning to meditate on your own is possible in some cases, but it is recommended that you start under the guidance of a person familiar with the practice. A meditation practitioner can teach you techniques for managing racing thoughts and improving focus and can help if you are struggling.
Many drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers offer instructor-led meditation sessions for people interested in the practice. This is often done in a group setting, where practitioners can receive support from the group and grow in their recovery together.
In some cases, such as at Bedrock Recovery Center located just outside Boston, group meditation sessions may be available on Zoom or other online formats so that more people in recovery or looking for support can participate, including alumni no longer receiving formal care.
“I promote the meditation group to the clients during my groups and invite them to join on if they choose,” says Math, LADC II, BRC’s meditation group facilitator. “All are welcome.”
How Do You Meditate?
Your instructor may provide simple ways to focus your attention, such as focusing on your breath, including the sensations involved, the pace, etc., or on an outside object, such as a flame or even a specific saying. You will also likely be instructed to bring your attention back to this center of focus if it drifts to passing thoughts, noises in the room, or other distractions. You don’t necessarily need to be in the stereotypical cross-legged seat on the floor to do this.
For many people, the best way to grow a meditation practice is slowly over time, developing a regular routine. Practicing with a group at a regular time can be especially helpful in this regard, providing structure, accountability, stability, and peer support.
“We do the meditation six days a week at 6 a.m., and each person on the Zoom has an opportunity to lead the meditation one of the days out of the week,” says Math. “It’s a 10-to-15-minute guided meditation, and then we go around the group and each answer a question. Sometimes it’s about goals for the day, two things you’re grateful for, or something you need to work on.”
Meditating on a daily or near-daily basis allows you to recognize small shifts in your practice that can lead to big changes in day-to-day life. Especially when first beginning to meditate, you’ll likely notice drastic differences in your practice itself from day to day. One day, you may feel strong and focused, and the next day you may feel distracted, frustrated, or upset. The point is to keep showing up for yourself, no matter how you’re feeling.
Perhaps when you are angry about something, your typical reaction would be to ruminate on what’s going on. With meditation, the intent is to let go of these thoughts, including expectations and judgment of others, as well as of yourself. Through consistent attempts to remain a peaceful observer of your thoughts, without getting caught up in them, meditation teaches the skill of self-regulation.
Being part of a group provides the added benefit of being connected with people who know what you’re going through, have your back, and are rooting for you every day.
“We say, ‘namaste,’ ‘love you,’ or ‘have a good day,’ after each person shares and support anyone who’s struggling,” Math says.
What’s Needed To Meditate?
Besides finding an experienced practitioner to teach you how to meditate, not much else is typically required to practice. However, as mentioned, finding a quiet environment is beneficial, especially when you’re just starting out.
You may find that certain props, such as candles, a sound machine, a yoga mat, a meditation cushion, or incense, help you achieve the level of relaxation you’re looking for.
Types Of Meditation
As a universal practice, there are many different types of meditation to help practitioners find their calm, and many people practice more than just one type. Read on to learn about some of the most common types of meditation.
Mindfulness Meditation
Mindfulness meditation is likely what comes to mind when you think about traditional meditation. It combines the practice of meditation with mindfulness, which entails focusing on the present moment. You don’t have to be seated and still to practice mindfulness meditation; you can do so while in the middle of routine activities where the mind would typically wander. Opportunities for practicing mindfulness meditation may include while eating, brushing your teeth, or washing dishes or doing other household chores.
Mantra Meditation
Mantra meditation involves repeatedly reciting a sound, word, or phrase to keep the mind focused on that sentiment and build intention. Mantras can be recited in the mind, spoken in hushed tones, or chanted. Mantras should be short and simple, so as not to cause confusion. One of the most common mantras is “om,” a Sanskrit word that encompasses everything that existed, exists, and will ever exist. Other mantras include, “I am enough,” “Everything I need is within me,” “I have everything I need,” and “I am strong and capable.”
Spiritual Meditation
Spiritual meditation is a practice associated with forming a deeper connection to a spiritual force. Spirituality is not the same as religion; a person can be spiritual without being religious. A spiritual force can be nature, the stars above, the wind that blows, or the idea of life beyond our planet. However, if a specific religion is practiced, a specific higher power or powers can be envisioned and communicated with as well.
Loving-Kindness Meditation
Loving-kindness meditation (LKM) is a practice that involves nurturing feelings of love, empathy, and goodness toward oneself and others. To begin LKM, practitioners are often asked to close their eyes and picture someone who personifies unconditional love for them. From there, practitioners harness the power of that person’s love to envelop themselves in a total-body experience of love and worthiness. A mantra may also be used to offer feelings of goodwill to oneself or others, such as “May I be happy” or “May they be happy.”
It’s common with LKM to have thoughts questioning one’s worthiness of love. As with any meditation practice, these thoughts are to be observed without judgment or reaction. Focus returns to the feeling of being loved or to the mantra.
Focused Meditation
Focused meditation involves deep concentration that engages any one, or all, of the five senses. In order to do this, points of focus or props may be used, and practitioners may keep their eyes open or closed.
Examples of focused meditation include:
- gazing at the moon or into a candle flame
- listening to the sounds of a singing bowl
- holding a string of beads and touching each bead
- breathing in the aromas of incense
- feeling the sensation of grass touching the skin
Movement Meditation
Many people find that it’s easier to focus while in the midst of action. Movement meditation is a form of meditation where physical motions can help foster a deeper mind-body connection. Movement meditation can involve any type of gentle movement, such as walking, gardening, yoga, and tai chi.
Chakra Meditation
Chakra meditation is a form of meditation that focuses on the seven main chakras, or energy centers, in the body. Each chakra is located in a different region, has a different associated color, influences different dimensions of the mind, and if disarray is present, can manifest as different physical sensations. Chakra meditations can gradually focus on all the chakras or can focus on a specific chakra, for example, unlocking the heart chakra for emotional stability. Envisioning the location and color of the chakra can help concentrate one’s thoughts on this energy point in the body.
Benefits Of Meditation In Addiction Recovery
For people in recovery from drug and alcohol addiction, meditation can be a powerful coping mechanism for overcoming triggers, heavy feelings, and the day-to-day stressors of life. While it’s important to acknowledge your feelings to understand what may have triggered a certain reaction, meditation shows that it’s possible to maintain inner peace regardless of surrounding circumstances.
People with or without substance use disorders may find that if they feel an emotion, the emotion overtakes their mind, body, and spirit, which may be described as embodying that emotion. Refuse to judge yourself if this is the case. Many people grow up without ever receiving validation for their emotions, let alone the tools for handling them.
Meditation can help you begin to feel your emotions without reacting to them, emphasizing the pause between thoughts and reactions, teaching the concept that “feelings aren’t facts”—a saying often mentioned in addiction recovery 12-step programs—and affirming that although it’s impossible to control what happens around you, you can be in control of how you respond to what happens. This is a major source of freedom for many people.
Below are some specific physical, mental, and spiritual health benefits of meditation for addiction recovery.
Mental Health Benefits
Being addicted to drugs or alcohol is stressful. It strains the mind, body, and spirit, along with relationships, finances, and sense of self. Unmanaged stress is one of the main causes of relapse, according to the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences.
Meditation helps separate thoughts and feelings from action, which is something that people in addiction recovery groups will commonly refer to as “the pause.” Practitioners can learn how to breathe through the moment, minute by minute, and naturally calm the body to find peace.
Mental health benefits of meditation may include:
- better stress management
- greater mental clarity
- healthier coping mechanisms
- improved emotional well-being
- increased feelings of calmness
- renewed perspective on life
Group meditation provides the benefit of added structure and support in recovery. For example, Math’s morning group gives participants a reliable source of inspiration and support first thing in the morning almost every day of the week.
Physical Health Benefits
While stress can significantly impact mental health, it can also segue into a multitude of physical symptoms in the body. According to The Malaysian Journal of Medical Sciences, emotional stress is a major contributor to the six leading causes of death in the U.S., which are cancer, heart disease, accidental injuries, respiratory disorders, cirrhosis of the liver, and suicide. Learning techniques for stress management, like meditation, can provide benefits for overall physical health.
Physical health benefits of meditation may include:
- better sleep quality
- lower blood pressure
- improved symptoms of conditions exacerbated by stress like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and fibromyalgia
- reduced chronic pain
- slowed cellular aging
Spiritual Benefits
Addiction is a three-fold disease that affects the mind, body, and spirit. Fortunately, the effects of meditation are also three-fold, providing benefits to these three facets.
Learning how to enter a state of calmness and clarity can help garner feelings of connection, whether that connection involves nature, the Earth, the universe, life itself, or a religious figure. Existing in the present moment harnesses the notion that everything external and internal is part of the greater collective, or the idea that we all exist as one. With this understanding, meditation can also help with feelings of loneliness that are often shared by people with SUDs. Because meditation helps practitioners learn how to control their mental state, it fosters a more balanced sense of existence, which spirituality also supports.
Spiritual benefits of meditation may include:
- deeper spiritual connection
- improved self-awareness
- stronger capacity to focus on the present
How To Incorporate Meditation In Addiction Recovery
Learning meditation in a rehabilitation center, and then continuing that practice afterward, is a great way to support continued sobriety and emotional growth.
After you’ve established a meditation practice, you may wish to explore other ways to incorporate meditation into your day-to-day life.
Other ways to practice meditation on a daily basis include:
- listening to a meditation podcast
- joining a meditation group
- practicing yoga
- praying
- reciting positive mantras
- taking a walk where you are fully present
- using a meditation app on your cell phone
In addition to rehab centers, some 12-step support groups, like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA), also have meditation groups. Sometimes referred to as 11-step meetings—the 11th step is often referred to as the “meditation step”—these meetings may begin with a 10- or 20-minute meditation, and then segue into sharing openly through a show of hands or in a round-robin style. These meetings offer another opportunity to continue your practice and share about your experiences in a supportive environment with like-minded peers.
Meditation And Other Recovery Support At BRC
Along with meditation groups, Bedrock offers an array of other holistic services in support of clients’ long-term recovery.
These include but aren’t limited to:
- yoga classes
- prosocial activities, such as karaoke and game nights
- exercise classes and gym time
- recreational activities, such as movie viewings in an onsite movie theater and outdoor activities such as basketball
Holistic practices help clients develop an improved sense of self, reduce stress and anxiety, and stay on the path to recovery, complementing more traditional, evidence-based treatment methods.
Reach Out For Help Today
Call us today to learn more about our comprehensive, client-centered addiction and mental health treatment programs.
Visit @Motivatedbymathematics.com to learn more about Math, get in touch, or sign up for daily inspirational texts.
- Mindful.org — This Loving-Kindness Meditation Is A Radical Act Of Love https://www.mindful.org/this-loving-kindness-meditation-is-a-radical-act-of-love/
