When we get stressed out or feel overwhelmed, it’s really important to have an outlet – a way to chill out. Although some people work out, play sports or talk to their friends, more and more people are popping pills to feel better and it’s getting out of control. The use of spiritual practice (trained breathing, meditation, yoga) can be a very effective lifetime substitute for popping pills.

The Beverly Hills Center for Self-Control and Lifestyle Addictions recognizes the importance of spiritual work in the treatment of self control & addiction.

The growing trend of scientific research clearly shows the integration of mind-body medicine to be a key component in decreasing anxiety and rage symptoms as well as maintaining sobriety and preventing relapse. As such, we have developed a spiritual program that will be used in conjunction with medical, nutritional and therapy based treatment models to form a fully integrated care system.

Research in the field of spirituality and addiction shows many positive effects including:

Meditation: The use of meditation improves both structural and functional brain changes. Researchers found that even for beginners, meditation enhances one's ability to focus attention and alters resting brain patterns. Neuro-imaging reveals that meditation can increase cortical thickness.

Yoga and Breathing techniques: The use of Yoga and breathing techniques, such as pranayama, can stabilize the central nervous system assisting in addiction recovery and improved impulse control. Studies on Yoga reveal increased GABA levels in the brain with associated improvement in anxiety, depression and addictions. Yoga and breathing techniques help in the reduction of stress, tension and cortisol (a stress hormone) and can improve sleep, reduce pain, and increase serotonin (5-HT) which can improve memory, appetite and overall mood.

Creative Visualization: The use of creative visualization can be instrumental in helping an individual to focus and be more attentive to their relationships, work and overall environment. The practice is also used with professional athletes. Creative visualization refers to the practice of seeking to affect the outer world by changing thought patterns. In using an individual's imagination to visualize specific behaviors or events occurring in one's life while fully utilizing the senses, this spiritual exercise can help re-program negative thought patterns to positive ones.

Personalized Spiritual Development Program: The Control Center's personalized integrative program blends western medicine with eastern therapeutic modalities. We design a customized spiritual health plan for each individual to complement their medical and therapeutic treatment to stabilize the nervous system from compulsive and addictive patterns. Our 12 week program is designed to build a spiritual practice and may include: specialized yogic breathing techniques for relaxation, guided meditation, yogic postures, creative visualization, the relaxation practice of yoga nidra and holistic psychotherapy.