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Meditation has become so much more popular in the United States than it ever was before, and this is largely due to the fact that Americans have picked up on the importance of these practices in their daily lives. Meditation has been shown to not only reduce stress but can help a person control anxiety, experience enhanced emotional wellness, increase their self-awareness, lengthen their attention span, reduce age-related memory loss and so much more. If you’ve been contemplating practicing meditation, one of the first steps you can take is to familiarize yourself with some amazing meditation gurus to learn more ways that meditation can benefit your life - especially as it pertains to addiction recovery. Born in India, Swami Vivekananda was the first Hindu monk that Americans were really exposed to - and with a goal to bridge the gap between India and the United States, he worked effortlessly to teach Americans about philosophies related to yoga, meditation, and better living. Yet another renowned meditation teacher is Paramahansa Yogananda, who was once told as a young man that he was meant to be a messenger of Kriya Yoga to America. Eventually, he went on to create self-realization centers, with beautiful meditation gardens and more located throughout the United States. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi is another prominent individual who led the Spiritual Regeneration Movement which influenced meditation all over the world. He once stated, “The important thing is this: to be able, at any moment, to sacrifice what we are for what we could become.” The teachings of these amazing gurus can help us connect more deeply with meditation, and can help us find a more firm grounding in addiction recovery. The road to happiness, healing, and wellbeing is ultimately a lifelong one - but meditation can bring us so much grounding in return. If you’re ready to embark on a beautiful journey through meditation, yoga and other holistic practices that will aid in your recovery, speak with a professional from Avalon Malibu today.

Color psychology may sound a bit silly, but it’s not - as research has shown just how much of an impact colors can have on our mood and mentality. The colors we wear, the colors that we incorporate in our daily living environments and the foods we eat can have an impact on our perceptions and, in some cases, how we feel. Very Well Mind, a website that publishes information related to cognitive psychology, behavioral therapy, developmental psychology and personality psychology explained that when used in therapeutic settings, colors can have significant therapeutic influences:

Addiction can take such a huge toll on our livelihood, and, over time, it’s quite possible that a person can become disconnected from their mind, body and/or spirit. When one area of emphasis is disconnected, the other parts begin to feel “out of whack” too - and it’s during these times that individuals often find themselves stuck in a negative cycle. Even when addiction isn’t present, self-compassion can be incredibly hard to achieve, whether it’s due to the lingering pain from trauma or the aftermath of mean comments people have said, difficult circumstances or mental illness.  If you’re currently on the road to addiction recovery, you’ll find that self-compassion is crucial for a healthy, well-rounded approach to life. Without it, we’re likely to criticize ourselves for the smallest mistakes - and, since we’re only human, it’s a natural part of life that we need to learn to accept. Even the most shameful moments of life can be tended to with self-compassion, and this is what helps us to grow and become better people over time.

The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health explains that massage therapy is: “...Used to help manage a health condition or enhance wellness. It involves manipulating the soft tissues of the body.” Massage therapy can become an excellent addition to addiction recovery, as the mind, body and spirit work to heal and rejuvenate from the negative aftermath of substance abuse. One type of massage therapy in particular - Thai massage - can be incredibly relaxing in more ways than one. It’s a bit different from traditional massage therapy approaches in that it involves the client lying on a padded mat on the floor, in which a masseuse guides and manipulates a person’s body into yoga positions and stretches.  Medical News Today, a website that publishes articles related to a variety of health conditions, notes that Thai massage can yield a number of benefits, such as:

Summertime is a major season for traveling, whether it be for work, vacation or to visit family. While this would be considered a “normal” excursion for some people, there are some additional concerns for those in addiction recovery - because traveling and vacations are often associated with drinking or drug use. If you are a bit worried about an upcoming trip, know that not only are you not alone - but there are also steps you can take to ensure that you enjoy sobriety without feeling pressured to abuse substances.  Last year, writer Holly Glenn Whitaker shared her experience with traveling and being tempted with drinking. She stated: “...Italy felt impossible. I’d never in my adult life vacationed without drinking and it was unfathomable to me. I was terrified that something would snap in me while I was there...I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to enjoy myself…”

Day-to-day life can bring up different thoughts, feelings, situations, and emotions, and how we navigate these moments can say a lot about how we lead our lives. When addiction is involved, it’s easy to rely on alcohol or drugs to numb bad feelings - but in recovery, it’s all about developing the proper tools and building a network of support for working through bad days in healthy, productive ways. Whether you’ve recently begun your addiction recovery journey or you’ve been working at it for quite some time, it’s time to assess how you currently handle bad days:

There’s been much debate lately over the influence of cannabis and the development of psychosis and disorders such as schizophrenia; many people believe that since cannabis is a natural substance, that it’s harmless. It’s important to remember, however, that any substance that can alter the mind and body can potentially yield negative results, and writer Benedict Carey stated for the New York Times earlier this year that an overuse of cannabis - along with an overuse of caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, stimulants, and hallucinogens can cause psychosis symptoms. While scientists may differ on all the causes of psychosis and their relation to cannabis use, one thing is for certain: if a person is already susceptible to developing a disorder like schizophrenia, their chances for experiencing psychosis from cannabis use increases. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) notes that in addition to this, it’s about how much cannabis (or other substance, for example) is used along with the age of the person and the first time they used the substance.  Professor Marcus Munafo, a researcher who participated in a study related to cannabis and schizophrenia, stated: “There is growing concern that cannabis use might increase the risk of developing schizophrenia. Our results support this, but also suggest that those at increased risk of schizophrenia may be more likely to try cannabis in the first place.” The information presented regarding the link between cannabis use and psychosis is meant to serve as a cautionary message - because not only can excessive use of substances lead to dependence and, later addiction - but it can also cause a person to produce side effects that may be quite discomforting. If you’ve been abusing substances, including cannabis, and you’re ready to seek treatment, speak with a professional from Avalon Malibu today.

Sleep quality and quantity are incredibly important to living a happier, healthier life, but unfortunately, too many of us miss out on this more than once a week. Addiction recovery comes equipped with many ups and downs, especially as we’re trying to navigate what works for our mental/physical/spiritual health versus what doesn’t. Earlier this year, Tuck, a website that is dedicated to promoting research on better sleeping habits, explained that those who struggle with addiction are 5 to 10 times more likely to have a comorbid sleeping disorder. Naturally, this may lead one to contemplate what exactly contributes to this albeit discomforting experience? There are several reasons why a person in addiction recovery may be sleep-deprived, with one being that substances like drugs and alcohol can yield significant effects on the brain’s structure and functioning - which, of course, includes sleep. In February of this year, a study conducted by Massachusetts General Hospital found that vivid dreams regarding relapse are more common for those in addiction recovery; Dr. John Kelly, the author of the study, stated, “Given that these dreams can be deeply unnerving, more information could help treatment providers, those in recovery and their families know what to expect moving forward.” Therefore, it’s not uncommon for a person in recovery to experience disrupted sleep for several months up to a year upon entering treatment - and while this may seem disappointing to know, there are several steps that a person can take to help their mind, body, and spirit get back on track with sleep.

If you do some research on addiction recovery treatment options, you’ll likely come across two main categories: traditional treatment and holistic treatment. Traditional treatment options tend to fall along the lines of medication, psychotherapy (also known as “talk therapy”) and similar options. Previous research has shown that these methods are incredibly effective - but as with any treatment approach, there are some gaps that another route, such as holistic treatment, can fill.

When our everyday lives become flooded with worries, responsibilities, and a host of other experiences, it becomes easier than ever to put our health on the back-burner. Why wouldn’t it be? After all, everything else seems to feel more important, to take greater precedence than our own mental/physical/spiritual health. What often happens in these moments, however, is we begin doing things that, rather than contributing positively to our wellbeing, detract from it - and before we know it, we’re engulfed in a lot of unhealthy patterns of behavior. Addiction is just one of many factors that can worsen our health all around - but even if you’ve had trouble making the time for yourself before, you can still change your routines to get back on track. First and foremost, you have to remember that the excuses you make can severely damage your abilities to take care of yourself in ways that are needed; the following are the most common excuses we make to neglect ourselves of healthy food, proper sleep and exercise, positive relationships and more:

We can’t escape those moments when someone - or something - aggravates to the point of no return. Anger begins to boil within, and sometimes it feels almost uncontrollable; despite having such an intense urge to act in a hateful manner, however, we do have choices. In these moments, the choices that we take in how we decide to think and act can have major consequences and can influence our lives greatly. Our society often depicts anger as solely a bad emotion, but did you know there are some good sides to it - as well as some productive ways that it can be utilized? According to the American Psychological Association (APA), Dr. Howard Kassinove, a researcher that has been published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology, explained that: “...While assertive expression is always preferable to angry expression, anger may serve an important alerting function that leads to deeper understanding of the other person and the problem.” Even when anger makes us feel like we’re about to boil over, we can use it in a way to influence actions that are for ours or others’ benefit in the long run. Last year, contributor Frances Bridges told Forbes Magazine that there are several ways to use anger to our benefit:

The language we use in our daily lives involves more than simply exchanging conversation; it’s a symbolic interpretation of what different things mean to us as individuals and as a society, and certain words that are used can have the power to change an entire nation’s point of view on a particular subject. Unfortunately, when it comes to the world of addiction recovery, there are a number of words that are used that only perpetuate negative views of others - and, in turn, further promote discrimination of people who’ve battled addiction but who are trying to improve their lives in the best ways possible.