Chef Heather : Food for the Soul

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In March, we gained an incredible new addition to the TMR Team. Chef Heather has truly transformed the meals and cuisine we are able to offer our clients. Often when our clients come to us, they are undernourished from the lifestyles of their addiction. Because of this, providing them with food that will nourish both their body and soul is extremely important to us.

Prior to joining us at Taylor Made, Chef Heather worked in a variety of different kitchens around the country. From working on a 175-foot Yacht to a Juvenile Detention Center, she has spent years crafting her culinary knowledge to create truly meaningful experiences and seriously delicious meals. While working in the Juvenile Detention Center, Heather realized it was communities like these she felt compelled to serve. Many of the boys had been repeat offenders that grew up with absent families and food scarcity. They ran a culinary program teaching the boys with the basics of cooking while building a foundation of work ethic.

When asked about the opportunity at TMR, she said, “I instantly knew I was getting ready to embark on the most important culinary journey of my life this far. I knew that everything I had ever done had been preparing me to be here.”

Chef Heather meets with the clients during a weekly house meeting, and clients are encouraged to give suggestions for meals. She listens to them and if she overhears something food-related, she will often put together a surprise (this includes a goodbye Pineapple Upside Down Cake for a departing client). They also are dedicated to Taco Tuesday and Breakfast for Dinner on Thursdays.

“TMR feels like home. The clients feel like family. I am able to give the clients two times a day to be free from the stresses of life. Just sit, eat, and enjoy. I am so happy, proud, and honored to cook for these guys. They are the best ‘customers’ I have ever experienced. Their gratitude fills in some of those cracks and broken bits from my lived experiences. The support I receive from everyone is more than I have ever known. They inspire me to be the best chef I can be and help me to be the best version of myself.”

Update: Patrick’s Story

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When I arrived at TMR in the fall of 2020, I thought my life and my career as a professional dancer were both over. My alcoholism and drug addiction had brought me to my knees yet again, and I felt hopeless, ashamed, and without options. Since my time at TMR I have remained clean and sober for over two years now. My life has opened up and become bigger and more vibrant than I could have imagined.

I recently returned home to Vancouver BC from a month-long European tour as a dancer with one of Canada’s most prestigious dance companies. One of the gifts I’ve been given in sobriety is the chance to step back into a professional dancing career… something that was an impossibility two years ago.

The majority of this recent tour was spent in France. I had the opportunity to take what I learned at TMR with me on the road – the morning routine of prayer and meditation, attending 12 Step Meetings, connecting and working with other alcoholics, and staying in touch with my sober support people. I even had the opportunity to attend an English-speaking AA meeting while performing in Paris

I’d been to Paris many years ago but most of that trip was spent drinking, in blackouts, hungover, and wondering why I couldn’t drink like a gentleman. This time, as a sober man, I got to experience all the beauty and life that Paris and French culture has to offer. It was amazing and only possible because of the work I’ve done and the help I’ve received in recovery. TMR was the program I needed to get sober, get healthy, get honest, and get better. My life is blessed beyond measure… and it’s true what they say: it works if you work it. And I work it.

Longtime Volunteer Brings Deep Breaths and Calming Thoughts

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She walks through our copper door with her rose-colored glasses, her little chihuahua Fuschia, and a warm smile. Patty is one of our most beloved and longstanding volunteers. She brings a sense of peace and a spirit of joy as she teaches Qigong (chi-gong) and meditation at Taylor Made.  Her sober journey started before many of our clients were even born!

      She began her journey with meditation in the 1970s in Palm Springs. Yoga was brand new in the U.S., and she remembers how her teacher offered the class and how it was different every time. She valued this time because “it helped me quiet my mind and reminded me that the real power is spirit, not the ego mind trying to run the show.”
      She discovered Qigong in Hawaii and has been using it as part of her practice for over 20 years. According to the National Institutes of Health, Qigong incorporates exercises to optimize energy within the body, mind, and spirit, with the goal of improving and maintaining health and well-being. “Meditation is most helpful when I’m disturbed about something and I don’t see a way through it, I end up feeling more grounded and willing to stay present instead of in my head with all the probable outcomes that are always scary”.
     Our clients have enjoyed Patty’s walking meditations. “It’s another exercise in letting the world go. You can see blades of grass flutter in the wind, and it’s magical that the world is so beautiful… Being with life, not solving any problems and not letting the mind run away with us. I remember to take deep breaths. I think about how I’m breathing in this beautiful place with all the flowers and trees, and I make it a sacred breath.”
      Her advice for someone new to walking meditation is “Slow down. As Thich Nhat Hanh says, kiss the earth with your feet. I love to examine things up close, patterns in leaves, what’s blooming this week that wasn’t last week… It’s all kinds of spiritual!”
     Patty and Fuschia live in downtown Portland and try to get out and walk daily.  If the weather is poor, she asks her higher power for the nudge to get out, and if she doesn’t get it then she’ll read something spiritual instead.
     Her favorite walking spot is Silver Falls, “but Oregon is so beautiful with all its hidden gems and flowers. I also love walking here at Taylor Made, with all of the recovery work being done here, I can really feel the presence of my higher power”.

Back On Pointe: Patrick’s Story

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There’s a stark contrast between the beauty and grace of ballet and the ugly and unforgiving grasp of addiction. For more than half his life, Patrick was caught between the two.

When Patrick moved to San Francisco at the age of 17 to pursue his dream of becoming a professional ballet dancer, he felt restless,  irritable, discontent, and insecure. He dealt with these emotions by taking narcotic pain medication and consuming alcohol. It was only through these substances that Patrick felt he could deal with the pressure and maintain as a high-level athlete.

At the age of 17, he overdosed and was airlifted to the hospital. That was his first  time in rehab and the first time he attended an AA meeting.

“It’s really hard to convince a young person and an addict that they’re never going to drink or use drugs ever again.  I was of the mindset that I could kind of clean up my act, get it together, get things back on track, and then figure out how to drink and use normally like other people can.”

What he soon discovered was that he wasn’t like other people. For more than a decade, Patrick continued to juggle his life as a professional dancer,  while teaching ballet, all while managing an unmanageable addiction. He found himself drinking every day to ward off withdrawal symptoms and self-medicating to help him sleep. He was then taking Adderall to get through the day.  It was a cycle that got completely out of control and cost him everything.

Homeless, estranged from his family,  and unemployable, Patrick was alone and desperate. He remembered a man who had reached out to him before,  Lowell MacGregor. Patrick hesitantly reached out to Lowell who immediately got in his car, picked him up, and brought him to Taylor Made Retreat.

“I very reluctantly became a resident at Taylor Made. I thought my life was over. I had lost my fiancé, my amazing job with the ballet company in Vancouver BC, I had ruined my reputation, I was unemployable, I was covered in abscesses from the drug use. Without a doubt, had Lowell not entered the picture at that time, I  would be dead.”

Patrick’s view of Taylor Made changed as he was empowered to see his story through a different lens.  The intensive emphasis on the 12  steps helped him establish a spiritual connection with something greater than himself. He learned to loosen his grip and be open to new experiences and learned new ways to deal with life’s challenges.

After five months as a client, through prayer, meditation, introspection, and working the steps Patrick experienced a shift in his life. He was much more than dancer Patrick. He became a  leader within the house. He became a dance and yoga instructor for the residents. He got his driver’s license.

At 34, he felt like a grown-up for the first time in his life. Now he has taken the design for living that he learned from Taylor Made and set out with intention each day to embody the principles of the 12 steps.

Patrick is no longer trapped. He is free. Two years clean and sober,  Patrick has returned to his passion as a professional ballet dancer with Canada’s Ballet BC.

Sobriety and the Next Generation

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Alcoholism affects everyone around the alcoholic. Some describe an untreated alcoholic as a tornado destroying everything and everyone around them. We have found that once an alcoholic finds a solution to their seemingly hopeless condition, they are able to repair relationships and help other alcoholics. Additionally, they can become productive and wonderful members of the community, their workplace, and their families.

At Taylor Made Retreat our goal is to help individuals gain sobriety through working the 12 steps. Through this process, they can find a new perspective, a sense of freedom, and ultimately have a spiritual experience. These four women were truly at their “bottom” but found a solution at Taylor Made Retreat. They have continued to grow in their lives and communities. All of these women have recently become parents. The relationships they have with their children and families are beautiful. All four women maintain their connection with Taylor Made Retreat, and they all continue in recovery. They are surrounded by love and support.

Isabelle came to Taylor Made Retreat in October 2019 after being in multiple rehabs. She was referred to as a “chronic relapser” who continued to drink after leaving treatment. While at Taylor Made, she finally surrendered and embraced a program of recovery utilizing the 12 steps. Her obsession to drink was removed, and she celebrated 3 years of sobriety this past October. The best gift of sobriety came when she and her husband gave birth to their daughter Lucy in 2021. Isabelle loves being a mother and is thrilled to be providing a sober home for her daughter. Isabelle is still working with her sponsor whom she met while at Taylor Made, and works to help other women get sober as well.

After years of battling an addiction to Heroin, Stephanie came to Taylor Made in April 2019. She stayed at the retreat for a year and experienced the psychic change needed to live a life free from drugs and alcohol. In addition to healing from her addiction, she was able to begin healing from the grief of losing her mother to the same disease. Stephanie celebrated 3 years of sobriety in March of 2022 and is a very active member of the sober community in Portland. She was working full-time until she gave birth to her son in November of 2022. She is embracing motherhood and is also a loving stepmom to her partner’s two sons.

Amanda came to Taylor Made after being unable to quit drinking. She described her life as hopeless, overwhelming, and impossible. Amanda always wanted to be a mom and was very excited when she found out she was pregnant. Amanda was so in love with her daughter Olive when she was born, but unfortunately, her alcoholism progressed. Amanda spent most of her time isolating and drinking. When life got too difficult, and Amanda needed help, she was led to Taylor Made Retreat where she learned to incorporate the 12 steps into her life. She no longer has the desire to drink and is finding joy in just being present with her daughter and joining in her excitement in discovering the world. Amanda also is active in supporting others in recovery and spends a lot of time at the retreat.

Becca arrived at Taylor Made Retreat after spending months in Mexico on an extended vacation. She arrived pretty banged up from months of partying. Becca hung on to the “party girl” attitude for a little while until she realized she wanted to truly recover. Becca completed the steps at the retreat and has had a complete shift in her whole being. Becca 2.0 is a kind and compassionate member of the recovery community. Becca has been supporting a meeting at Taylor Made for months and maintains contact with the retreat. She continues to stay in contact with alumni and support other women in their recovery. This past summer Becca and her partner adopted a German Shepherd puppy. They are also very excited to be welcoming their son into the world in January.

The lives these women have created were impossible prior to obtaining freedom from their disease of addiction and alcoholism. We at Taylor Made Retreat love watching such beautiful lives unfold when individuals surrender to a recovery program.

Alcoholic

An Introduction to the 12 steps of Alcoholic Anonymous

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Alcoholics anonymous twelve steps are an arrangement of spiritual principles. It is a camaraderie of individuals who solve their drinking problems. Sincerely practicing these principles in real-life empowers individuals to expel their drinking obsession while enabling them to recover from alcoholism. Regardless of age, gender, or education, anyone can participate in the A.A. meetings where their fundamental focus is to achieve sobriety. The only prerequisite to joining an alcoholics anonymous is the desire to quit alcohol abuse. 

Following are the twelve steps that are covered in any alcoholic anonymous program:

Step 1: Admitting powerlessness over alcohol

The first and foremost step of alcoholics anonymous is admitting that you have a drinking problem. Acceptance can be difficult for some individuals, yet it is the solid foundation for positive changes. Therefore, individuals must understand the disease model of addiction.

Step 2: Believing that the higher power can help in restoring the sanity

The second step of Alcoholics Anonymous states that a power greater than ourselves can enable individuals to regain their sanity. Here, the individuals struggling with alcohol abuse are taught how to connect with their inner conscience and higher power to seek help, enabling them to find inspiration that can help them remain sober. 

Step 3: Giving up on personal will and believing in the empower of Almighty

During the early stage of recovery, self-reliance can take you to relapse. Some alcoholics may have a hard time undergoing this step because of conflicting feelings. However, this step is meant to assist alcoholics in relying on more robust support that can help them cease their drinking habits. 

Step 4: Self-reflection

Another critical step of Alcoholics Anonymous is to stay faithful to themselves during the entire treatment program.You may learn about your true beliefs, personal character, and weaknesses that contributed to alcoholism during self-discovery. This step works as a foundation for future efforts by making you aware of your weaknesses and helping you to focus on your points of improvement that need support. 

Step 5: Honest acceptance of wrongdoings and effective communication

Besides admitting the exact nature of your misdeeds, step 5 requires you to embark on honest self-assessment for your faults. This step helps individuals mitigate their egoism and allows them to minimize their fear. Therefore, equipping you to work on your confessions with honesty, courage, and openness to the Almighty and other human beings.

Step 6: Willingness to be cured by God

Another significant step of Alcoholics Anonymous is to become willing to recover and make the most out of their addiction recovery program. Hence, the sixth step focuses on willingness to let go of your inner fears, weaknesses, and other shortcomings. Furthermore, it helps you focus on the desire to transform your old behaviors into the path to sobriety. 

Step 7: Praying to the Almighty to eliminate the shortcomings

This step is the continuation of the sixth step. Once individuals become willing to transform their negative thoughts and behavioral patterns, they can connect with their inner self and seek support from the Almighty for helping them to remove their shortcomings. Hence, individuals learn to adopt new, healthy practices that help them prevent relapse and combat cravings. 

Step 8: Being honest about your wrongdoings

As individuals approach the eighth step of Alcoholics Anonymous, they need to acknowledge the enormous progress they have made so far. This also helps you work through resentments that could potentially trigger a relapse. However, the fundamental root of this step is to truly understand the impact of your actions on others. 

Step 9: Making one-on-one amendments 

This step is for people to make amends in person by expressing their apologies calmly and rationally. This step and the journey so far allows individuals to communicate effectively and make amends willingly regardless of the personal consequences. Hence, the spiritual aspect of the mandate enables you to develop the strength to do the right thing by following the right path to a sober lifestyle.

Step 10: Focusing on continuing to take personal inventory 

The purpose of this step is to show yourself that you can make the right decisions without falling into the vicious cycle of relapse. This enables you to take responsibility for your actions and practice different coping ways to deal with anger or stress. Therefore, you choose a sober and better life rather than hurling abuse. 

Step 11: Practicing prayer and meditation

Prayer and mindful meditation are the critical components of the holistic portion of the comprehensive recovery program. Hence, this step encourages the bolstering of spiritual connection. This further helps in relapse prevention and emotional regulation.

Step 12: Practicing spiritual awakening

All of the steps mentioned above help individuals attain spiritual awakening amongst themselves. With the forever support of the A.A. fellowship, you become capable of accomplishing this treatment program. Moreover, it proves your ability to lead a healthy, sober life.

About‌ ‌us‌ ‌

If‌ ‌you‌ ‌are looking for an effective alternative to a rehabilitation treatment facility to free yourself or your loved ones from‌ the shackles of ‌substance addiction,‌ ‌we‌ ‌are here to help you.‌ ‌

At Taylor Made Retreat, we provide an ideal environment to individuals struggling with substance abuse issues to help them achieve life-long sobriety, inner peace, and confidence. For detailed information about ‌our‌ ‌program,‌ ‌reach us‌ ‌at‌ ‌503-457-3366‌ ‌or‌ ‌email‌ ‌us‌ ‌at‌ ‌‌[email protected]‌.‌

Recovery From Addiction

The Importance Of Personal Growth In Recovery From Addiction

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The fundamental concept of addiction recovery is personal growth. Regardless of the uniqueness of every type of addiction, one of the most common underlying reasons is the desire to escape reality. Accepting the current situation as it is, and coming to terms with the emotions one feels, is essential to cease this longing to escape. Seeking the assistance of a rehab center or alternative, such as Taylor Made Retreat,  helps you figure out the fears, insecurities, anger issues, and deep-engraved emotions that lie at the root of this escapism. This allows you to move past the negativity within you and empowers you to live a better life ahead. 

Here are a few reasons personal growth is essential in your substance abuse or addiction recovery. 

Addiction recovery treatment helps you develop a relationship with yourself

Growing with the recovery treatment program enables you to develop a better relationship with yourself. The treatment process is often likened to an onion as it manifests in several intertwined layers.  Each step adds a significant value to an individual’s life, such as self-care and self-respect. Hence, as you pursue and master one aspect of personal growth, the future challenge becomes more manageable, and so on. Therefore, recovery treatment helps you heal and grow within yourself, one step at a time.

Personal growth is a lifelong process

The rehab treatment isn’t a one-shot therapy. Instead, it empowers the individuals struggling with substance abuse to function competently without giving in to their addictive tendencies. However, it’s common for individuals to feel vulnerable and powerless at times post their rehab stint. Fortunately, the learnings mastered from recovery can help such individuals in effectively combating these emotional turmoils and remain unflinching in their sobriety. The robust personal growth indulged in during rehab gives the individuals strategies and coping mechanisms to help them rebuild their life, career, and relationships while leading a healthy, sober lifestyle. 

Personal growth enables you to discover your inner potential

Substance abuse and addiction kill the essence of inner positivity in individuals. This lost strength and confidence return only with time during rehab, but constant growth is inevitable throughout each day. Addiction recovery is a lifetime process. 

And only through personal growth can an individual be optimistic about rebuilding a healthier lifestyle, work on new habits, and feel confident and at peace with themselves. 

Boosts your self-control and motivation to live a better life

Addiction is indeed a result of a lack of self-control. Specific subconscious beliefs and underlying negative emotions often drive people to respond impulsively to such life-wrecking temptations. 

However, by practicing various meditation therapies during the recovery treatment, you develop the ability to strengthen your self-control instincts. 

It helps you regulate your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors to accomplish more significant objectives and lead a happy, healthy, and fulfilled life.

Personal growth enhances resiliency and peace of mind 

People pursuing the path of sobriety require high self-esteem that can only be mastered through constant personal growth. 

Practicing meditation, mindfulness, and regular yoga helps you improve your focus and self-awareness, making you feel at peace with your inner self. 

This also strengthens you psychologically to recover quickly from life’s challenges, tragedies, and difficulties, without yielding to temptations and easy way-outs. 

A greater sense of peace, acceptance, and resiliency are significant elements of personal growth. 

About‌ ‌us‌ ‌

If‌ ‌you‌ ‌are looking for an effective alternative to a rehabilitation treatment facility to free yourself or your loved ones from‌ the shackles of ‌substance addiction,‌ ‌we‌ ‌are here to help you.‌ ‌

At Taylor Made Retreat, we provide an ideal environment to individuals struggling with substance abuse issues to help them achieve life-long sobriety, inner peace, and confidence. For detailed information about ‌our‌ ‌program or substance use disorder treatment,‌ ‌reach us‌ ‌at‌ ‌503-457-3366‌ ‌or‌ ‌email‌ ‌us‌ ‌at‌ ‌‌[email protected]‌.‌

Addiction treatment

5 Tips For Helping Your Loved One With An Addiction

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Witnessing someone battling with addiction is distressing and emotionally draining. It can take a heavy toll on your mental and emotional well-being. It brings a huge pile of stress while constantly testing your patience, straining your bank balance, and leaving you racked by feelings of regret, guilt, sadness, anger, and so on. One of the critical challenges with addiction is that apart from the addict, many others get impacted by this disease. Friends, family, and colleagues often face difficulties with the addict’s behavior in terms of financial or legal problems while facing the constant struggle of supporting their loved ones. 

However, it is crucial to understand that this support is not about catching them when they fall, rather giving them a hand to hold while they get up on their own. 

Here’s how you can support your loved ones with an addiction:

Take care of yourself first

Encountering problems associated with substance abuse is a chronic illness. Besides the addict, it also affects every individual who’s close to them. Placing the need of your loved one above yours often results in increased illness, lack of self-care, depression, and anxiety. 

However, taking appropriate care of your own emotional, physical, mental, and spiritual needs leaves you in a better position to help your loved one through the journey.

Treat them as humans, not monsters

Substance abuse addiction is a disease that leads to a dysfunctional value system, shifting towards supporting ongoing substance use. It is natural to feel frustrated, angry, or irritated with your loved ones or limit your contact with them. 

But, try abstaining from treating them like an outcast or a disgrace to the family since this can shame your loved one and hinder them from reaching out to you for support. Once they start taking the recovery sessions, communicate with them and try to understand how substance misuse became a part of their lifestyle. 

Gain adequate knowledge about substance abuse

Feelings of worry, fear, and anger are normal and inevitable. Like other chronic illnesses, gaining better knowledge will help you provide better care to your loved one. Therefore, educating yourself about substance abuse disorder, interventions, treatment methods, and recovery programs will help enable you to help them and yourself in the best way possible. 

Determine ways to offer recovery support without enabling the addictions

Intense substance use disorder often leads to various problematic scenarios such as making people financially drained or invites legal troubles. In such cases, friends and family support often end up laying unintended effects of making the addiction worse. However, it is important to let your loved one in early recovery understand how you will only be supporting their recovery efforts and nothing more. 

Give them time to learn from their mistakes

During the recovery treatment, you should allow the patient to learn how to gracefully reject the cravings by themselves. Grant them the time to develop the ability to talk about their problems regarding their substance abuse. Your role during the whole treatment is to support them if they slip, along with constant love and encouragement.

About‌ ‌us‌ ‌

If‌ ‌you‌ ‌are looking for an effective alternative recovery treatment program to help yourself or your loved one heal‌ from‌ ‌substance‌ ‌abuse,‌ ‌we‌ ‌are here to ‌help.‌ ‌We’re‌ ‌a‌ ‌non-profit‌ organization‌ ‌providing ‌complete ‌healing‌ ‌for‌ ‌those‌ ‌aiming for ‌recovery‌ ‌and‌ ‌sobriety‌ ‌in‌ ‌their‌ ‌lives.‌ ‌We ‌offer ‌an‌ ‌ideal‌ ‌environment‌ ‌to‌ ‌achieve‌ ‌lasting‌ ‌sobriety‌ ‌without‌ ‌facing‌ ‌another‌ ‌relapse‌ ‌ever.‌ ‌To know more about ‌the‌ ‌details ‌of‌ ‌our‌ ‌program or substance use disorder treatment,‌ ‌contact‌ ‌us‌ ‌at‌ ‌503-457-3366 ‌or‌ ‌email‌ ‌us‌ ‌at‌ ‌‌[email protected].

yoga

How can Yoga Help in Recovery from Drug and Alcohol Addictions?

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Yoga is a combination of physical, mental, and spiritual disciplines that improve one’s mood and the feeling of well-being. It has numerous therapeutic and restorative benefits in mental wellness. Therefore, substance abuse treatment and recovery programs are prominently used to prevent relapse and diminish withdrawal symptoms and drug cravings. Hence, it empowers you with a healthy outlet to cope with the triggers and daily life stressors.

Here’s how practicing Yoga can help you or your loved one during and after the recovery from drug and alcohol addictions:

Reduce anxiety and stress

The initial stage of substance abuse recovery can be emotionally demanding and stressful for some patients. Yoga and mindful meditation develop your capacity to be aware of stressful situations while reducing your feelings of stress and stimulating emotional balance and improved mood. It aids in calming the nervous system while cornering various mental disorders like obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression, anxiety, panic attacks which impairs the proper functioning of the mind and body. Therefore, it encourages healthier sleep patterns and lifestyles while focusing on the tranquility and comfort of your mind. 

Diminish cravings

Patients undergoing the recovery program often sense the cravings to feel free from the psychological and emotional baggage. This is because recovering addicts often experience situations that trigger their hard-to-assess negative feelings. However, practicing Yoga and mindfulness allows a person to administer their feelings as well as cravings. Therefore, practicing specific yoga exercises in the long term helps in reducing all types of relapse triggers.

Improved focus

People suffering from substance addictions often do things in specific patterns. However, performing mindfulness along with yoga exercises helps you understand such triggering patterns in detail. Therefore, possessing complete control over your thoughts and emotions enables you to identify the triggers of potential relapse and substance use situations. Hence, it allows you to focus on your inner self without experiencing the uncomfortable urge to escape or react to them.     

Improved mood

Negative thoughts adversely affect the human body and mind. The desire to not feel the negative feelings plays a significant role in coping with the potential relapse and triggers. Hence, individuals under the influence of recovery treatment often feel the need to avoid such negative feelings. Breathing exercises and various other yoga postures help elevate your mood without worrying about slipping off your addiction recovery wagon.  

Encourage positive outlook

One of the crucial benefits of practicing Yoga is it encourages a positive attitude towards self and others. This optimistic attitude promotes healing and enables quick recovery. Practicing Yoga in your daily life helps you enhance your power of acceptance without criticism and judgment. Therefore, it nurtures a sound mind with the ability to be compassionate and generous towards your inner self and others.

About‌ ‌us‌ ‌

If‌ ‌you‌ ‌are looking for a recovery treatment program to help yourself or your loved one heal‌ from‌ ‌substance‌ ‌abuse,‌ ‌we‌ ‌are here to ‌help.‌ ‌We’re‌ ‌a‌ ‌non-profit‌ organization‌ ‌providing ‌complete ‌healing‌ ‌for‌ ‌those‌ ‌aiming for ‌recovery‌ ‌and‌ ‌sobriety‌ ‌in‌ ‌their‌ ‌lives.‌ ‌We ‌offer ‌an‌ ‌ideal‌ ‌environment‌ ‌to‌ ‌achieve‌ ‌lasting‌ ‌sobriety‌ ‌without‌ ‌facing‌ ‌another‌ ‌relapse‌ ‌ever.‌ ‌To know more about ‌the‌ ‌details ‌of‌ ‌our‌ ‌program or substance use disorder treatment,‌ ‌contact‌ ‌us‌ ‌at‌ ‌503-457-3366‌ ‌or‌ ‌email‌ ‌us‌ ‌at‌ ‌‌[email protected]‌.‌

yoga

Advantages of Yoga in Recovery From Addiction

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Recovery from addiction and substance abuse is challenging. Depending on the type and seriousness of addiction, the process and time of recovery may differ for each individual. Among the various forms of treatments, what may help one may not prove beneficial for others. However, walking on the path of spirituality by taking the assistance of yoga and mindful meditation is one of the practical and long-term assets to recover from substance abuse. Yoga encourages a healthy mind and body and, therefore, is a fruitful way to focus your energy on the path of sobriety. 

Here’s how yoga is advantageous during the recovery from addiction:

Eliminates the withdrawal symptoms

Depending upon a substance for comfort is easy, but quitting it for good is difficult. When undergoing the recovery program, the addicts often feel intense discomfort, pain, and other issues. They often fall into the relapse cycle by addressing their cravings due to a lack of control over themselves. However, integrating yoga in the recovery program helps in mitigating the majority of withdrawal symptoms. Yoga helps ease the mind and body while relieving the stressful hormones during your addiction recovery program.

Empowers you to connect with your inner self

Individuals using substances become entirely dependent on their addictions and ultimately detaches themselves from their inner self and outer surroundings. However, practicing yoga helps you achieve an elevated consciousness and contentment that is similar but healthier than harmful substances. Yoga empowers you to explore outside the confines of your mind and enables you to achieve a stronger euphoric sense of spiritual tranquility. It calms your mind and gives you the freedom to connect with your inner self. 

Improves concentration and focus

Individuals often use chemical dependency- the hazardous way as a medium to escape from reality and life worries. However, initiating yoga in your addiction recovery program trains you to focus and invest your energy into your thoughts and emotions. It prepares you to focus and accept your current state of being, ultimately helping you gain the perspective you need to transform your life for the better. 

Helps in coping with emotions

For some people, recovery from drug abuse is arduous and involves a series of emotional turmoil. As a result, people often adopt unhealthy coping mechanisms to deal with their feelings of hopelessness, loneliness, helplessness, anxiety, and depression during the treatment. However, coming face-to-face with your fears is a crucial step in a recovery program. Here, yoga acts as a perfect escort to the recovery treatment. It teaches you to control your negative thoughts by holding hands with inner peace and spiritual self. 

Helps in gaining better self-control

Self-control is a significant factor during the recovery program. Maintaining self-control and staying true to the sobriety treatment and self is a demanding task. Having healthier alternatives like yoga and meditation in hand is one of the practical ways of ceasing drug dependency. Practicing yoga to fight compulsive cravings is a successful way to avoid relapse and gain self-control.

About‌ ‌us‌ ‌

If‌ ‌you‌ ‌want‌ ‌to‌ ‌help your loved ones or yourself heal‌ from‌ ‌an‌ ‌obsession‌ ‌or‌ ‌substance‌ ‌abuse,‌ ‌we‌ ‌can‌ ‌help.‌ ‌We are known for providing the best alternative substance use disorder treatment in Portland, Oregon. We’re‌ ‌a‌ ‌non-profit‌ organization‌ ‌that‌ ‌offers‌ ‌holistic‌ ‌healing‌ ‌for‌ ‌those‌ ‌seeking‌ ‌recovery‌ ‌and‌ ‌sobriety‌ ‌in‌ ‌their‌ ‌lives.‌ ‌Our‌ retreat‌ ‌provides‌ ‌an‌ ‌ideal‌ ‌environment‌ ‌and‌ ‌tools‌ ‌necessary‌ ‌to‌ ‌achieve‌ ‌lasting‌ ‌sobriety‌ ‌without‌ ‌facing‌ ‌another‌ ‌relapse‌ ‌ever.‌ ‌To know more about ‌the‌ ‌details ‌of‌ ‌our‌ ‌program,‌ ‌contact‌ ‌us‌ ‌at‌ ‌503-457-3366‌ ‌or‌ ‌email‌ ‌us‌ ‌at‌ ‌‌[email protected]‌.‌