In many Native American cultures, the concept of the medicine wheel has deep and profound meaning. As a physical model of metaphysical truth, it is a manifestation of the cyclical, regenerative nature of life.
The Role of the Medicine Wheel in Addiction Recovery
In its physical form, the medicine wheel acts as a focusing point for prayer, meditation, reflection, group celebration, and ceremonial expression.
While not “medicine” in the traditional sense, it isn’t directly used as a healing method in mental health treatment programs or substance abuse treatment programs. But contemplation of its meaning helps reminds us our current state of being is not a final destination. Rather, it is only a brief stop on a long journey back to our true selves.
Meditation and conscious reflection in the presence of the medicine wheel is not a replacement for traditional therapy. But within the context of a comprehensive rehab program, the medicine wheel can help personalize and energize the recovery process. Therapists and patients who’ve worked with it attest.
The Medicine Wheel as a Metaphor
At the center of the medicine wheel, the buffalo skull represents transcendent spiritual reality surrounding and enfolding all life. The four arms emerging from its center divide the wheel into quadrants. Each of these contains energies associated with four defining aspects of an authentic and sustainable existence:
- Knowledge and wisdom
- Love and trust
- Introspection and transformation
- Illumination and clarity
When we care for what is valuable, we can unleash our true potential as human beings. This is what the medicine wheel for addiction recovery helps teach us. A mindfulness meditation program connected with the medicine wheel can be a powerful force in your rehab program.
Following the Turning of the Wheel
At its core, the medicine wheel is a profound work of imagination. When we release the power of imagination in our own lives through an individual therapy program, we tap into healing currents that transform us and change our perspective.
We tend to think of life in dualities. But at a deeper level, all opposites or sources of change and movement are bound in unity and harmony. Just as the wheel turns, so does the cycles defining our existence, including those that carry us from sickness back to wellness.
Are you ready to start your recovery journey? Call Promises Behavioral Health today at 844.875.5609 to enroll.