How Yoga and Meditation Can Help the Recovery Process
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Yoga and Meditation
While there is no substitute for physical therapy and other medical treatments when you’re recovering from an injury or illness, a growing number of care facilities are employing yoga and meditation as a complementary therapy to aid in recovery.
Yoga, which is more than just a method of exercise, is the practice of creating unity between mind and body. Practitioners believe that a disconnection between mind and body causes stress, fatigue, and ultimately, illness. Yoga can help your body heal and re-balance naturally, helping you to feel healthier, happier, and more alive.
Before you dismiss yoga as a fad or an alternative therapy on par with healing crystals, it’s important to note that yoga has been around for about 5,000 years and offers several proven benefits to the mind and body. Here are some ways yoga and meditation can help you or a loved one during the recovery process:
Balance and flexibility
It’s widely known that yoga improves flexibility, which is especially beneficial for people recovering from an injury. Yoga’s low-impact stretching exercises also improve balance, increase strength, and bring awareness to the tension and emotional stress that practitioners believe is stored in your body. Mindful stretching releases these tensions, giving you an overall sense of calm.
The healing breath
Effective stretching in yoga and concentration in meditation exercises rely on attention to breathing, and proper breathing does more than just benefit your cardiovascular system. According to yoga principles, practicing the “healing breath,” also called the Sudarshan Kriya, fully oxygenates every cell in the body, releases tension, flushes out negative emotions, and clears lethargy.
Clarity to cope
One aspect of illness and injury recovery that’s often overlooked is the mental and emotional toll the process can take. Meditation is highly beneficial for learning how to cope with stressful events and trauma. Meditation and yoga can also help you gain clarity about your challenges and concerns, so you can move beyond any negativity that threatens your recovery process.
Endorphin release
In addition to gaining clarity to guide you through the emotional toll of the recovery process, the physical aspect of yoga also releases endorphins. These natural brain chemicals act as painkillers and anti-depressants. They also have anti-inflammation properties, which decreases the discomfort of swollen muscles—an added benefit for those recovering from an injury.
Yoga, meditation, and recovery: a winning combination
At Bella Vista Health Center, we offer several activities focusing on the mind, body, and spirit to accompany your physical and medical recovery treatments. We also have a yoga and meditation center, plus live music, crafting clubs, group outings, birthday celebrations and more to aid your recovery in a safe, comfortable setting.
If you’re looking for a skilled nursing facility for yourself or a loved one, we invite you to call or visit our five-star nursing facility in Lemon Grove today.
