How Spirituality Can Play a Role in Your Recovery

The idea of spirituality might make you envision New Age concepts like astrology, tarot cards, healing crystals or chakras. The reality, however, is that spirituality can be more accessible than you think. Essentially, it boils down to any practice that helps you find the meaning amid all the chaos of daily life.

Spirituality can be especially valuable for people in addiction recovery because of its ability to help you understand yourself, find greater meaning in life and make you feel a connection to the world at large.

What Is Spirituality?

Many people tend to conflate spirituality with religion. However, while spirituality is often a component of religious practices, it is not a belief system in and of itself. That means even skeptics and nonbelievers can find value in spirituality, and that there is no wrong way to incorporate spiritual practices into your life.

Another way in which your spirituality might differ from religion is that your definition of spirituality can and should be fluid and evolve throughout your life, whereas many people of faith do not deviate from or question their relationship with their god or higher power.

Anything that causes you to feel the interconnectedness of life and have a greater appreciation of your place in the universe can be a spiritual experience. For some, listening to a moving piece of music is profoundly spiritual, while others find solace in traditional worship services and prayer.

Benefits of Spirituality in Addiction Recovery

Substance misuse often makes people feel isolated from the people around them. In contrast, spiritual practices lead to feelings of connectedness. The result can be a sense of awe, gratitude and positivity. With regular spiritual reflection, you will gradually learn to become more compassionate, tolerant and generous toward other living beings.

Becoming a more spiritual person is also a worthy goal to work toward if you want to cultivate better overall mental wellness and peace of mind. You can respond more constructively to any anxiety and stress created by addiction and subsequent recovery.

Ways to Incorporate Spirituality in Addiction Recovery

Though spirituality takes many forms, here are some that can be particularly valuable for people trying to maintain their sobriety.

• Meditation: Meditation is a way to improve your mindfulness, equanimity and relaxation. While there are a vast array of meditation techniques, the most straightforward involves sitting still in a quiet place and focusing on your breath and any sensations you might be experiencing.
• Yoga: There is a close connection between yoga and meditation, because yoga also involves specific breathing techniques as you move through a fluid series of poses. The spiritual goal of yoga is to teach you how to quiet your mind and become more aware of your place in the world around you.
• Gratitude: The practice of gratitude helps you feel more positive and learn to live in the moment. You don’t have to add anything complicated to your routine. Merely taking a few moments out of each day to jot down notes about things you are thankful for can help you feel more connected to others and increase your sense of positivity.

Finding Serenity in Sobriety

It’s possible for you to go through addiction recovery and learn how to become more resilient along the way with tools learned through spirituality. At Complete Harmony, we can help you reclaim your physical, mental and emotional health with our non-12-step, holistic approach to rehab. Connect with us today to learn more.

Create Your Own Spiritual Ritual Today

Spirituality can be a crucial part of your long-term sobriety. Fewer cravings, increased hopefulness and less anxiety are just a few of the many study-proven recovery benefits. Being spiritual doesn’t have to mean being religious; it’s about connecting to the world around you and believing in something bigger than yourself. 

One way to cultivate spirituality into your everyday is to come up with your own spiritual rituals –and they don’t have to be complicated. It may even be something you’re already doing. The point, however, is to bring consciousness to whatever repetitive acts you do choose. 

According to Time magazine, Ben Franklin woke up every morning and asked himself: “What good will I do today?” and each night, he asked: “What good did I do today?” This simple yet powerful ritual brought intention to his life and his actions. 

What will work for you? Here are a few suggestions to get your mind and spirit working: 

Perform personal affirmations. Whether chanted out aloud or jotted in a journal, daily affirmations can help cultivate spiritual growth and a greater sense of self. Try a few upon waking or prior to shut-eye: 

• “I can handle the recovery tasks ahead of me.” 
• “I will be my best self today.” 
• “Today is a new day filled with hope.”

Make meaningful connections. Something as simple as a weekly social gathering or phone call with a close friend can become a sacred ritual. And the same goes for volunteer work or support group meetings. Just showing up and being able to help someone else can nourish your spirit.

Tap into your artistic side. Take time each day to do something that you enjoy that’s creative. By feeding your creativity you’ll be feeding your spirit. Some ideas:

• Color
• Write a poem
• Cook
• Knit
• Sing 
• Dance

Carve out quiet time. This will give your brain and spirit some much-needed breathing room – to think and reflect on the past, present and future and to assess who you are and who you want to become.

Begin Holistic Addiction Treatment Today

Complete Harmony is proud to provide a long list of holistic therapies that help clients pursue improved wellness during active rehab. To learn more about our alternative treatment options, call us today: 866-930-4673.