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Tai Chi for Addiction Recovery

Tai Chi is an ancient martial art. Today, you can also use it as a complementary therapy in addiction treatment. Like any other form of gentle exercise, it can help you stay physically healthy during recovery. What’s more, a growing body of evidence shows that Tai Chi can improve your mental health. Many luxury rehabs offer Tai Chi to help clients reduce stress, practice mindfulness, and begin to heal the relationship between their minds and bodies. 

What is Tai Chi? 

Tai Chi began as a Chinese martial art.1 Over time, it’s grown into a type of mindful movement that promotes physical health. While it’s often taught to small groups, you can also practice Tai Chi on your own. 

Compared to some other martial arts, Tai Chi is gentle2 and non-combative. It combines slow movements with mindful breathing and meditation. In most classes, practitioners flow smoothly from one pose to the next instead of sparring with each other. To a casual observer, this type of movement can look a lot like dancing.

What Are the Physical Health Benefits of Tai Chi? 

Tai Chi is a highly accessible form of exercise. It’s safe for people of all ability levels,3 you can practice it anywhere, and its fluid movements improve strength and flexibility. For people in addiction recovery, some of Tai Chi’s physical effects are especially important. 

Decreases Blood Pressure

Consistently practicing Tai Chi can reduce your blood pressure.4 This makes it a powerful treatment for clients recovering from alcohol addiction, which is a risk factor for high blood pressure.5 As your body continues to heal, Tai Chi can help you find a new normal.

Improves Circulation

Data shows that practicing Tai Chi for at least a year greatly improves blood circulation.6 Cycling fresh blood and oxygen throughout the body keeps your brain healthy,7 your organs working smoothly, and your immune system strong. For those in recovery, this boost in circulation can help your body repair damage caused by long-term substance use. 

Relieves Chronic Pain

Tai Chi can alleviate chronic pain8 associated with several conditions, including fibromyalgia, arthritis, tension headaches, and osteoporosis. Because of the correlation between chronic pain and addiction,9 this is often important during recovery. 

In particular, data implies that chronic pain makes people more vulnerable to opioid addiction. If that’s your experience, you’ll learn safer ways to manage your pain during rehab. If you find Tai Chi helpful, it can become part of your ongoing plan of care. 

Reduces Stress

Tai Chi is more than a form of physical exercise. This mindfulness practice also improves mental health and relieves stress.10 And because stress has a direct impact on physical well-being,11 this can be extremely important in early recovery.

Without proper support, stress makes you more vulnerable to addiction.12 But sustainable, fulfilling outlets like Tai Chi help you manage stress in the long term. If you find it helpful, you can continue practicing this martial art long after you leave rehab.

How Does Tai Chi Help With Addiction?

Experts agree that Tai Chi can help with addiction recovery.13 It’s most effective as a complementary approach, alongside treatments like talk therapy or medication. 

Promotes Sleep

Good sleep is foundational to addiction recovery.14 Getting enough sleep regulates stress hormones and helps your body heal. However, many people with addiction also have insomnia or other sleep disorders. This is especially common during early recovery. 

Data shows that Tai Chi improves sleep15 habits, which can in turn improve cognitive function. It also boosts your energy levels, making it easier to participate in therapy. 

Reduces Impulsiveness and Cravings

Your desire to use drugs or drink may never entirely disappear. But in rehab, you’ll learn healthy ways to cope with cravings if and when they arise. Studies show that tai chi improves impulse control,16 which can help you maintain sobriety in every stage of recovery.

Because Tai Chi also reduces cravings,17 you experience fewer triggers. Researchers note that the spiritual aspects of Tai Chi are essential here. As one study explains, mindfulness empowers people in recovery to have “an aware reaction rather than an automatic response” to difficult situations.

Strengthens the Mind-Body Connection

Like other complementary therapies, Tai Chi strengthens the connection between your mind and body.18 And that mindfulness can help you resist the desire to take drugs or drink. You’ll learn to accept your feelings just as they are, instead of trying to fix or change them. This improved self-awareness can help you stay grounded even when you face triggers and other challenges.

Connects You With Community Support

Addiction can be isolating. Because Tai Chi is usually taught in small groups, it invites you to connect with your peers. And building community in rehab can be a very important part of healing. 

Over time, your peers in Tai Chi class can become a strong support network. According to one study, “tai chi may have a significant impact on social support19 as a result of the shared group experience and group motivation components.”

How to Find a Rehab That Incorporates Tai Chi Into Your Treatment Process

Tai Chi is a holistic approach to addiction recovery. This practice promotes mindfulness and general well being. In conjunction with traditional treatments, it can be a powerful way to work through the symptoms of addiction.


If you’re interested in supplementing your addiction recovery with Tai Chi classes, search for luxury rehabs that offer Tai Chi to find the right center for your needs.

Frequently Asked Questions About Tai Chi for Addiction Recovery

How does Tai Chi help with addiction?

Tai Chi can help with addiction recovery as a complementary approach, alongside traditional treatments like talk therapy or medication. Tai Chi promotes good sleep, reduces impulsiveness, strengthens the mind-body connection, and connects people with community support. These benefits can improve overall mental and physical health and support long-term recovery from addiction.

What are the mental health benefits of Tai Chi?

Tai Chi is a form of mindfulness practice that can help you manage stress and improve your overall mental well-being. It can improve your cognitive function, while also reducing cravings that may arise in early recovery. Tai Chi can help you become more self-aware and better equipped to resist triggers and other challenges.

How can I find a rehab that incorporates Tai Chi into my treatment process?

If you’re interested in incorporating Tai Chi into your addiction recovery, search for luxury rehabs that offer Tai Chi classes. These holistic practices can be a powerful way to work through addiction symptoms alongside clinical approaches.

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How Fitness Supports Us in Addiction Recovery and Beyond

It’s no secret that exercise makes you feel good. These positive feelings are thanks to endorphins released during and after physical activity. It can also be an important part of healing your body from the effects of addiction, trauma, and stress.

Recovery is all about building a sustainable, healthy routine, and exercise can help you get there. Because of this, many addiction and mental health rehabs focus on fitness, and have amenities to help you stay active during your care. 

Why Exercise is Good For You

Exercise helps physical and mental health,1 and can improve the following:

  • brain health
  • anxiety
  • depression
  • sleep
  • focus
  • confidence

One study found that “People who exercised had about 43% fewer days of poor mental health.”2 

Exercise Lowers Stress Levels

Exercise reduces stress3 by lowering stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. Rhythmic activities like walking clear the mind, helping you relax naturally. 

Stress makes people more prone to relapse,4 so learning to manage it is crucial for recovery. A regular fitness routine decreases the likelihood of falling back into familiar coping patterns.

personal training the banyans
An exercise physiologist designs individual exercise plans for each client at The Banyans in Brisbane, Australia.

Physical Fitness Helps Treat Depression

Studies show that exercising is effective in treating depression.5 On the flip side, not exercising is a risk factor for developing depression. When you work out, your brain releases serotonin, a hormone that improves your mood. (Antidepressants relieve depression by increasing serotonin levels.)

Even just a few minutes of physical activity per day can make a big difference in your mood. One study compared people who exercised with those who didn’t. Researchers found that 1.25 hours of walking per week lowered the risk of depression by 18%.6 This decreased by 25% with at least 2.5 hours per week.

Regular Exercise Reduces Anxiety

Research shows that physical activity is associated with less anxiety.7 It can help distract you from anxious thoughts. Instead, you’ll focus on something positive, like finishing a workout or achieving a goal—even if that’s just walking for 20 minutes. 

Exercise Improves Your Overall Well Being

By trying new activities and overcoming challenges, your confidence will increase.8 You’ll start to feel better as your immunity, sleep, and energy levels improve. And your risk for disease and health complications goes down as your body repairs the damage caused by substances and prolonged stress. Drugs and alcohol aren’t kind to your body, but the good news is that damage is usually not permanent. Exercise can be the first step in working towards better health—and a better outlook on life.

Exercise and Addiction

Studies show that exercise facilitates recovery from substance abuse9 in these ways:

  • decreases the likelihood of relapse
  • lessens drug-seeking behavior
  • reinforces positive change

People who exercise are less likely to use drugs.10 It’s likely that its ability to reduce stress, and therefore regulate emotions, is a factor. You can see the effects in animal studies, too: opioid-dependent rats took morphine less often when they swam consistently.11 Rodents dependent on cocaine were less likely to use the drug when they had access to an exercise wheel.12 A fitness routine adds structure to your day, allows you to explore new interests, helps you build community, and even overcome addiction.

A New, Healthy Hobby

Physical activity can become a new way to spend time outside of substance abuse. It can even become a new hobby. You might realize that you love spending time at the gym or running outside. Or, you may return to an old interest: maybe you used to shoot hoops for hours or play volleyball every weekend with your friends.

Regardless of the role fitness has in your life, it’s important to find activities you enjoy doing while sober. These can replace the time that you used to spend using drugs. Remember that recovery can—and should be—fun.

cycling white river manor
Cycling at White River Manor in Mpumalanga, South Africa

A Way to Meet Other Sober People

Physical fitness can give you a way to connect with new people, both in rehab and after you leave. During rehab, you can bond with people over similar interests in a specific activity, like rock climbing or dancing. These new relationships can be instrumental in your recovery process: it’s important to have people to talk to when you’re feeling down. It’s especially helpful to surround yourself with others that have had similar experiences. They can empathize with, and truly understand, what you’re going through.

Exercise Rewires Your Brain

Exercise releases dopamine in your brain. This hormone is responsible for “good” feelings, and can even have pleasurable effects similar to those you get from drugs. This is because exercise and substances activate some of the same reward pathways.

Exercise also prevents further brain damage from substance use13 and promotes cell regeneration. And forming a new habit can actually change your brain. “Neuroplasticity” is the brain’s ability to create new connections. You can use this to your advantage by introducing exercise into your own routine. If you continue to exercise consistently in a way that’s fun and sustainable, it can become a healthy habit that you genuinely enjoy. 

Luxury Rehab Fitness Amenities

You’ll have an array of fitness options at different luxury facilities, from fun activities to personal trainers. Remember that it’s important to choose something you like doing. Studies show that you’re more likely to stick with an exercise routine14 if you enjoy it. So if you already love yoga, you can choose a center like Veritas Detox that offers classes. Or if you’ve always thought that boxing looked fun, you can check out a facility like SOBA New Jersey.

Gym Amenities

Many rehab facilities have fitness centers. At Sierra Tucson, clients can take advantage of their many fitness amenities. Soak up views of the Santa Catalina Mountains from their outdoor swimming pool or work out in the fully equipped gym. You can even learn how to rock climb on their indoor rock wall.

At Hollywood Hills Recovery, clients have access to a personal trainer, as well as group or private fitness classes.

Sports Opportunities

Social support is an important factor in sticking to an exercise routine.15 Team sports are a great way to foster new relationships. Futures Recovery Healthcare is an ideal facility for sports lovers. Challenge another client to a game of tennis, basketball, or volleyball on one of their many courts.

Rehab Facilities for Athletes

If you’re an athlete, you may want (or need) to continue training while in treatment. All Points North’s specialty program for athletes was created by professional athletes. Their center provides top-tier amenities to support your needs, like an indoor lap pool and personal trainer. 

At Soberman’s Estate, clients work with fitness coach Carl Hargrave. Once an NFL coach, he now helps clients find healing through fitness and prepare for the “field of life.”

Outdoor Activities

Recreating in nature provides many benefits—and some rehab facilities offer adventure therapy activities, like hiking and biking. For example, Lions Gate Recovery provides recreational outings to the nearby Zion National Park. Colorado is world-renowned for its outdoor opportunities, and All Points North Lodge in Vail is no exception. Clients can hike, paddleboard, or mountain bike in the summer, and go snowshoeing, snowboarding, or skiing in the winter.

Spending time in nature positively affects mental health.16 For example, researchers found that people who were outside for at least 2 hours per week had better overall well-being. This averages out to just 15 to 20 minutes per day. When you combine this with exercise, the effects are twofold: you reap the benefits from both physical activity and time in green spaces.

Find Joy on the Other Side of Healing

No matter your age or ability, even small amounts of exercise provide important mental and physical benefits. While physical activity is only part of your recovery journey, it plays an important role in maintaining a healthy lifestyle for years to come.
See our curated list of luxury rehabs with exercise programs to view fitness amenities, activity options, compare prices, and more.

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Learning by Doing With Experiential Therapy

Experiential therapy lets you heal by doing. Taking part in activities during rehab encourages you to learn new skills, and it can be a lot of fun. But this therapeutic modality offers much deeper benefits. It’s also a way for clients to get to know themselves in different contexts, processing emotions they might not easily access during talk therapy.

When you think of therapy, you may picture a private or group conversation with a trained healthcare provider. That’s an important part of any inpatient rehab experience, but it’s not the only way to heal. Experiential therapy techniques can help you get out in the world, center yourself in your body, connect with your community, and tap into your innate creativity. In the safe and supported environment of rehab, clients can then process these experiences with a talk therapist.

For many people, this is a valuable way to work through emotional triggers. You’ll learn what does and doesn’t work for you, relating recent events to your personal history. Then you can set new goals for your next session of experiential therapy, gradually getting better at navigating new situations. There are many different types of experimental therapy, and depending on where you go to rehab, you may be able to choose from a wide variety of activities. It’s important to choose a type of therapy that will support your healing process.

Types of Therapeutic Activities and Expression

If you want to try experiential therapy, look for a rehab center that offers specific programs you’re interested in. If you find physical exercise to be especially healing, you might want to go rock climbing or river rafting. If you enjoy connecting with nature, you may prefer hiking or equine therapy. And if you find meaning in the arts, you can even visit museums while you’re in treatment. There are countless options available.

However, it’s important to remember that rehab is not a vacation. Not every experience will be available to every client, or at every facility. You can rely on your clinical team to help you decide which ones are a good fit for you.

Athletic Activities

Research shows that exercise has a positive impact on addiction recovery.3 It’s not only physically healthy; it’s also a way to remind yourself that you’re a capable person. By overcoming new challenges, you’ll create memories that remind you of your own strength. If you can literally scale a mountain, it may be easier to face the peaks and valleys of the recovery journey.

Sierra Tucson rockclimbing
Rock climbing is one of the many athletic activities available at Sierra Tucson in Tucson, Arizona.

These experiential therapies aren’t just metaphors for your future success. In a practical way, they also give clients a break from talk therapy. By stepping into a new context, you’ll gain insights that just aren’t as accessible in talk therapy. Jerry Vaccaro, President of All Points North Lodge in Colorado, explains that these activities are intended “to help clients incorporate what they’ve just learned. If you think about it, if somebody who’s been through an intensive burst of treatment in a week goes skiing, that activity allows them to unplug and process what they’ve just been through and enjoy themselves.”

Adventure Therapy

Many people approach recovery as a spiritual journey. And in the right context, experiential therapy can be a transcendent experience. Residents of White River Manor, in South Africa, are invited to go on safari. As Giles Fourie, Director and Co-owner, describes it, “safaris through the Kruger National Park are a once-in-a-lifetime experience for a lot of people. To experience wildlife in its natural habitat is so unique and so special. It’s liberating. It’s almost spiritual in nature.”

White River Manor safari
Guests at White River Manor in South Africa have the opportunity to partake in unique experiences like a once-in-a-lifetime safari.

And if South Africa isn’t right for you, there are other places to find adventure. At The ‘Ohana, in Hawaii, clients visit “the famous volcano of the island. They will tour the rim of the volcano as well as visit lava tubes. They will be immersed into nature; connecting to the earth and the power which it holds. Clients will experience a therapeutic group session along their journey as they reflect on how things are constantly changing. Volcanoes beautifully illustrate the process of rebuilding and reshaping.”

Looking into a volcano can be a spiritual experience for anyone, whether or not they’re in recovery. Having these experiences surrounded by your cohort, and supported by staff members from your rehab program, is an extremely powerful experience. These adventures offer you a new perspective on your own life, as well as on the world around you.

Art Therapy

Many people misuse substances in order to avoid dealing with negative emotions that they’re afraid to feel or express. The creative outlet of art therapy allows you to engage with those feelings without being subsumed by them. In this modality, clients “use art media, the creative process, and the resulting artwork to explore their feelings.” This engaging, cathartic experience offers clients new tools for self-expression.

After inpatient rehab, it’s important to find healthy, sustainable ways to fill your time. Ideally, you’ll replace past behaviors with new activities that you find meaningful. For many people, art is the answer. This practice is both versatile and accessible—art therapy may include visual art, music, writing, or psychodrama. Once you return home, you can continue any of these activities, either on your own or in community.

Art isn’t just for artists. There’s great value in the act of creation, whether or not you intend to share your work in public. Preliminary research has even found a correlation between creativity and self-esteem.1 Art therapy is an opportunity to not only learn a new skill, but also to learn more about yourself.

The Philosophy Behind the Experiential Approach

Any activity, from adventure outings to ziplining, can be an opportunity for emotional growth. Dr. Ryan Drzewiecki, Director of Clinical Operations at All Points North Lodge, says, “the way you do one thing is the way you do everything—or at least, there’s something to learn from the way that you experience everything. So we periodically pause during activities and say, ‘What’s going on for you right now? What are you noticing?’ And we’re able to use that as a therapeutic opportunity to look at what’s happening.”

Experiential therapy engages different parts of the brain,2 and can be extremely beneficial when combined with other modalities. You’ll also have the opportunity to apply your insight from talk therapy in a new environment, and often in group settings. This way, clients can practice not only making safe choices, but also building healthy relationships. Even if you go off-site, everything you do during rehab takes place within a protected, supported context. Think of experiential therapy like riding a bike with training wheels. You’ll be exposed to new stimuli, and you’ll probably be a little uncomfortable. There’s a lot to learn from that discomfort. And you can trust that your therapists and support staff will be there to keep you on track, even if you get triggered.

Not every therapeutic modality is right for every client, and it’s ideal to find activities that best suit your learning style.4 According to one popular theory, there are four major learning styles: visual, aural, verbal, and kinesthetic. If you’re a verbal learner, for example, you may want to focus on talk therapy instead of learning martial arts.

However, you may be surprised to see which types of therapy suit you best. Rehab is a time to get to know yourself better than you have in the past and let go of negative preconceptions. As you reconnect with your most deeply held values, you just might get excited to try new things.

Limitations of Activity-Based Treatment Techniques

It’s important to note that experiential therapy isn’t right for everyone. For example, many people arrive at rehab with post-acute withdrawal symptoms. These clients may not be ready for strenuous activity, or even to go off-site with a group.

On the other hand, you may prefer a program without any group activities. Some clients, especially celebrities and high-level executives choose to attend private rehab facilities which treat only one client at a time. These facilities may offer adventure therapies, but that context won’t allow you to learn about group dynamics in quite the same way.

Experiential therapy is absolutely not a substitute for talk therapy. These excursions are valuable for many reasons, not least of all because you can return to talk therapy afterward and process your experience. This is true before, during, and after rehab. Joining a rock climbing gym is a great idea for some clients, but it should be combined with some sort of clinical care.

What This Means When You’re Choosing a Treatment Program

Finding the right kind of experiential treatment is a very personal process. Some people may benefit from stepping outside their comfort zones, trying exciting new activities they’ve never had access to before. Others may want to hone a skill, or return to a hobby they once loved. There’s no right or wrong way to choose an activity to focus on; there’s just the right way for you.

As you look into rehabs, be mindful of what type of treatment you find in various locations. Your preferences may also inform the geographical area of your program. If you live in Texas and want to go skiing during rehab, for example, it probably makes sense to travel to a new place.

It’s quite common for rehab facilities to only offer certain experiences to certain clients. You may be required to complete part of the program before you can participate in off-site outings. For example, Futures Recovery Healthcare offers a number of programs for people with different needs. Clients in their adventure therapy program, Rise, take part in a 10-day on-site stabilization program before joining other activities.

Futures Recovery Healthcare Rise
Futures Recovery Healthcare’s Rise program offers a uniquely active, adventure-based approach to recovery.

Create Meaning Through Experience

Rehab is an opportunity to make big changes. And in order to change the way you feel, you’ll almost certainly begin by changing what you do. Rather than just setting down old behaviors, it’s important to refill your time with activities that give your life purpose. Cultivating that sense of fulfillment makes recovery more sustainable. What you do in experiential therapy may or may not become your new favorite hobby: you might just discover that you hate surfing, and get excited to return home to the Midwest. Regardless, each of these experiences serve to teach you more about yourself.

To learn more about the many activities you can try during treatment, connect with a luxury rehab offering experiential therapy.

Frequently Asked Questions About Experiential Therapy

What is experiential therapy in rehab?

Experiential therapy is a therapeutic modality that encourages healing through hands-on activities and experiences. It goes beyond traditional talk therapy and allows clients to engage in activities like rock climbing, equine therapy, or art therapy. These experiences help clients learn new skills, process emotions, and gain insights in a different context, leading to deeper personal growth and self-discovery.

How does experiential therapy benefit addiction recovery?

By engaging in physical activities and adventures, such as athletic activities or adventure therapy, people in recovery can boost their self-esteem, develop resilience, and gain a new perspective on life. Art therapy, for example, provides a creative outlet for self-expression and exploring emotions. These therapies complement talk therapy, helping clients develop healthy coping mechanisms and build stronger relationships.

How to choose the right experiential therapy for rehab?

When choosing an experiential therapy for rehab, it’s important to consider your interests and preferences. Look for rehab centers that offer specific programs aligned with your goals, such as outdoor adventure or music therapy. Discuss with your clinical team to determine which activities are suitable for your healing process. Remember, not every therapy is suitable for everyone, and it’s essential to find activities that resonate with your learning style and contribute to your overall well-being during the recovery journey.