Mindfulness and Meditation: Modern Recovery Wellness Trends

Addiction recovery programs are not new. Research indicates that the first treatments emerged in the 1750s and early 1800s. But they have greatly evolved over time with modern wellness trends. 

Modern trends in recovery include mindfulness and meditation. These therapies reduce stress and encourage people to take sobriety one step at a time. They can also be easily performed in the comfort of one’s home, making them affordable and accessible. 

Find out about their importance in recovery and what they entail. 

The Benefits of Mindfulness and Meditation in Addiction Recovery

Mindfulness and meditation are alternative therapies that can be useful in relapse prevention, providing the following benefits. 

• Reduced Stress: Stress is often an underlying cause of addiction, as many people use drugs to relieve stress. Mindfulness and meditation teach people to cope with their emotions in a healthy manner. A 2024 PMC study revealed these exercises can have a substantial impact on stress reduction in hypertensive patients.  
• It’s Accessible: Mindfulness and meditation can be performed at home, making them inexpensive and easy to do. 
• Craving Reduction: 2023 research finds that mindfulness intervention can reduce cravings in people with addiction disorders, although further studies are needed. A second study finds the therapies enhance executive control, making people less likely to give in to their urges. 
• Reduce Self-Criticism: People often use drugs because they have low self-esteem. This can be particularly damaging during recovery, as these individuals will be quick to judge themselves harshly for failures and spiral downward. A 2024 clinical study found that people who engage in mindfulness exercises show a reduction in self-judgement after mindful self-compassion training.
• Promote Healthy Habits: Boredom can breed substance abuse. Mindfulness exercises that give people something to do and support a healthy routine that excludes drug use. 
• No Side Effects: Unlike medically assisted therapy (MAT), mindfulness exercises do not cause side effects or replace one drug with another. Although they may be used alongside medication for recovery purposes, they may help patients reduce their doses. 

What is Meditation?

Meditation is an over 5,000-year-old practice, with roots in the ancient cultures of India, China, and Egypt. Recognized for its effectiveness, it quickly spread throughout the Eastern world and later to the Western world. It is now accepted as a mainstream practice. 

The goal is to focus the mind and achieve a state of balance, mental clarity, and calmness. It involves focusing on one thing at a time, such as your breathing or a specific mantra. The practice cultivates awareness and improves well-being. 

How Do You Meditate?

Achieving a deep sense of focus is not easy. Here are some steps for beginners that can get you closer to your goals:

• Find a Meditation Space: Ideally, this will be a quiet, comfortable area. You may sit on a chair or cross-legged on a cushion. Your back should be straight but not tense. 
• Close Your Eyes and Focus on Your Breath: Closing your eyes is optional, but it helps minimize distractions. Then pay attention to your breath as it flows in and out of your mouth and nostrils and causes your abdomen to rise and fall. 
• Acknowledge Your Thoughts: Your mind may wander, but don’t worry! Simply acknowledge your thoughts and guide your focus back to your breathing. If you are having trouble focusing on your breathing, perform a body scan, paying attention to your sensations, from head to toe. 
• Set a Timer: Beginners should set a timer for 5-10 minutes to guide a consistent habit. 
• End Gently: When your time is up, slowly increase your awareness of your surroundings and gently open your eyes. 

You may consider doing guided meditation in groups, virtually, or during one-on-one sessions. Virtual guided-meditation apps and online resources are available and often free. 

What is Mindfulness?

Like meditation, the concept of mindfulness also developed in the East as a spiritual practice. It was practiced in the Vipassana tradition of Buddhism and focused on cultivating presence and awareness. The therapy was later adapted by secular Western audiences with core principles incorporated into Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). 

Mindfulness involves paying attention to the present moment with a non-judgmental awareness of your thoughts and feelings. It helps you recognize automatic thought patterns and reactions to improve self-awareness and manage stress and other negative emotions. You can increase mindfulness through everyday activities and specific practices. 

How Can You Practice Mindfulness?

You can practice mindfulness in several ways. Here are some practices to consider. 

• Meditation: This practice makes you more self-aware, fostering mindfulness. 
• Deep Breathing: Deep breathing can be incorporated into meditation or used to reduce stress in everyday situations. It shifts the body from fight-or-flight mode to rest-and-digest, balancing parasympathetic activity that contributes to stress and anxiety. There are various types of deep breathing, such as box breathing, diaphragmatic breathing, and the physiological sigh, and several online tutorials will teach you how to do them. 
• Guided Imagery: This technique involves using your imagination to create a peaceful scene and engaging all your senses to immerse yourself in your thoughts, reducing stress and anxiety. 
• Everyday Activities: Mindfulness can be incorporated into various everyday activities. For example, when going for a walk, really pay attention to what’s around you and appreciate nature. When eating, go slowly, paying attention to the tastes and textures you experience. 
• Yoga & Tai Chi: These are exercises that also improve mindfulness. 

Can Meditation and Mindfulness Really Help with Addiction?

We’ve seen how mindfulness and meditation reduce stress, but can they really help maintain sobriety and ensure relapse prevention? Here are some statistics to consider:

• A 2018 review found that mindfulness meditation, including Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention (MBRP), Mindfulness Training for Smokers (MTS), and Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE), led to a significant reduction in cravings across 15 of 19 studies. 
• Another 2018 review found that mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) can be effective in reducing cravings and withdrawal severity while improving self-control and accountability. 
• A 2012 study found that patients who completed MBRP remained sober 4 months after treatment and experienced better mental health. 
• 2018 research found that mindfulness activities improved executive functions, reducing the likelihood of turning to drugs under stress. 

How to Incorporate Mindfulness in Addiction Recovery

Mindfulness exercises can be helpful in addiction recovery, but they should not replace other treatments. They work well alongside other therapies such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and medically assisted treatment (MAT). 

You can work with your therapist to determine the best schedule for meditation and mindfulness practices, but you can generally incorporate them whenever you feel stressed or at times of day that work best for you. 

BlueCrest Health Supports Holistic Health

When it comes to addiction recovery, BlueCrest takes a holistic approach. We consider our patients’ mental and physical wellness needs and tailor a plan that suits their lifestyle. Our team combines alternative approaches, like mindfulness and meditation, with clinically proven therapies to ensure long-term sobriety. 

Contact us to learn more about what we have to offer. 

FAQs

Which programs are most relevant to addiction recovery?

Programs relevant to addiction recovery include:

• Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention (MBRP)
• Mindfulness Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE)
• MBSR (stress reduction)
• MBCT (mood-based relapse prevention)

How much should I practice mindfulness exercises?

People overcoming addiction should aim to engage in mindfulness-based exercises for 10-20 minutes daily, as well as on-the-spot sessions to handle triggers. If you sign up for a class, it typically lasts 8 weeks with daily sessions of 30-45 minutes each. 

What are good beginner techniques for recovery?

Those in the early recovery stages can start with simple exercises to help them acclimate to a mindful outlook. These may include body scans, breathing awareness, mindful walking, urge surfing (which manages craving by observing rather than acting on them), and adapting a generally self-loving attitude. 

What does a simple daily plan look like?

People in recovery may adopt a simple, daily plan as follows:

• Morning: 10 minutes of breath work or body scanning
• Mid-day: 1-3 minutes of deep breathing
• Evening: 10 minutes of non-sleep deep rest (NSDR) or loving kindness

Two to three minutes of urge surfing is recommended when cravings or triggers arise. 

What if mindfulness increases your anxiety?

If mindfulness increases your anxiety, shorten practices, focus on long exhales, and try mindful movement and external-focused exercises. Work with a clinician if needed. People with mania, psychosis, and severe dissociative conditions should only practice mindfulness under a clinician’s guidance. 

Get Started

Ready to start moving toward recovery? Contact our intake team today for a consultation and additional details.