Spotlight on Yoga for Addiction With Bruce Robertson

Yoga for Addiction

Our second spotlight on a yoga-type features Bruce Robertson from Brighton and his Yoga for Addiction classes! You can book with Bruce on his profile.

What addiction did you yourself suffer from?

A lot of my addictions at the time I did not know were addictions, not until I learned about addiction through doing the 12 steps for addiction to cocaine in 2017 and meeting a lot of people with the same illness.

Looking back I have been addicted to sex, shopping, cigarettes, weed, sugar, caffeine and alcohol.

When/how did you realise you had to change something in your life?

In the summer of 2017, I could not stop doing cocaine; I would go on huge 2-3 day binges, sometimes spilling into 4 days, usually ending up with me doing it on my own and not sleeping.

What is the most difficult thing when trying to quit?

Coming to terms with the fact that you have been defeated and things won't be the same and change is necessary and will require action, a change in your behaviours and asking for and being open to receiving help!

Why can yoga help addiction?

Nothing on it's own will work and there is no quick fix for this, in my experience however yoga can:

1) help you to find peace and stillness of the mind relaxing the nervous system so we are less in a state of needing to turn to things for a sense of ease and comfort

2) the pillars of yoga promote living in harmony with others and nature which in turn, I believe, can help us move away from a sense of me, myself, I and move towards a sense of connectedness which is often missing in people with addictions

3) yoga helps to release stuck emotional pain, i have experienced this personally

Any recommendation on a yoga routine to help you quit?

Slower practises like Hatha and Yin I have found to be very effective, this may change individual to individual. I personally like finding a teacher who I like and am drawn to and stick with them and try and go to their classes regularly

Anything else people should be doing when trying to quit?

I recommend the 12 step programme for anyone who is desperate to quit, it is a tried and tested method to be free of addiction. Therapy I have also found helpful in terms of developing self awareness so I can start taking responsibility. Finally, and only once you feel you have fully explored these two options as required, you may want to look at hiring a coach who offers a programme of action such as the one I offer focusing on fitness and health