Yoga for addiction recovery: cravings, stress and sleep, what the trials show, where yoga fits beside treatment, and where to get help

Get help straight away

The NHS says a mental health emergency should be taken as seriously as a physical one, and that you will not be wasting anyone's time.

• Call 999 or go to A&E if your life is at risk: for example, you have seriously harmed yourself or taken an overdose, or you feel you can't keep yourself safe.
• For urgent help in England, call 111 and select the mental health option, or use 111 online.
• Call Samaritans on 116 123. It is free, any time, day or night.
• In the US, call or text 988, the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, any time. It supports people with substance use problems too.

Sources 1, 2, 3, 4

Alcohol and drug helplines

• Drinkline, the national alcohol helpline: 0300 123 1110 (weekdays 9am to 8pm, weekends 11am to 4pm).
• FRANK, for drugs: 0300 123 6600, any time, or text 82111.
• In the US, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline: 1-800-662-4357, free and confidential, any time.

Sources 5, 6, 7

Yoga helps you feel better; it isn't a treatment for addiction

The US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) says early results for yoga "have been positive, but larger, high-quality studies are needed". No UK guideline recommends yoga. Use it alongside treatment and support, not instead of them.

Sources 8, 9, 10

Stopping safely comes first

"It can be very dangerous to stop drinking suddenly if you're dependent on alcohol. If you get withdrawal symptoms, get medical help before you try to stop drinking" (the NHS). No trial has tested yoga during alcohol withdrawal.

Sources 11, 12

Mood and anxiety: yoga's clearest benefit

In 140 adults with alcohol problems, anxiety and low mood eased more with yoga than with phone support, though not significantly more than with aerobic exercise, and drinking fell by similar amounts in all three groups.

Sources 13, 14

Opioid withdrawal: one promising supervised trial

In 59 men on an addiction ward taking buprenorphine, supervised yoga sped up recovery from withdrawal. It was one hospital, with no comparison group given the same attention, and it followed people for only 15 days.

Source 15

Cravings and smoking: short-lived help

Short yoga or breathing sessions eased cigarette cravings for a while, and yoga's boost to quitting smoking had gone by 3 months. For drug cravings, yoga ranked near the bottom of the exercise types tested.

Sources 16, 17, 18

Know where to get help

Severe withdrawal (shaking, confusion, seeing things, seizures) needs 999. Drinkline, FRANK and the site's help lines are at the top of this page, and the full list is in Where to get help.

Sources 11, 6

Don't stop heavy drinking suddenly on your ownStrong evidence

The NHS: "It can be very dangerous to stop drinking suddenly if you're dependent on alcohol. If you get withdrawal symptoms, get medical help before you try to stop drinking." If you have become physically dependent, "stopping overnight could be harmful". Your GP or local alcohol service can help you cut down or stop safely, often at home.

Sources 11, 5

Withdrawal symptomsStrong evidence

The NHS lists anxiety, difficulty sleeping, feeling or being sick, a racing heartbeat, sweating and shaking, seeing, hearing or feeling things that aren't there, confusion and seizures. They begin within 6 to 12 hours of your last drink and usually last 3 to 7 days, though some can last months. The UK alcohol treatment guidelines: withdrawal "can be life threatening in severe cases, requiring urgent medical attention".

Sources 11, 10

Some medicines must be stopped slowly tooStrong evidence

"It's important not to stop taking methadone suddenly or without talking to your GP or prescriber first." With diazepam, stopping suddenly can cause withdrawal symptoms, and your doctor will reduce the dose gradually. FRANK warns that people stopping heavy benzodiazepine use "might experience fits".

Sources 19, 20, 21

After a break, the old dose is dangerousStrong evidence

After even a few days without heroin, your tolerance drops, and FRANK warns you risk an overdose if you take the same dose as before. Keep naloxone if you've been offered it.

Sources 21, 19

During withdrawal

No trial has tested yoga during alcohol withdrawal. The opioid trial was gentle, supervised, in hospital and alongside medicine, and left out severe withdrawal. With medical support, rest, fluids, food and gentle walking come first; save classes until your team agrees (our suggestion).

Sources 12, 15

Treatment that worksStrong evidence

For alcohol: talking therapies, medical help with withdrawal, medicines to reduce cravings, and support groups. For drugs: your GP or local drug service, a keyworker, talking therapies, substitute medicines such as methadone or buprenorphine for opioids, and support groups. The NHS: "If you need help for a drug problem, you're entitled to treatment in the same way as anyone else who has a health problem."

Sources 11, 22, 9

What UK guidelines say about activityStrong evidence

The opioid detox guideline from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE): "Service users should be offered advice on aspects of lifestyle that require particular attention during opioid detoxification. These include: a balanced diet; adequate hydration; sleep hygiene; regular physical exercise." The UK clinical guidelines for alcohol treatment (2025) include "appropriate physical activities" in recovery plans, relaxation and mindfulness-based relapse prevention. None of NICE's alcohol or drug guidelines mentions yoga, and NICE is updating its alcohol guideline.

Sources 23, 10, 9, 24, 25

What the US health agency saysStrong evidence

NCCIH: "Preliminary results of studies on yoga for substance use disorders have been positive, but larger, high-quality studies are needed to rigorously determine whether yoga is effective."

Source 8

Many people don't take up yoga when it's offeredEmerging evidence

Across 11 yoga trials in addiction, about 54% of the people approached didn't take part. In one hospital trial, only 24% agreed, mostly because of lack of time, although 80% of those who said no thought yoga could help. Choose a time and place that fits your treatment.

Sources 26, 27

Drinking: no better than other supportMixed evidence

In a Swedish trial, 140 inactive adults with alcohol problems, not in treatment, were offered aerobic exercise, yoga or phone support for 12 weeks, with 3 sessions a week offered. Weekly drinks fell in all three groups, with no significant difference between them. An 18-person pilot of yoga added to treatment was too small to tell.

Sources 13, 28, 29

Mood, anxiety and quality of lifeEmerging evidence

In the same trial, anxiety and depression scores fell most with yoga (a large effect, g 1.06), significantly more than with phone support but not significantly more than with aerobic exercise, and no injuries were reported. Mental quality of life rose with yoga and aerobic exercise alike. Across 15 studies in alcohol problems, exercise of many kinds eased anxiety, low mood and stress.

Sources 14, 30, 31

Opioid withdrawalEmerging evidence

In an Indian trial of 59 men with mild to moderate opioid withdrawal, all taking buprenorphine, 10 supervised 45-minute sessions over 14 days led to faster recovery from withdrawal (a median of 5 against 9 days), less anxiety and pain, and falling asleep about an hour sooner, with no harms reported. It was one hospital and men only, the comparison group had no equal attention, and people were followed only to day 15.

Source 15

Other drugsMixed evidence

Weekly yoga did no better than group therapy alongside methadone over 6 months (61 people). Six months of yoga improved mood and quality of life in 75 women going through heroin detox. In 80 people with methamphetamine problems, 24 weeks of mindfulness yoga improved sleep scores, though the paper describes its comparison group in two different ways. In 96 men in residential drug treatment, yoga and physical exercise helped equally.

Sources 32, 33, 34, 35

Breathing programmesMixed evidence

Two small Indian studies of a rhythmic breathing programme (Sudarshan Kriya) in people being treated for alcohol dependence reported lower depression and drinking scores; we could read only their summaries. A review found yogic breathing helped mainly with tobacco and opioids, and only in the short term.

Sources 36, 37, 38

ReviewsMixed evidence

Reviews of 8 and 10 trials found mostly positive results for anxiety, pain or use, but neither pooled the results, and one called the trials "small to medium-sized, with various methodological and analytical flaws". We found no recent pooled analysis across all substances, no trial during alcohol withdrawal and none in cannabis.

Sources 39, 40, 12

Exercise in generalMixed evidence

In 21 studies of alcohol problems, exercise didn't clearly reduce drinking but did improve low mood and fitness. Our exercise in recovery guide covers exercise in more detail.

Sources 41, 42

Is yoga safe?Strong evidence

Across 94 trials in all kinds of people, yoga had no more harms than usual care or other exercise, and the alcohol trial reported no injuries.

Sources 43, 14

Moving and breathing ease cravings for a whileEmerging evidence

Ten minutes of yogic breathing cut cigarette cravings straight away in 96 smokers, but the effect had gone by the next day. Thirty minutes of hatha yoga or a brisk walk both lowered cravings, and across many studies, physical activity reduces cigarette cravings in the short term.

Sources 16, 44, 45, 46

Drug cravingsMixed evidence

In a 2026 analysis of 44 trials in drug treatment, aerobic and mixed exercise ranked highest for cravings, and yoga and mindfulness-based exercise near the bottom, at very low certainty.

Source 18

A plan for when a craving hits

Cravings usually pass in minutes. Move first (our 10-minute craving break, or a brisk walk), then breathe slowly, call someone or leave the situation. The NHS suggests "a quick burst of activity" and a slow breathing exercise for nicotine cravings.

Sources 47, 46

Short-lived gainsMixed evidence

In 227 adults having stop-smoking support, twice-weekly yoga raised quit rates at the end of 8 weeks, but the difference had gone by 3 and 6 months. A smaller trial in 55 women showed the same pattern, and a 2026 analysis pooling 5 trials found no clear effect.

Sources 17, 48, 49

One newer positive trialMixed evidence

In 130 tobacco users in India, nearly all men and most using smokeless tobacco, more people had quit at 6 months with yoga than with exercise (22% against 9.1%). It hasn't been repeated in smokers elsewhere.

Source 50

What works best

The NHS points you to stop smoking products and your GP or local Stop Smoking Service, and says "if you combine a nicotine-free medicine with nicotine patches or gum, you are much more likely to quit for good". Yoga can sit alongside that.

Source 47

One strong trialEmerging evidence

In 286 adults after initial treatment, mindfulness-based relapse prevention led to fewer days of drug use and less heavy drinking at 12 months than standard relapse prevention or usual aftercare. In 250 people misusing prescribed opioids for chronic pain, an 8-week mindfulness programme left more people no longer misusing them at 9 months than supportive group therapy (45.0% against 24.4%).

Sources 51, 52

Overall: very uncertainMixed evidence

Across 40 trials, Cochrane found mindfulness may slightly reduce days of substance use compared with other treatments, at very low certainty. Pooled results for cravings looked bigger but varied widely between trials, and a review of 9 relapse prevention trials found no difference in relapse.

Sources 53, 54, 55

In UK treatment

The UK alcohol treatment guidelines include mindfulness-based relapse prevention, given by practitioners "trained and certified in the specific treatment".

Source 10

Poor sleep is common and can lastStrong evidence

"Insomnia occurs in 36-72% of alcoholic patients and may last for weeks to months after initiating abstinence", and poor sleep at the start of treatment went with later relapse. Sleep problems affect more than 3 in 4 people with opioid use disorder.

Sources 56, 57

What helpsStrong evidence

Cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) cut insomnia scores by about 5.5 points across 8 trials in alcohol use disorder. Mind-body exercise ranked first for sleep in a network analysis at low certainty, and people fell asleep sooner in the opioid yoga trial. We found no trial of yoga nidra in addiction.

Sources 58, 42, 15, 59

A bedtime routine

A short, gentle stretch and slow breathing can help you wind down. Every Mind Matters suggests going to bed and waking at around the same time, and avoiding exercise in the 4 hours before bed, so keep anything brisk for earlier in the day.

Source 60

Trauma is commonStrong evidence

Across studies of people with addiction, 31% to 38% reported childhood emotional, physical or sexual abuse. European trauma experts say clinicians should ask about it, and that trauma-focused therapy alongside addiction treatment works best for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Sources 61, 62

Stillness can stir things upEmerging evidence

Across 83 studies, about 8% of people reported unwanted effects from meditation, mostly anxiety and low mood, and lasting effects were more likely after childhood adversity. The authors call for "increasing trauma-sensitivity".

Sources 63, 64

Trauma-sensitive choices

Choose classes where every pose is optional and nobody touches you without asking. Keep your eyes open if you prefer, keep rests short, and if a quiet rest brings up anxiety or memories, open your eyes, sit up and stop, as our yoga nidra guide says.

How much: our editorial starting point

Once you're through withdrawal with medical support, 10 to 20 minutes on most days (a bedtime stretch, a short stress class or a walk), building to 2 or 3 classes a week alongside treatment and mutual aid. The trials offered 2 or 3 sessions a week for 8 to 12 weeks.

Sources 28, 17

Which style

No style has been shown to be better. The trials used beginner-level flowing classes, gentle 45-minute sessions on a ward and 1-hour Iyengar classes, all with breathing and rest. Choose a slow, beginner-friendly or trauma-sensitive class, and avoid forceful breathing, which US health advice tells beginners to skip.

Sources 28, 15, 17, 65

Not after drinking or using

Don't practise after drinking or using, and leave hot yoga until your health is settled and your team agrees: heat, dehydration and heart rhythm risks are higher after heavy drinking (our exercise in recovery guide).

Slow breathing: written steps

For stress and urges (the NHS breathing exercise):

• Sit or stand with your feet flat and your shoulders loose; keep your eyes open if you prefer.
• Breathe in gently through your nose for a count of up to 5.
• Breathe out through your mouth for a count of up to 5, without holding your breath.
• Keep going for 3 to 5 minutes, or 1 to 2 minutes when an urge hits.
• Leave out fast, forceful breathing and breath holds, which raised blood pressure while people did them.

Sources 66, 67

Classes during withdrawal

No classes, hard sessions or hot rooms during withdrawal. Medical help first, then rest, fluids, food and gentle walking if your team agrees.

Sources 11, 5

Forceful breathing and breath holds

Kapalbhati, breath of fire, bellows breath and long holds (box breathing, 4-7-8) raise blood pressure while you do them, and holds can make anxious people feel short of air. Breathing programmes such as Sudarshan Kriya were studied in people in treatment, not as home practice; don't copy them from a video in early recovery (our suggestion).

Sources 67, 65, 36

Long, silent relaxation on hard days

Long eyes-closed relaxation or yoga nidra "can bring up anxiety, painful memories or a detached feeling for some people. If that happens, open your eyes, sit up and stop" (our yoga nidra guide).

Source 63

Hands-on adjustments

Ask your teacher not to touch you without asking first. Choice matters in trauma-sensitive practice (our PTSD guide).

Humming breath

Optional. It raised blood pressure a little during practice in healthy adults and hasn't been tested in addiction; skip it if humming feels uncomfortable.

Source 67

Alcohol withdrawal: call 999 (911 in the US) or go to A&EStrong evidence

The NHS says call 999 or go to A&E if you or someone else has severe withdrawal symptoms after stopping drinking, such as the signs below. Don't drive to A&E: ask someone to drive you or call 999 and ask for an ambulance.

• Shaking visibly.
• Being unusually restless, irritable or upset.
• Confusion (for example, not knowing what day it is).
• Seeing, hearing, or feeling things that are not there.
• Having a seizure.

Sources 11, 5

Overdose: call 999

FRANK: "If you or someone else needs urgent help after taking drugs or drinking, call 999 for an ambulance. Tell the crew everything you know." If someone has taken too much methadone, give naloxone if you have it; the 999 call handler can talk you through it.

Sources 6, 19

Heart: stop and call 999

• Chest pain that feels tight or like squeezing, or spreads to your arms, neck or jaw, severe difficulty breathing, or someone passes out and isn't responding normally.
• On methadone, problems breathing or a heartbeat that is irregular, faster or slower than usual.

Sources 68, 69

Thoughts of suicide or self-harm

If you are thinking about suicide or can't keep yourself safe, call 999 or go to A&E. For urgent help, call Samaritans free on 116 123, any time, or in England call 111 and select the mental health option. In the US, call or text 988.

Sources 1, 2, 3

Alcohol and drug helplines

• Drinkline, the national alcohol helpline: 0300 123 1110 (weekdays 9am to 8pm, weekends 11am to 4pm).
• FRANK, for drugs: 0300 123 6600, any time, or text 82111.
• In the US, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline: 1-800-662-4357, free and confidential, any time.

Sources 5, 6, 7

Mutual aid and family support

These are free, and the site doesn't recommend one over another:

• Alcoholics Anonymous Great Britain: 0800 917 7650.
• Narcotics Anonymous UK: 0300 999 1212, 10am to midnight.
• SMART Recovery UK runs mutual-aid meetings, face to face or online.
• Al-Anon, for families and friends of people who drink: 0800 0086 811, 10am to 10pm, every day.
• Nacoa, for children of parents who drink: 0800 358 3456.

Sources 70, 71, 72, 73, 74

Talk to your GP, keyworker or recovery service

• You want to cut down or stop and aren't sure it's safe.
• Low mood, anxiety or poor sleep isn't easing in recovery (our wording).
• Exercise starts to feel compulsive, or you exercise through injury or illness.

Sources 11, 22, 9

During practice

Stop and sit or lie down if you feel dizzy, faint or unwell. If a breathing exercise or a quiet rest brings up distress, cravings or memories, open your eyes, sit up and stop. Eat something and drink water first in early recovery (our suggestion).

"Yoga can replace addiction treatment"Strong evidence

No UK guideline recommends yoga, the US health agency calls the results preliminary, and in the alcohol trial drinking fell as much with phone support as with yoga. Treatment and mutual aid carry the evidence; yoga can sit alongside them.

Sources 9, 8, 13

"Yoga or sweating it out speeds up detox"Strong evidence

There's nothing you can do to speed up how fast your body clears alcohol, as our exercise in recovery guide says, and the British Dietetic Association says your body has "its own built-in ability to 'detoxify' and remove waste".

Source 75

"A tough class is a good way through withdrawal"Strong evidence

Withdrawal can cause seizures and severe confusion and needs medical help, and no trial has tested yoga during alcohol withdrawal. The opioid trial was gentle, supervised, in hospital and alongside medicine.

Sources 11, 12, 15

"Yoga raises GABA, so you won't need a drink or pills"Mixed evidence

The studies of GABA, a calming chemical messenger in the brain, were tiny (8 and 19 people) and in healthy adults. No study has measured this in people with addiction or shown that yoga replaces anything.

Sources 76, 77

"Yoga stops cravings"Mixed evidence

Short yoga or breathing sessions eased cigarette cravings for a while, but yoga ranked near the bottom for drug cravings in a 2026 analysis. Have several plans: move, breathe, call someone, leave the situation.

Sources 16, 18

"Yoga prevents relapse"Mixed evidence

No yoga trial has followed relapse for long, and in smoking, yoga's quit-rate gain had gone by 3 months. Mindfulness-based relapse prevention has the stronger trial.

Sources 17, 51

"Breath of fire clears cravings and toxins"Mixed evidence

We found no trial of it for cravings. It raises blood pressure while you do it, and beginners are advised to avoid forceful breathing.

Sources 67, 65

"If feelings come up in class, push through them"Emerging evidence

Meditation can bring up anxiety and painful memories, more often after childhood adversity. Open your eyes, sit up and stop.

Sources 63, 64

"Yoga will help anyone stop smoking"Mixed evidence

Pooled trials found no clear effect, and the largest trial's gain faded by 3 months. Stop smoking products and your local Stop Smoking Service remain the main route.

Sources 49, 17, 47