Yoga in Addiction Treatment: Benefits & Goals

In India, yoga is considered a science of the mind that has been practiced for thousands of years to help people attain enlightenment.¹ Yoga has recently caught the attention of Western scientific communities, and the benefits of a traditional yoga practice are increasingly recognized.² Yoga is also more frequently offered in rehab programs to enhance recovery outcomes.²

This page will help you learn more about yoga, including how it works, the goals of yoga, the benefits of yoga for addiction treatment and recovery programs, and how to find a treatment center that provides yoga.

What Is Yoga?

Yoga is a holistic practice involving breathing, concentration, and physical poses that aims to promote harmony for the body, mind, and spirit. Yoga dates back as far as 5,000 B.C. in India and translates to “unite” or “union.”³

During the late 1800s, Indian monks spread the teachings of yoga in the West, which grew in popularity by the 1970s. Traditional yoga as practiced in India seeks self-realization and spiritual enlightenment and is a practice that occurs each moment of every day.⁴ However, Western adaptations often prioritize flexibility, physical fitness, mental well-being, and stress management, with a range of styles such as Ashtanga, Bikram, Hatha, Kundalini, Vinyasa, and more.⁵

How Does Yoga Work?

Yoga works by blending mental, physical, and spiritual practices. In traditional yoga, The Yoga Sutras text is considered the guiding text of the practice and outlines eight “limbs” of the yoga path:⁴

• Yamas (5 moral restraints): Nonviolence, truthfulness, non-stealing, moderation, non-hoarding. These are the principles that guide the practitioner’s actions.
• Niyamas (5 observances): Purity, contentment, austerity, self-study, devotion to a higher power. These are how the practitioner is asked to live their life.
• Asana (postures): This is the physical aspect of yoga that Westerners are accustomed to finding when taking a yoga class.
• Pranayama (breath control): Exercises that focus on controlling the breath and, ultimately, the life force (prana).
• Pratyahara (turning inward): This is a practice of raising self-awareness.
• Dharana (concentration): Bringing our attention to one point as practiced through asana (outward) or meditation (inward).
• Dhyana (meditation): This is a state of constant awareness, a state of being mindful and present in each moment.
• Samadhi (enlightenment): This is the final limb of yoga, the union of the self with the universal consciousness or the divine.

Like traditional yoga, Western adaptations emphasize breath control and mindfulness, to promote harmony for the body, mind, and spirit.⁵

Goals of Yoga

The goals of yoga vary depending on the style of yoga practice. Traditional yoga is a spiritual path to becoming one with the divine consciousness and reaching “enlightenment.”³ A traditional Ashtanga yoga practice guides a person to create meaningful change in their daily lives through individualized, self-disciplined practice.³ Western adaptations may have different goals, such as improved physical fitness and stress relief. Ultimately, yoga works to promote harmony for the body, mind, and spirit, fostering a sense of balance and inner peace.

Does Yoga Help in Addiction Treatment?

Yes, research suggests yoga is a promising complementary therapy for addiction. When combined with evidence-based therapies (e.g., cognitive behavioral therapy), yoga can complement treatment and support recovery. While clinical trials support yoga’s effectiveness in addiction treatment, further research is needed to understand specific interventions.²

In an analysis of studies that evaluated yoga as an intervention in adults with substance use disorder (SUD) seven out of eight studies demonstrated significant improvements in anxiety, pain, or substance use.⁶ Moreover, seven of these studies demonstrated positive outcomes when yoga was used alongside evidence-based treatment, including pharmacological treatments (e.g., medication for opioid use disorder).⁶

Research also suggests yoga may help reduce the risk of relapse. Stress, among other things, is a factor that can trigger a relapse to drugs and alcohol.² Traditional yoga practice has been shown to reduce stress’s emotional, mental, and physiological effects.²

Many residential and inpatient drug and alcohol rehab facilities now incorporate yoga into their therapeutic schedules. For outpatient addiction treatment programs that incorporate yoga, sometimes the yoga therapists are trained to work with patients one-on-one, tailoring the practice to their needs.

Benefits of Yoga for Drug & Alcohol Addiction Recovery

Research is beginning to support the benefits of traditional yoga practice, often called “integrative yoga” in the West.² Traditional yoga, or “integrative yoga,” is practiced for 90 minutes and begins with postures (asana), then moves to breath work (pranayama) and ends with meditation.² Preliminary studies have shown that this traditional way of practicing yoga can:²

• Decrease cortisol levels.
• Increase parasympathetic tone.
• Decrease sympathetic tone.
• Improve cardiovascular and respiratory functioning.
• Decrease the effects of stress.
• Increase concentration and feelings of relaxation.
• Reduce emotional reactivity.
• Target automatic mental and behavioral processes (reduce urges and impulses).
• Reduce cravings.

Other Addiction Therapy Methods

Yoga is considered a complementary therapy and is used as part of a comprehensive program that also incorporates evidence-based treatments such as cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, and family/individual counseling.

Many evidence-based treatments are used in drug and alcohol rehab programs. If you or a loved one seeks treatment, you will likely encounter one or more of these modalities in rehab. Some of the more common evidence-based therapies used in rehab include:⁷

• Cognitive behavioral therapy for addiction treatment (CBT): CBT is an approach to therapy that helps a client understand the thoughts and feelings that are driving their behaviors.
• Motivational interviewing and contingency management for addiction treatment: These modalities help clients change their behaviors by incentivizing change and addressing ambivalence to treatment.
• Dialectical behavioral therapy for addiction treatment (DBT): DBT is a type of CBT that is focused on specific behavioral skills to manage emotions and handle stress.
• Family therapy for addiction treatment: Therapy that helps a family understand addiction and resolve issues that have resulted from a person’s substance use.
• Group therapy for addiction treatment: Groups can be structured to provide education or to allow for the processing of feelings and thoughts around addiction.
• 12-Step facilitation therapy. This therapy focuses on acceptance of powerlessness over addiction, making amends, and leaning on the support of your peers.

Other therapies include creative therapies (art and music therapy for addiction treatment, writing therapy), equine therapy, and wilderness and adventure therapy. Meditation in rehab is also sometimes offered.

Does Insurance Cover Yoga in Rehab?

Health insurance coverage for rehab will vary based on several factors, including your insurance provider, your deductible, whether the rehab is in- or out-of-network with your insurer, and what level of care you decide to enroll in. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) expanded access to substance use disorder treatment and requires insurance companies to cover substance use disorder treatment the same way they would medical and surgical services.⁸

If you are interested in finding a facility that offers yoga, you can contact your health insurance provider to learn more about your coverage. You can also verify your insurance at an American Addiction Center’s facility by filling out the short form below. It’s confidential and free, and there is no obligation to enter treatment.

Find Rehabs That Offer Yoga Near You

If you’re interested in learning more about treatment addiction that incorporates yoga, American Addiction Centers (AAC) can help. With facilities across the country, AAC offers various levels of evidence-based and holistic care to suit your needs. Our compassionate admissions navigators are here to answer your questions, discuss treatment options, and help you begin the admissions process once you’re ready when you call .