4 Tips for Celebrating Body Positivity

Do you ever look in the mirror and start putting yourself down? Maybe your hair isn’t cooperating that particular day or you remind yourself that it’s time to get back to the gym. Even though these silent critiques seem relatively harmless, constantly berating yourself can dampen your self-esteem while increasing your risk of depression and relapse if you are working on your sobriety.

But, there is good news! You can develop self-care strategies to celebrate body positivity. By adopting a healthier self-image, you can learn to break the cycle of negative thought patterns and feel better about yourself.

Want to promote a more positive self-image? Here are a few easy tips to help you get started!

(1) Consider yourself a role model for other women.
Negativity can become contagious – but positive ideas can spread like wildfire too! By celebrating who you are today, it can boost your self-esteem and inspire others to treat themselves in a compassionate way too.

(2) Celebrate what your body can do and everything that you can do! 
Remind yourself that your body is more than simply what you see in the mirror. It is an amazing gift that enables you to hug loved ones, enjoy long walks with your four-legged friends and feel the warmth of the sun on your face. Pretty amazing, right?

(3) Appreciate what makes you unique.
Are you proud of your curly red hair or hazel green eyes? One easy way to shut down your own inner critic is to consciously replace those thoughts with positive self-affirmations. Compliment yourself and be proud of who you are.

(4) Exercise for the sake of feeling strong and healthy.
Do you go to the gym just to budge the number on your bathroom scale? Consider reframing how you approach exercise. Think of your workouts as a tool to help you feel good about yourself - mentally and physically.

Nutritional Guidance, Yoga and More

As part of our holistic approach to addiction treatment, we offer a variety of services to help women repair the physical and psychological harm caused by drugs and alcohol. Using a variety of therapies including nutritional counseling provided by our registered dietitian, yoga classes and other exercise opportunities, clients can establish a healthier relationship with food and with themselves. We’re here to help: (866) 746-1558.

4 Scientifically-Proven Health Benefits of Yoga

Yoga is one of the most powerful tools for addiction recovery. It teaches the student to choose mindfulness over impulsivity, calmness over agitation and gratitude instead of discontent.

Some practitioners believe that yoga works, in part, by helping to release negative, residual emotions and traumas from the past – which reduces your risk of relapse. While, at the same time, mitigating the symptoms of withdrawal.

If you’re on a journey to addiction recovery and need a little extra motivation today to hit the mat, here are four MORE reasons to practice yoga on a regular basis. Namaste!

(1) Your cortisol starts to drop. 

While this hormone is a natural reaction within your body to stress, chronically high levels can negatively impact your body. In one study, researchers compared the health benefits of yoga versus simple stretching exercises and found that women who practiced yoga had the steepest decline in their cortisol levels throughout the day.

(2) It reduces inflammation. 

Chronic and systemic inflammation is associated with a myriad of health conditions including heart disease, diabetes and Alzheimer’s. Though, yoga has been shown to help combat inflammation in the body. Ohio State University researchers monitored women who practiced yoga throughout a three-month period and found that inflammation markers were down by 20 percent.

(3) Yoga helps you fight depression. 

With regular practice over time, yoga can regulate your mood and strengthen your mental health. How? It fundamentally changes your brain chemistry by increasing levels of the hormone oxytocin and GABA, an amino acid, both of which are linked to nervous system regulation. In fact, one study found that the levels of GABA in the brain increased by 27% as a result of practicing yoga!

(4) It can reduce your risk of developing cancer. 

Did you know that nearly 40% of Americans will be given a cancer diagnosis in their lifetime? But, by practicing yoga on a regular basis, you can lower your risk. Multiple studies have shown the protective health benefits of getting regular exercise - including yoga.

Discovering Yoga During Addiction Recovery

At Rising Roads Recovery, we firmly believe in the power of exercise during addiction recovery. Using a combination of boot camp workouts and meditative yoga sessions, we help clients learn healthy life skills they can practice in their new life of sobriety.

To learn more about our comprehensive addiction recovery services for women, call (866) 746-1558.

Using Yoga to Help Heal the Suffering of Addiction

When starting out on the road to recovery from addiction, finding ways to manage the stressors in your life while staying healthy and active can be an overwhelming challenge. But for many women going through treatment, taking up yoga in a 12 step program can offer complimentary help to them in getting back on the path to living a fulfilling lifestyle.

Yoga has been aiding people with handling the physical and mental complexities of life for centuries. Although it originated in Northern India more than 5,000 years ago, it started to gain attention in the West during the late 1800s when Indian yoga masters introduced it to other cultures while traveling abroad. Today it is estimated that over 20 million Americans now practice this ancient discipline. 

Beyond Deep Breathing 

While to non-practitioners it may at first appear to be a lot of stretching and breathing and intricate poses, yoga enthusiasts enjoy it for the sense of emotional and physical equilibrium that it brings them. And as more and more people embrace this custom, we have learned that humans benefit from the many advantages derived from this ancient practice:

• It helps reduce stress and anxiety – By learning to relax and breathe through the practice of yoga, you can start to develop healthy coping mechanisms during difficult times. The mechanisms provide a lasting alternative to unhealthy coping skills established during active addiction.
• It’s exercise – Research has shown that much like aerobics, yoga can increase your energy level, flexibility, strength and even help with weight loss.
• It’s good for your physical health – Yoga can help repair your body from the wrath of addiction by helping you maintain a balanced metabolism, improve your circulation, increase muscle tone and potentially decrease your risk for cardiovascular disease.
• It’s a natural mood lifter – Yoga can aid you in releasing aggression, anger and tension in a constructive manner, which is key for those who previously turned to substances to relieve uncomfortable emotions.
• It can help with pain relief – While it can provide a reprieve from back pain, yoga can also potentially protect you from some forms of injury. Yoga has been used as an effective pain management alternative to addictive opioid medications.

 Rehabilitating Your Mind and Body 

By calming the mind and toning the body, yoga can help you get back in touch with yourself while you heal. In addition to how beneficial yoga is to the mind and body, it can help you obtain a level of self-discipline, if you practice it regularly, and it integrates well into a 12-step recovery program. 

Rising Roads Recovery helps women address their addictions and build skills to move forward in life. From transitional residential care and post relapse care to specialized care, Rising Roads Recovery offers nutritional guidance, art therapy, cooking and yoga classes, 12 step groups and educational and employment assistance services that allow women to move toward a brighter future. Learn more by calling 1-866-746-1558.