Brief Interventions for Addictive Behaviours; Developing Embodied Practices to Support Present Moment Awareness.

We find ourselves in interesting times, everything that we thought we knew about reality is dramatically shifting and our whole world is undergoing complex responses to a situation that is completely out of our control. In the case of addictive behaviours, there are two prevalent theories that dominate our thinking. The medical model sees addiction as a disease that leads to neuroadaption; thereafter, the person is subject to a compulsive relapsing cycle. The addiction takes precedence over everything else in life. The moral model sees addiction as a voluntary choice oriented behavioural pattern. Both models recognise that the basis of the behaviour arises from a maladaptation of a normative human desire response. Thus, those who suffer from addictive behaviours have undergone a series of decision-making processes that led to non-normative desire responses. The irresistible desire drives human behaviour through the ambivalent cycle, that erodes the sense of self and the human becomes trapped by its own mind and body programming. Interestingly, our society is currently reflecting some of these patterns back to us in the quarantine conditions. Therefore, those who are predisposed to addictive patterns are ostensibly at higher risk during this time. However, this momentary pause in normal human operations offers the potential for great healing, especially for those who deeply desire to stay well and free from the addictive patterns. This presentation will discuss the repetitive cycle, the benefit of developing an embodied state of awareness, the use of meditation, the building of personal daily ritual that gives meaning to life, conscious cooking, and creating personal prayers for self and for humanity.

Instructor: Shaura Hall

Shaura Hall is Yoga Therapist C- IYAT and long term yoga teacher of various traditions. Her role as a therapeutic and group supervisor also informs her work. She has developed and runs teacher training programmes in yoga, meditation and energy healing. Her background involves time spent in ceremony with the First Nation People of the Americas and she currently undergoing training to be an Interfaith Minister. In addition to previously working as a Recovery Coach, she has co-created and delivered further training in Yoga Therapy for Addictions with the Minded Institute since 2013.