| The purpose of this study is to explore in depth the lived experience of participating in yoga during an individual's recovery from drugs or alcohol. Yoga is a potential alternative to traditional approaches to addiction and recovery.; Eight subjects were interviewed using a phenomenological, open-ended interview method. They were individuals who were able to articulate their experience clearly, no longer perceived themselves to be actively addicted to drugs or alcohol, and who voluntarily used yoga during recovery.; At the beginning of each interview, subjects were asked, "please describe for me, in as much detail as possible, your experience of using yoga during your recovery." In order to offset the researcher's bias that it would be a positive experience, subjects were also asked, "were there any negative associations to participating in yoga during your recovery?"; The findings of this study are presented in Chapters 3 and 4. Individual depictions that give the reader the opportunity to hear each interviewee's experience in her own words make up Chapter 3. Chapter 4 presents common themes derived from phenomenological data analysis methods.; Three aspects of being in recovery as discussed by subjects are (1) alcoholism in the family of origin, (2) perfectionism and other alcoholic personality traits, and (3) the impact of Alcoholic's Anonymous (AA). Three aspects of using yoga during recovery are (1) the role of the yoga teacher, (2) addiction to yoga, and (3) yoga as a reflection of mental or emotional states. Specific areas of life affected by using yoga during recovery were (1) physical, (2) mental or emotional, (3) spiritual, and (4) relationships. Parallels between yoga and recovery, as discussed by subjects, were (1) slow but long lasting changes, (2) intangibility or subjectivity of the experience, and (3) discipline or structure. Finally, there are themes regarding contraindications of using yoga during recovery.; Although there are clinical studies, theoretical and philosophical writings, as well as practical guides written to address the population of people using yoga during recovery from drugs or alcohol, there is not a body of literature that focuses on the lived experience of those individuals. It is the researcher's intention that others considering using yoga during their recovery from drugs or alcohol will benefit from this study. |
