One of the things that made my detox at a holistic rehab center more bearable was qigong therapy. With a body ravaged from addiction and a mind clouded with rage and disillusionment. I agreed to enter rehab after a harrowing intervention by several family members.
I’d once been a very spiritual person. It was seeking that higher level of spirituality as a form of escape that led to my addiction.
My detox was brutal. As hard as it was for me to concentrate and stay focused, when I did qigong, there were tiny moments of serenity and inner harmony that I stored and used throughout my recovery. When I continued my practice of qigong, I noticed decreases in my depression and anxiety.
Little by little, during my stay at this facility, I noticed my spiritual nature was returning and I was approaching that level I had sought my whole life. Even better, this time, I was accomplishing it naturally.
Another approach to recovery that was unknown to me till I arrived was sound therapy. With what they told me was rhythm, harmonics and resonance, I found myself calmer and the burden of learning relaxation was easing.
Aromatherapy may have become passé in the outside world; but from my perspective, it was a welcome and integral component of my healing process. Scents of jasmine, lavender, and ginger help quiet my obsessive thinking, my tendency to project and my compulsion to fixate on what people were thinking of me.
Looking back through the eyes of a recovering individual, the one thing I’d say I have the fondest memories of was the guided meditation. Under the tutelage of my guide, I reached that plateau of inner coherence I’d been searching for my whole life. I also learned how to use it to keep focused and steady.
That didn’t mean my recovery was over—certainly not— I continue to use the meditations I learned during rehab. That in conjunction with my aftercare and other programs, I have found a level of quietness that has improved my own inner relationship and how I relate to the world around me.
Regina W. – Delray Beach, FL
