Yogic Intervention in Rehabilitation Communities for Drug Addicts

[Guest guest]

Yogic Intervention in Rehabilitation Communities for Drug Addicts

 

Swami Ishananda Saraswati (Italy)

at World Yoga Forum (Satyananda Yoga)

 

A. Teaching yoga to drug addicts in prison

 

After several unsuccessful attempts, a proposal to organize yoga

classes in Turin's prisons was accepted. I was asked to begin in the

section housing drug addicts, many of them HIV seropositive or with

AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Disease). I had no experience in

this

field and doubted my ability to cope with the combined problems of

imprisonment and the drugs often connected with AIDS. In the past,

when I had asked Paramahamsa Satyananda about the most useful

yoga practices for physically and mentally handicapped people, he

had

said that I would discover them by myself while practising and being

in

contact with those people. That advice, like all Paramahamsaji's

other

advice, consolidated into a successful and enriching experience.

 

The group consisted of fifteen male prisoners, aged between twenty

and fifty. Most were physically very weak, their percentage of

lymphocytes being at the minimum level established by the Italian

Justice Department for obtaining release from prison in favour of

hospitalization. The proposed program would last for four months and

consist of a yoga class of one and a half hours twice a week. At the

first

meeting I realized that the participants would not be able to manage

more than an hour of class and, therefore, the whole program had to

be

revised.

 

Pawanmuktasana

 

I decided to have the group practise the pawanmuktasana part 1

(anti-rheumatic) series, first of all because these practices

require a

minimum of physical strength, and also because I remembered Swami

Niranjan saying that he usually made his disciples practise

pawanmuktasana for a long time, even if, as a result, some happened

to run away. However, as nobody could escape from jail, I thought I

could run the risk!

 

Kirlian photographs show that a large quantity of mucus develops and

accumulates in the aura and nadis of drug addicts and people with

serious diseases such as AIDS and cancer. This mucus can be

removed by the practice of pawanmuktasana, which can restore a fluid

and correct pranic circulation. Moreover, the pawanmuktasana series

helps to eliminate ama (the toxic waste material produced by the

body's

internal combustion and metabolism) through the lymphatic system. As

lymphocytes can also enter the bloodstream through the lymphatic

system, these practices can, therefore, strengthen the immune

response.

 

Relaxation and the immune system

 

Apart from damaging the central nervous system, drugs also suppress

the immune response, probably because of the hyperstimulation of the

glands of the adrenal cortex. This problem, which is accentuated by

prolonged conditions of stress and depression, tends to further

suppress killer cells and to accelerate atrophy of the thymus gland.

Situations of stress and continuous reactions of the fight or flight

mechanism bring about excessive production of adrenalin and

noradrenalin hormones and reduced production of corticosteroid

hormones. As a result, favourable conditions are created for the

development of many infectious pathologies.

 

In The Neuroimmunitary Way, Dr Felten suggests that the immune

system can be conditioned and also reinforced without

pharmacological

intervention by creating visualizations in which you are stimulating

the

thymus gland. He also says that just one session of relaxation,

combined with regular physical exercise, can increase the production

of

killer cells and of endogenous opioides.

 

Therefore, relaxation practices and yoga nidra were utilized

frequently.

Shavasana was also utilized much more often than in normal classes,

not just to let the participants rest, but also to provide the

opportunity to

recreate a physical self-image through rotation of consciousness

around the body. I also noticed that movement of the abdominal

muscles hardly existed due to somatization of tensions in this

region.

Therefore, I first tried to make the group aware of the natural

breathing

process and then introduced useful asanas. The aim was not only to

develop a state of relaxation, but also to relieve many problems of

the

digestive system such as constipation.

 

Nadi shodhana

 

After the abdominal block was released, nadi shodhana pranayama

was introduced. A person who has used psychoactive substances for a

long time, and is hit by serious diseases like AIDS, experiences

imbalance of the physiological rhythms, circadian and ultradian,

which

has deleterious consequences for the main physical and mental

functions.

 

In India, yogis throughout the ages have understood the connection

between ultradian rhythms and the flow of the breath, while western

medicine only started research in this field in 1982. Results

indicate that

the activities of the two cerebral hemispheres, the sympathetic and

parasympathetic nervous system, and the curve 'Activity-Maximum

performance-Rest-Recharging' are connected with the passage of

breath through the nostrils and with the dominance of the flow in

one

compared to the other, continuously alternating every 90 to 120

minutes.

 

Nadi shodhana pranayama can restore the balance of ultradian rhythms

and consequently of the physiological rhythms. It can also integrate

and

harmonize the different tendencies, complementary and antagonistic,

of

the human being. In this case, nadi shodhana pranayama is

particularly

useful because psychoactive substances stimulate the activity of ida

nadi abnormally and in a regressive way and inhibit the activity of

pingala nadi.

 

Yoga nidra

 

The practice of yoga nidra is very delicate and presenting it to

those who

have been drug dependent requires care and caution. Therefore, I

proceeded very gradually, initially introducing short sessions of

breath

awareness, breath counting and rotation of consciousness around the

body, so that I was able to evaluate the reactions to the practice

and to

proceed systematically and cautiously. As the classes progressed, I

introduced the sensations of hot/cold, heavy/light, leaving out

those of

pain/pleasure. Then simple visualizations were added that contained

self-recovery images linked with a sankalpa (resolve) that had been

previously agreed to by the whole group, and was directed towards an

improvement in physical balance.

 

Results

 

After the first month almost all the prisoners attending yoga

classes

reported that they were feeling better, with more physical energy,

improved digestion and sleep, and a reduced level of anxiety. During

this period no one was admitted to hospital because of an

immuno-compromise state. Unfortunately we were unable to involve

either the medical or psychological teams in the project. A proposal

to

have the prisoners fill in a health questionnaire was not accepted.

As a

result, confirmation of the benefits could not be officially

recognized,

although the Italian Justice Department wrote a letter thanking and

congratulating us on our work.

 

Towards the end of the four months, the prisoners who had been

practising yoga organized a revolt in protest at the indifferent,

inadequate and harsh treatment that the prison management was

reserving for AIDS afflicted persons. During the revolt all the

non-prisoners present in that section of the prison, including some

doctors, nurses, educators, a lawyer and myself, were shut inside

the

corridor leading to the cells. When the director of the prison

arrived, the

prisoners' spokesman explained the uncomfortable conditions and how

little was being done to alleviate their suffering. He also said

that the

only, and disinterested, help they had received had been during the

yoga classes.

 

This first experience with drug addicts was not easy, but it was

very

important because, as a result, the entire section has been

reorganized

and the director replaced. The new director asked us to continue

with

the yoga classes in the isolation section.

 

B. Teaching yoga in drug rehabilitation communities

 

In Italy, therapeutic communities for the rehabilitation of drug

addicts are

mostly managed by private institutions receiving state or local

funds.

The staff must be professionally qualified as doctors,

psychologists,

educators or nurses. One percent of the staff can be made up of

former

drug addicts who have completed the rehabilitation program and a

specific training course.

 

Yoga can be included only as a voluntary activity and as social

support

intervention, not as a rehabilitation instrument, unless those who

propose it belong to one of the above categories. In these

communities,

yoga programs can be more diversified compared to the prison

program. This is mainly because only a few people are HIV positive

and,

therefore, usually in quite good health. One works with male groups

and/or mixed groups aged from eighteen to forty and over.

 

The yoga class lasts for one and a half hours, once a week, for a

period

of eight months. The course is open to drug addicts who have already

overcome the crisis of abstinence, and in whom the psychologist has

seen the integrity of some parts of the ego and the willingness to

attend

yoga classes.

 

The yoga teacher must spend some time observing all the members of

the group in order to establish a global profile of the drug-

addicted

personality, to discover blocks and physical rigidities, breathing

quality

and to be informed of past and present pathologies. An introductory

meeting attended by the social workers is necessary to explain the

meaning of yoga and its benefits. It is also very important to

remove

prejudices and to clarify misunderstandings regarding comparisons

made due to misconceptions about yoga and psychoactive substances.

 

The Vedic tradition mentions a herbal mixture that can modify the

structure of consciousness. Its meaning is known only to a few gurus

who keep it secret because it is to be utilized only for purposes

prescribed in the ancient texts, under their direct guidance and

only with

disciples who are spiritually prepared. So, in today's society,

drugs lead

to experiences that cannot be considered purely spiritual; they do

not

produce any change in the level and quality of consciousness and

they

interfere with the individual's natural process of evolution. Drugs

also

eliminate the natural barriers which prevent the passage of

repressed

psychic material from the unconscious to conscious level of mind,

thus

eliminating the automatic defence mechanism. This eventually leads

to

psychic imbalance and confusion, and regressive and aggressive

tendencies.

 

Asanas

 

Many rehabilitation communities are in the countryside, in quiet

surroundings, and offer the opportunity of outdoor work. However,

others

are being created more and more frequently in towns where there are

fewer opportunities for physical exercise. Therefore, especially in

the

latter case, it is very useful to begin with more dynamic practices,

also

because the reduced quantity of negative ions present in the

polluted air

of towns tends to increase the tendency to apathy and depression

that

is already so marked in people who have been taking drugs.

 

We begin, therefore, with pawanmuktasana part 1 (anti-rheumatic) and

2 (anti-gastric) and the shakti bandhas (energy block removers), and

we

soon introduce surya namaskara, which we ask to be practised

quickly.

As a vegetarian diet is not followed in any of these communities and

as

drug addicts are allowed to smoke cigarettes as a substitute for the

non-consumption of drugs, we increase the number of rounds of surya

namaskara gradually, to avoid a too rapid release of toxins which

would

cause bouts of fever or troublesome rashes.

 

In all drug addicts, the liver, kidneys and spleen have been damaged

by

drugs. Most have been infected with one or more types of hepatitis.

Therefore, all asanas that can improve the function of these three

organs such as paschimottanasana, ardha matsyendrasana,

halasana, ushtrasana and merudandasana have been included in the

program.

 

Many women who are drug addicts suffer from amenorrhoea (absence

of menstruation). Some specific asanas acting on the reproductive

system, such as kandharasana, sarvangasana and vipareeta karani

asana, if performed regularly outside the weekly session, have led

to

the re-establishment of a regular menstrual flow.

 

During the performance of asanas, practitioners are continually

requested to keep their attention on the movements they perform and

on

what is happening in their physical body. This focusing of the mind

on

the `here and now' prevents any escape from reality. It also

develops

awareness of the physical body and the bodily sensations, a capacity

that drug addicts have lost, especially during their numerous

abstinence

crises. Moreover, as each movement is a consciously performed

action,

the willpower is automatically trained and progressively

strengthened.

 

Shatkarmas

 

Shatkarmas, the purification practices of hatha yoga, are not easily

accepted. Drug addicts generally tend to draw back each time they

face

a problem, however small. In our experience we have succeeded in

having kunjal practised only a few times, by persons suffering from

asthmatic crises and who therefore had strong reasons for seeking

relief from their ailment.

 

Although constipation is a frequent problem, mainly caused by

consumption of psychoactive substances but also increased by wrong

diet and sedentary lifestyle, most of the drug addicts refused to

practise

laghoo shankhaprakshalana. The few who expressed interest in the

beginning gave up the idea after being influenced by the others in

the

group. Thus we fell back on the sequence of asanas used for this

practice, suggesting they drink unsalted water. Of course, the

result was

not quite the same, but they did have some benefit from the

practice. On

the other hand, neti was almost always accepted and for those who

had

sniffed cocaine for a long time it proved particularly useful in

recovering

the sense of smell.

 

Pranayama

 

Beside abdominal breathing and nadi shodhana, we introduced other

pranayamas. Kapalbhati proved useful in reducing the quantity of

recurrent obsessive thoughts; sheetali in preventing and reducing

the

intensity of panic attacks experienced by some; bhastrika in

continuing

the process of purification from toxins; and bhramari and ujjayi for

relaxation.

 

Yoga nidra

 

Experts in rehabilitation of drug addicts agree that it is

relatively easy to

eliminate chemical addiction to a substance from the cells of the

physical body, whereas it is not so easy to eliminate psychological

addiction. In traditional rehabilitation programs, intervention of a

psychoanalytic type has proved difficult to apply. However, the

practice of

yoga nidra, which is a simple and indirect method to contact the

preconscious and unconscious mind, has turned out to be practical

and

easily applicable.

 

In yoga, samskaras are defined as one's cellular memory, the store

of

sensory impressions a human being receives at a conscious as well

as a non-conscious level, and also from each life experience. These

samskaras influence and condition a person's behaviour without

him/her being aware of it. Through the practice of yoga nidra, it is

possible to bring the preconscious and unconscious material to the

surface of the mind, without having to analyze or elaborate on it.

Yoga

nidra can lead to the release of energy imprisoned in the mind in

order

to hold conflicts, frustrations, sense of guilt, etc. in check, and

thus

repressed.

 

As the mind is in a state of receptivity during the emission of

alpha

waves, the suggestions sent to it through the pronunciation of the

sankalpa (resolve) find fertile ground and can thus reach the

pre-conscious level. From there they are then transferred to the

conscious level in the form of willpower. Yoga nidra can become,

therefore, a very powerful instrument to facilitate a process of

moral

restructuring, to train drug addicts to have confidence in their

ability to

free themselves from their addiction, and to face the difficulties

they will

meet in their efforts to transform their tendencies and habits.

 

Those who have been dependent on psychoactive substances have

vivid memories of the `fantastic journeys' and troubled mental

states

caused by these substances. Therefore, the visualization phase in

yoga

nidra is a very delicate stage. It is necessary to avoid suggesting

any

visualizations which cause the practitioner to `fly away' and

stimulate

such memories, and to choose those which relate to reality and are

linked with everyday life.

 

In our yoga sessions, we have used visualizations connected with the

sequence of asanas performed, or which were likely to improve the

functioning of the physiological systems and organs, i.e. those

directed

towards the attainment of a definite practical objective. We have

avoided

those hinting at any dependence or on any external help. We have

used

those in which it was quite clear that success in anything only

depends

on one's will and personal efforts in order to improve the internal

locus

of control, removing any references to transcendental aspects.

 

A particular form of yoga nidra (which Robert Assagioli called

`desensitization technique') can be used with good results, but only

after

a suitable and specific preparation has been made through the first

stages of antar mouna, such as developing and stabilizing the

attitude

of a neutral witness, with non-involvement and non-identification of

the

ego.

 

Psychic centres

 

In yoga it is explained that the energy of a human being can be

expressed in various ways according to one's level of evolution. In

a

drug user, prana is likely to be crystallized in mooladhara and

swadhisthana chakras. It is possible that, when control over the

substance is completely lost, the prana is pushed down to even lower

levels than mooladhara, which represent evolution in animals.

Mooladhara and swadhisthana have tamasic qualities. All the

passions, complexes, anguish and desires have their roots there. If

the

energy of these two chakras is not purified, freed and transformed

by

passage to the higher chakras, the impulses and experiences which

guide a human being will be influenced by the qualities of these two

chakras.

 

Moreover, not only ida nadi but also ajna chakra is stimulated by

psychoactive substances in an anomalous way. The ensuing pranic

imbalance creates energy fluctuations in the nervous system, which

may be the cause of the visual and auditory hallucinations

experienced.

 

After introducing the concept of the psychic energy centres, in

order to

begin a process of pranic rebalancing in the chakras, students

practised the initial stages of nadanusandhana, a practice in which

the

seven notes of the scale are sung in Sanskrit. Apart from moments of

initial embarrassment, due to having to `make their voice heard' in

a

group, this practice was welcomed. It represents the last stage of

yogic

intervention in a rehabilitative community and a connection for the

possible continuation of a less rehabilitative and more spiritual

yogic

path, which some persons may choose to follow at the end of the

protected period spent in a community.

 

Conclusion

 

In conclusion, despite the fact that yoga practices are not

officially

accepted as a rehabilitative or therapeutic instrument, the teams of

psychologists who have followed our projects and their development

with some interest have particularly appreciated the yoga practices

that

release stress and reduce anxiety levels. These techniques have

proved to be doubly useful because, besides benefiting those who

directly use them, they indirectly make the operator's task easier.

As the

resistance which develops towards the rehabilitation process is

reduced, the subjects become more available for collaboration, and

the

individual capacity for insight is strengthened, thus speeding up

the

alleviation of individual problems.

 

In my experience, those who have been using psychoactive substances

have very sensitive, curious and receptive natures, and a great

quantity

of energy that has been blocked by the use of these substances. The

fire of inner search is always alight in them and they want to widen

their

self-knowledge, to discover the unexpressed potential of the mind,

to

understand the meaning of existence and of the transcendental and

divine aspects.

 

Therefore, in my opinion many people who have become addicted to

psychoactive substances are spiritual researchers. What makes them

take one course rather than another probably consists of a complex

set

of circumstances which western psychology identifies as being due to

a

family environment that is uninteresting and lacking in values, in

deviant

friendships and in psychological frailty. All this can be explained

by yoga

through the concept of karma and through the fact that, at a lower

level of

evolution, one feels the need to resort to alcohol or drugs and, at

a

higher level of evolution, to search for divinity. For such persons,

yoga

might represent the possibility of tripping the switch in the right

direction.

 

I would like to conclude with C.G. Jung's description of an

alcoholic

patient, in which he compared the insatiable and uncontrollable

desire

for alcohol to the thirst for and the search after completeness, in

other

words, to the union with God which certain mystics so eagerly long

for.