Can Mindfulness and meditation help recovery?

Mindfulness and meditation are practices that have been around for thousands of years, but have recently become more popularized and practiced. You might have heard it talked about in the context of religion or used in yoga, but this is a practice that can be applied to your life to assist in recovery from addiction. A recent study done on how mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) affects addiction recovery showed that “MBIs reduce substance misuse and craving by modulating cognitive, affective, and psychophysiologic processes integral to self-regulation and reward processing” (Garland & Howard, 2018). It goes back to the principle of taking control of your thoughts. By practicing mindfulness and meditation, you focus on positive thoughts and goals and center yourself.

There are lots of other benefits to mindfulness and meditation as well. It has been known to lower the risk of high blood pressure, help you sleep better, and reduce chronic pain. But how do you even meditate? It’s really rather easy. It doesn’t have to be a whole ordeal with specifics requirements around you. It is just aside the time to be still. Check out these steps on how to meditate:

1. Take a seat

   • Find place to sit that feels calm and quiet to you.

2. Set a time limit

   • If you’re just beginning, it can help to choose a short time, such as five or 10 minutes.

3. Notice your body

   • You can sit in a chair with your feet on the floor, you can sit loosely cross-legged, you can kneel—all are fine. Just make sure you are stable and in a position you can stay in for a while.

4. Feel your breath

   • Follow the sensation of your breath as it goes in and as it goes out.

5. Notice when your mind has wandered

   • Inevitably, your attention will leave the breath and wander to other places. When you get around to noticing that your mind has wandered—in a few seconds, a minute, five minutes—simply return your attention to the breath.

6. Be kind to your wandering mind

   • Don’t judge yourself or obsess over the content of the thoughts you find yourself lost in. Just come back.

7. Close with kindness

   • When you’re ready, gently lift your gaze (if your eyes are closed, open them). Take a moment and notice any sounds in the environment. Notice how your body feels right now. Notice your thoughts and emotions.