Many people try to quit smoking, drinking… and fail to do so, most of the time because they have not prepared themselves sufficiently. To put an end to an addiction represents a real battle against oneself and, indeed, yoga can help in that sense. However, yoga will not do everything and it is essential to simultaneously undergo a process of comprehension of one’s content. The first step consists in observing and understanding the mechanism which leads us to use a certain substance. Usually, it is simply a body and mind response to a form of anxiety. As soon as the nervous system feels some kind of painful inner state, an impulse is sent to trigger the consumption of the product which will bring a temporary relief by stimulating or anesthetizing the brain and the nerves. At this level, the dependence is essentially physiological. The second step consists in determining the psychological causes of this inner uneasiness, as in them lies the real reason of the dependence. The substance in itself is just a way to alleviate the pain and even if one manages to stop its consumption using will power, the problem is far from being solved as the symptoms that were triggering the take of the substance will still be here and will probably lead to a new form of dependence. Therefore, the real effort should be directed towards the discovery of the root causes of the pain, and that is where yoga can help. The deep state of peace and well-being experienced at a physical, emotional and mental level at the end of a yoga session is a true ray of hope for anyone trying to quit something as it shows that it is possible to ease the pain by other means than the substance they are addicted to. Moreover, as the nervous system is more relaxed and the mind clearer, it becomes easier to look within and reach a certain degree of understanding of our content. Also, meditation techniques based on a detached observation of one’s body sensations, like Vipassana, produces remarkable results to overcome the coming off phase. It might also be useful to receive some psychological support, especially to understand the root causes that are responsible for the addiction.
