Meditation for Addiction Recovery

Aug 22nd, 2007 by admin

Meditation for Addiction Recovery One of the activities we engage each day at the Open Door addiction recovery retreat is mediation. We do meditation each morning after arising to help us find our center so that we may go through the day with purpose and intent.

If you’ve tried meditating before only to find that your mind raced with problems or items on your daily to-do list, you’re not alone. It’s very difficult to clear your mind and concentrate on yourself, but the health and recovery benefits are so powerful that it is certainly worth your while to work on meditation effectively.

Active Meditation to Reduce Anxiety and Work through Problems

You don’t need to completely clear your mind in order to meditate effectively. In fact, you may choose to meditate to find answers to a particular problem in your life. Active meditation means giving your mind something to think about as you’re meditating.

Allow your mind to work through different scenarios of a stressful thought that is invading your mind.
Concentrate on why you may be failing to take action on something you’ve committed to do.
Allow your mind to work through the most logical steps necessary to accomplish a necessary task.

Find a quiet place with no distractions. Turn off the TV, turn down the computer volume, turn off the ringer, and quiet your cell phone. Get into a comfortable position and remain still and relaxed. Give yourself as much time as you need to work through the thought completely.

You’ll know when you are ready to move forward – don’t do so until you have! It seems that just before enlightenment comes, you can experience a feeling of tense anxiety. Let this pass until you feel like you’ve mastered the problem or a portion of the problem enough that you can be fully engaged and attentive to the rest of your day.

Meditation with Music

In a world where we are being pulled in so many different directions and have so many stresses upon us, it is important to find some time in the day for a healthy escape from the chaos. Try putting on some relaxing music, lighting some beautifully scented candles, and letting your mind drift away wherever it chooses.

This can be an incredible experience, especially for the recovering addict who once turned to drugs or alcohol as an escape. This meditative escape lasts as long as you need it to and leave you feeling healthier and more aware once complete.

Open Door Retreat

For Women in Recovery