Today's Daily Tip
Give Freely
Generosity is a whole-being practice, and we experience it most deeply when we practice it on several levels simultaneously. On a ... (continued)Multimedia
Video Channel:
From the Magazine

Behind the Scenes at a Yoga Journal Photoshoot
See the work and dedication of our editorial and art teams as we create the images to illustrate Chaturanga.
Freedom from Addiction
Levin used yoga as a tool to help rid herself of her addiction. Similarly, addiction specialists in private practice, rehabilitation programs, and 12-step recovery programs are starting to recognize that the mind-body-spirit approach of yoga is a great adjunct therapy to conventional treatments for drug, alcohol, and food abuse as well as addictive behaviors like gambling and shopping. "Yoga treats the biology and the psychology of an addict," explains New York City addiction psychotherapist Mary Margaret Frederick, Ph.D. "Addicts are profoundly out of control internally. They have knee-jerk panic reactions and tempers. The will and determination yoga requires helps people regain control over their body and their mind." According to the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, in 2000, 12 million Americans (or 6.3 percent of the population over the age of 12) used illicit drugs. The same survey reported that almost half of Americans 12 and older said they drink and that more than 5 percent of that drinking population are heavy drinkers. It is also estimated that 65.5 million Americans aged 12 and up used some kind of tobacco product. Certainly not all of these people are addicts, but the financial and emotional costs of those who do abuse drugs and alcohol are high. A study conducted for the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism estimated the total cost related to treatment, prevention, health care, lost earnings, crime, and social welfare was $245.7 billion in 1992 alone. And for those who do become addicts, long-term dependency on drugs and alcohol takes a physical toll. Getting used to living sober is equally challenging psychologically. "Yoga is hard for addicts who worked very hard to get addicted and stay addicted," observes Kaur Khalsa. She speaks from personal experience, having spent eight years of her early adulthood addicted to a variety of illicit drugs. "The minds of addicts are shattered and scattered. They have a lot of pent-up emotions that the drugs pacify. To stay sober they have to work 10 times as hard."
Quieting Compulsion See All Asana Columns Articles » Popular Asana Columns ArticlesRecent Practice ArticlesSubscribe to Yoga Journal Magazine Reader Comments
|
Join Yoga Journal's Benefits Plus
Enter to Win Great Prizes!
|
Get 2 FREE Trial Issues and 2 FREE Gifts!
Your subscription includes2 FREE GIFTS:
Yoga for Neck & Shoulders
A digital guide to 11 postures that relieve neck, back and shoulder tension.Yoga Remedies for Everyday Ailments
A digital guide to 8 postures that relieve common health problems such as stress, backache, wrist strain, and insomnia.
Yes! Please send me 2 FREE trial issues
of Yoga Journal and my 2 FREE GIFTS
Pay Now and Get 2Bonus Issues
TWO EXTRA ISSUES FREE!
That's 10 issues for the
same low price!
Click Here to PAY NOW!
Jen Levin started smoking cigarettes when she was 15. "I always used to say
that my favorite cigarette was the cigarette after yoga," says the 32
year-old playwright from Los Angeles. She practiced hatha yoga sporadically
and continued her pack-a-day habit until she made a commitment to try
Kundalini Yoga at the Golden Bridge yoga studio in Los Angeles. There,
Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa pushes her students to their physical and mental limits
with vigorous breaths-of-fire and her propensity to teach one asana for up
to 11 minutes. "As I saw my body and mind get stronger, smoking began to
make me sick, and it no longer made sense," Levin says. "I realized that if
I could endure the pain in my body, then I could deal with the pain of not
having a cigarette."

vegetariantimes.com
wholefoodsmarket.com