More Reasons to Add Yoga to Your Recovery

If you’re still reluctant to step on that mat and make yoga an integral part of your addiction recovery, you may want to read on. We’ve highlighted a few of the many ways that this ancient practice can strengthen your mind, body, and spirit.

Emotional: Yoga helps develop internal resiliency and cultivates mindfulness — both useful skills to help you resist cravings or social pressure and stay steadfast in your recovery.

Research even shows that it can change your brain — people who practice yoga have more gray matter in the areas of the brain responsible for self-awareness, compassion, and memory.

Physical: Regular yoga practice gets you moving and burns calories — and it can also help you become a more conscious eater and address any eating or weight problems on a deeper level. Another benefit of regular yoga practice, studies say, is better sleep — which means you’ll be less tired and less stressed.

Spiritual: As a spiritual practice, yoga can help you deepen the connection to your higher power. And finding inner strength and faith can help you find an inner sense of peace, even when life feels like it’s spiraling out of control.

Social: Practicing yoga in a group setting can help you develop new friendships and support with people who share similar values. Practicing yoga together can also help with stress management, too, say researchers, slowing down the mental loops of frustration, regret, anger, and fear.

Yoga Is for Everyone
Yoga is a holistic addiction treatment practice ideal for all ages, all exercise levels, and all rehab stages, and it is an excellent complement to traditional and non-traditional recovery programs. To learn more about our yoga program at Complete Harmony, call 866-930-4673.

A Surprising New Reason to Quit Smoking Cigarettes



Thinking of adding quitting smoking to your list of recovery to-dos? Kicking nicotine has been study-proven to ease recovery from substance abuse disorder.

And if that’s not reason enough, a recent study published in Nicotine and Tobacco Research says that people who give up cigarettes are more likely to make new friends — adding at least two new non-smoking pals to your social circle, according to researchers.

About 17 percent of the American population still smokes, so quitting makes you more socially acceptable to a much wider group of people — non-smokers, noted one of the study's authors, Megan Piper, an associate director of research at the University of Wisconsin Center for Tobacco Research.

More Incentives to Kick Nicotine

1. Food will taste better: Quitting smoking helps your taste buds work better and also restores your sense of smell, which is important since the aroma of food contributes to the pleasures of eating. While most smokers aren’t even aware that their sense of taste has diminished, people who quit are often pleasantly surprised by the many flavors they’ve been missing.
2. You’ll be in a better mood: One study that tracked symptoms of depression in people trying to quit smoking found that people were never happier than when they were kicking the habit and remaining free from smoking.
3. You’ll be less anxious: How can you possibly cope with the stress of recovery without taking a long drag on a cigarette to calms your nerves? Well, you can, and in fact quitting may even help decrease anxiety over the long term, according to a study in the journal Addiction. 

Let Us Help You De-Stress
We know that stress inhibits progress in your addiction recovery journey. To combat this, Complete Harmony offers a variety of cutting-edge holistic treatments that relieve tension and allow you to hone in in your recovery. To learn more, call today: 866-930-4673.

A Healthy Dose of #MotivationMonday

Sign in to your Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram account and type #MotivationMonday and you’ll be overwhelmed by the host of inspirational quotes, photos, and posts designed to help people start their week off on the right foot. 

• “Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.” – Muhammad Ali 
• “It's Monday morning, no matter what happened last week in your life, today is a chance to reset, refocus and restart.” – Unknown 
• “A little progress each day adds up to big results.” – Unknown 

Let’s face it: We all need that extra push or motivation once in a while, and this is especially true during addiction recovery. Motivation plays a big role in influencing patients to seek help, comply with treatment, and make long-term changes to sustain sobriety. Motivation drives you to change your destructive behaviors and meet your goals.

Here are a few tips to help you stay motivated during your recovery:

• Continue to ask why. Why is recovery important? It’s important to remind yourself why you decided to get sober in the first place. What was your self-motivation? There’s no right or wrong answer, whether the “why” is for the sake of your family relationships or for your own personal health and wellness – or both.
• Create a top 10 list. Come up with 10 benefits of getting and stay sober and refer to it daily. You can also add to it as you go. This visual reminder will keep you going and serve as a reminder of the many great things in your life now that you’re in recovery. 
• Reframe your goals. Sticking to your recovery is much easier when you give it a positive spin. Don’t think of it as giving up drugs or alcohol but gaining a new life free of the burdens of drugs and alcohol.
• Take baby steps. Marvel over each step, no matter how small. And remind yourself that it’s okay to fall as long as you don’t let disappointment derail your drive. Keep moving. Keep growing in your recovery.

Staying Motivated with SMART Recovery
The SMART Recovery program at Complete Harmony teaches you how to change self-defeating thinking, emotions, and actions; and to work toward long-term satisfactions and quality of life. To learn more, call: 866-930-4673.

Mantras for Addiction Recovery

Mantras, or repetitive slogans, can be a powerful part of your recovery toolbox. By adopting a few key words or phrases, you can change your behaviors, thought patterns, and emotions. 

Perhaps the best part about mantras is that there are no rules and no special equipment; you can chant them anytime and anywhere to make yourself feel at peace.

And they don’t have to be complicated either. For example, you can chant something as simple as “calm, calm” to help ease anxiety or say to yourself, “I will not give into cravings,” if you’re feeling tempted to use again. 

Here are a few mantras to try today – or get creative and come up with your own slogans that will help you stay focused on your sobriety. 

“I’m a deserving and worthwhile person.” It’s normal to battle with feelings of self-depreciation or low self-esteem during recovery. By uttering this phrase, you can remind yourself that you are worthy of a healthy, rich, and sober life.

“I’m in control now.” Now that you’re in recovery, addiction is no longer in the driver’s seat. It’s up to you to steer your thoughts, actions, and destiny – and this mantra can help keep you going in the right direction.

“I’m not alone.” By now, you’ve likely cultivated a community of friends, family members, and addiction professionals to walk beside you as you embark on your recovery. Even so, feelings of isolation can creep up and threaten your sobriety. Use this phrase to remind yourself of your support system.

Staying Centered at Complete Harmony
Taking a few moments to meditate at work, in the car, or before stressful situations can lead to healthy, mindful decisions and the strength to remain sober. We teach our clients how to add this simple, yet powerful tool to their addiction recovery arsenal. To learn more, call 866-930-4673.