5 Guided Meditation Techniques for Addiction Recovery

This awareness gives you the ability to recognise a craving when it arises, but without the need to give into it. Practices like yoga, tai chi, or even mindful walking can be used to increase physical and mental balance. This can be especially helpful for releasing any built-up tension or feelings of restlessness that may arise during recovery.

Are there risks to practicing meditation and mindfulness in recovery?

• This practice involves walking at a measured pace, paying full attention to each step and each breath.
• With their eyes closed, they direct their attention toward specific areas of the body, starting usually with the toes.
• We publish material that is researched, cited, edited and reviewed by licensed medical professionals.
• Life moves fast, and it’s easy to drift into worries about the past and the future.
• They also facilitate access to new methods and expert guidance, making meditation easier and more engaging.
• These things include the most mundane habits, like scrolling on social media or brushing your teeth.

A few minutes of reading each day can help you stay centered and focused on what matters most. I have over three years of experience helping individuals and families navigate life’s challenges of mental health and substance use. I graduated from Towson University with my Bachelor’s Degree in Family and Human Services, with a track in Child life. I then pursued my Masters in Clinical Social Work at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, School of Social Work. While pursuing my masters, I also received my BCAT certification which allows me to work with clients with Autism. I have experience working with all age Halfway house groups and backgrounds and have worked in hospitals, inpatient, outpatient, and partial hospitalization programs providing clinical social work services.

DBT’s role in improving emotional resilience

Meditation is a powerful yet simple technique with many health benefits, including reduced stress and anxiety. Due to the impactful effects, many people are turning to meditation for addiction recovery support. The centerpiece of TM is the mantra, a unique word or sound chosen specifically for the individual. This mantra is selected during personalized instruction, often by a trained TM teacher, and is used as a focus point during meditation.

Truth Meditation for Addiction Recovery

All meditation involves being mindful (or present in the moment), but mindfulness meditation emphasizes this. In mindfulness meditation, the person works to build his or her awareness of the current situation. As the Medical Director, Mark works with the staff to coordinate the appropriate level of care for each individual client.

Body scan meditation encourages physical awareness, reducing stress and supporting emotional balance. Loving-kindness meditation, or Metta, fosters self-compassion and addresses feelings of guilt and shame, rebuilding self-esteem. Guided meditation involves mental imagery to promote relaxation, visualize a substance-free future, and reinforce motivation.

• A study by the University of Wisconsin found that mindfulness meditation helped alcohol-dependent individuals stay sober longer.
• I began working in the treatment field for alcohol and drug addiction in January 2020, and it has provided me with a sense of purpose, as helping others has always been a passion of mine.
• By incorporating meditation into a recovery plan, individuals can build resilience, self-awareness, and inner peace—key components of a sustainable, substance-free life.
• Many times insurance can help cover up to 100% of the cost of treatment at Capo Canyon’s program.
• A guided meditation is a meditation that another person guides you through, whether in person or via a video or audio recording.

I still engage in a daily program of recovery myself and also enjoy fitness and health, nature, sports, horror movies, video games, cooking and spending time with family and friends. I have been on both sides of the fence, active addiction and recovery, and continue to choose recovery every day. Sydney Tubbs is a driven and compassionate Operations Director at The Freedom Center. With a profound understanding of the complexities surrounding addiction, Sydney has dedicated her career to improving the lives of individuals struggling with substance abuse.

What resources are available for continued meditation practice?

You can repeat the mantra loudly or quietly, and the repetition allows you to focus on the environment around you. Verify your insurance today – treatment could be more affordable than you think. After graduating high school, he attended college at the University of Coastal Carolina & Salisbury University.

Combining these approaches can provide a more comprehensive and effective treatment plan, addressing both the psychological and behavioral aspects of addiction recovery. The therapist introduces various meditation techniques, such as mindfulness and breath-focused meditation, and sets expectations for the session. You will meditate in a calm environment, guided on posture and breathing exercises, while focusing on your breath or visualizing calming scenarios. A 2009 systematic review and meta-analysis published in Substance Abuse looked at 22 studies on mindfulness-based interventions for substance use disorders. The researchers found that mindfulness-based interventions significantly reduced substance use, cravings, and relapse rates compared to control conditions (Zgierska et al., 2009).

They guide our mission as accomplished individuals dedicated to improving the landscape of addiction recovery and mental wellness. You can start small and gradually increase the time you spend meditating. Some people prefer guided practices, while others enjoy silent meditation. The key is to find a routine that suits your personality and lifestyle.

In guided meditation, you will work with a trained meditation or mental health professional. According to theNational Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, meditation is a mind-body activity intended to promote calm and relaxation and help people cope with illnesses and improve well-being. It involves sitting comfortably in a quiet setting, focusing your attention and allowing thoughts and distractions to pass without assessing them. Deirdre graduated in 2012 from Pace University and completed her bachelor’s at Columbia University in New York and has her Master of Science in Family Nurse Practitioner.

Incorporating guided meditation into a comprehensive addiction recovery plan can enrich the quality of the healing experience. Its ability to provide a reprieve from the tumult of recovery, enhance emotional awareness, and mitigate triggers, places it among the most accessible and effective practices available to those in recovery. Guided meditation is a form of meditation in which an individual is led through a series of mental images and suggestions crafted by a meditation leader, often delivered through a therapeutic app or in person.