Meditation is used in combination with other alternative approaches and traditional therapies to give clients a comprehensive treatment experience that heals mind, body and spirit.

What Is Mindfulness Meditation?

A primary goal of mindfulness meditation is focusing the mind on the present moment. When people are mindful, they’re aware of their thoughts and feelings in the present, without drifting to the past or racing ahead to the future. There’s no self-judgment involved in mindfulness meditation. Mindfulness is a meditative practice with its origins in Buddhism, dating back 2,500 years. In ancient times, practitioners engaged in mindfulness meditation to improve concentration, reach a state of inner peace, unlock human potential, and achieve spiritual and intellectual development. In more recent times, research has concentrated on the medical and psychological benefits of mindfulness meditation. Evidence shows mindfulness techniques and meditation can improve some physical health symptoms and reduce certain psychological symptoms.

Benefits of Mindfulness Meditation

Mindfulness meditation encourages clients to regain their ability to focus on the present, to strip away extraneous thoughts and concerns and just be in the moment. Research points to a multitude of positive effects of mindfulness meditation including:

• Increased compassion and empathy
• Improved cognitive function
• Better focus and concentration
• Boosted immune system
• Decreased emotional reactivity
• Reduced anxiety and stress
• Improved body image
• Fewer sleep problems
• Improved relationship satisfaction
• Lower blood pressure
• Reduced depressive symptoms

Mindfulness Meditation as a Recovery Tool

Promises clients may be introduced to mindfulness meditation while in treatment, and it’s a practice they can continue when they return home. Mindfulness practices like meditation offer profound and long-lasting benefits as clients embrace a healthy lifestyle. It’s also helpful as a coping mechanism when stress and triggering situations threaten to sabotage hard-won progress in addiction and mental health recovery.