Most conventional therapy for recovery focuses on the mind. Once you start considering a mind/body/spirit model, you have more treatment options.
Think of the connection this way...
The spirit is who we really are. Our mind is our thinking brain, and our body houses this. Those of us who have destructive habits often have to ignore our body because we are hurting our “house”.
Recovery is a process, and a challenging one. Often, those who wish to gain control over compulsions cannot articulate what is going on. Because bodywork (massage) and yoga are not talk therapies, they can meet us wherever we are even if we don’t have the words to express how we’re feeling. Through weekly/bi-weekly bodywork sessions and yoga, those of us with chemical or behavioral/emotional addictions can learn to feel what it’s like to be present in our own bodies.
Nearly any behavior can be addictive. Even seemingly benign activities such as eating, playing video games, shopping and sex can become compulsive. It really doesn’t matter what the “drug” of choice is. All addictions involve the same brain circuits and brain chemicals. When we get a hit of our drug of choice, dopamine, the feel-good neurotransmitter, it floods our brain’s reward system.
This is why “The Two” (bodywork and yoga), can help those of us who wish to change our patterns. The two go hand in hand! Both increase dopamine and serotonin and decrease cortisol. This piece is crucial especially in the early stages of withdrawal when dopamine often drops significantly. Abnormally high levels of stress hormones weaken the immune system as well, becoming a vicious cycle. This can be very uncomfortable as physical pain, agitation, anxiety and sleep problems may arise. We can remedy this together!
All addictions are about self-soothing. Bodywork and yoga provide a pathway to connect to our body. This is enormously empowering! The two help with overall relaxation, enhancing vagal activity. The vagus nerve is one of the 12 cranial nerves in the brain. Stimulating this nerve decreases heart rate, lowers blood pressure, and decreases stress hormones. Sleep will become more restorative, anxiety will dissolve, and an overall sense of peace will sustain and support a new happy, healthy way of life.
To get started, text/call me.
678-832-7260
“Change the pattern... Change the path.”
Rena