Alcohol is the most widely used drug in Australia source. It’s no secret that the effects of alcohol abuse in Australia can be problematic - to say the least. It is estimated that 83% of Australians are drinkers source. According to a recent government report on the societal costs of alcohol misuse in Australia, “misuse of alcohol leads to a range of problems including individual health issues, lower life expectancy, reduced productivity in the workforce and absenteeism, accidents, violence and other alcohol-related offences (eg public nuisance offences), as well as drink driving” source.

The social costs of alcohol abuse in Australia (2004–05) were estimated to be in excess of $15b, with $10.8b attributed to tangible costs (eg labour and health costs) and $4.5b to intangible costs such as loss of life through violence source. According to NDARC, in any 12-month period in Australia, 1.4 per cent of the population will be alcohol-dependent. Although rates of alcohol dependence are higher among those who are unemployed, a significant number of Australians are working and alcohol-dependent source. Drinks with friends may be a valid and enjoyable way to end the working week for some people, yet with binge drinking normalised among many social groups, far too many people of all ages in our community are finding that excessive drinking and alcoholism becomes a dominant part of life, and soon find themselves in the midst of alcohol dependency. As national health policies indicate, it is essential that we address alcohol abuse as a community, since left unmanaged, it is devastating not only to the mental and physical health of drinkers, but also relationships, families, and public health in this country. According to the World Health Organization, the global burden of the harmful use of alcohol claims 2.5 million lives per year source.

Public health aside, alcohol abuse leads to a slew of corresponding community and judicial complications. It is known that violence increases dramatically - both public and domestic - in the presence of excessive drinking, as does crime source. Alcohol caused more than twice as many deaths (3,494) than road accidents (1,600) in Australia in 2005 source. All of the statistics stated are likely to be conservative, as they do not include all of the indirect costs (or externalities) imposed on others by alcohol misuse. If we are to resolve the problem of alcohol abuse in Australia, we will need to build an approach that addresses the complex reasons for alcohol abuse within communities, and weaves together multi-disciplinary practices, which address the mental, social, and physical motivations for problem-drinking individuals. There is a growing awareness and body of research that yoga is one of the most powerful tools we can utilise in this mission for collective resolution of alcohol abuse in Australia. As stated in this research report source, “complementary therapies like yoga and mindfulness meditation are increasingly recognized for their ability to enhance recovery from addiction, in part by targeting stress-related cognitions, emotions, and behavioral urges such as craving.”

The following points illustrate just a few examples of the many ways in which the practice of yoga can help resolve the complex public health problem of alcohol abuse.

1. Regular yoga practice increases physical strength, circulation, and overall health source. This benefit to physical health increases the likelihood that a person begins to want to act in ways that feel good for the whole system, rather than making habitual choices that lead to overall ill health, or to seek ‘relief’ from feeling mentally, emotionally or physically run down source. If a person does fall back into the pattern of alcohol abuse, the alcohol is likely to have less perceived beneficial effect (due to the mindfulness cultivated during yoga practice), and the after-effect is likely to be felt more acutely in contrast to the wellness cultivated through regular yoga practice source. Together, these consequences of yoga allow an individual to make integrated, sustainable, self-care changes that support long term health and reduce the pull of short term habitual response. Yoga creates a positive feedback loop that can transform lives and overturn addiction, as this documentary illustrates source . Additionally, neuroscience data indicates that yoga and meditation can target multiple brain regions, and the functional connections between them, that subserve addictive behaviors source.

2. Research shows that yoga addresses underlying mental health conditions such as chronic stress, depression, anxiety, and trauma source. Depressive symptoms are expected to be the second leading cause of disease burden in the Western world by 2020 source. In addition to this, research suggests that mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, stress, and insomnia are among the most common reasons for individuals to seek treatment with complementary therapies such as yoga source. Since addiction has been linked in countless studies, with co-existent mental health complications source, the practice of yoga provides an obvious and low-cost addition to mental health treatment plans, as well as preventative health in relation to alcohol use. With the number of individuals seeking treatment for depression and anxiety rising so dramatically in recent years source, it doesn’t take a great leap of the imagination to consider the huge number of others who are not seeking treatment, but rather self-medicating with alcohol or other substances source. Yoga is comprised of several elements including regulation of breathing, asanas (yoga postures), and focused attention (e.g., meditation), all of which may enhance stress reduction and improve mood and well-being which are linked to successful addiction cessation source. Yoga practice provides a space in which a person can experience the relief they seek in alcohol, without any cost to personal or public health.

3. Yoga reduces isolation and helps create the experience of belonging. Numerous studies are finding that the self-soothing effects of yoga and meditation can provide an alternative method of treatment for individuals with problem-drinking, in their efforts of choosing and sustaining sobriety source. Research shows that addiction is fed by the absence of relationship source, and that a sense of spiritual connection - whether religious or secular - can significantly support recovery. Not only does the group setting of the yoga class support the reduction in reliance on alcohol to ameliorate isolation, but the philosophy and principles of yoga encourage a direct experience of the relationship between the personal and the universal, which can provide a secular, and highly effective model of belonging for those with alcohol-abuse challenges, whether they identify as religious or not. According to this report source, “It (yoga) also empowers people, providing them with real-world tools they can use anytime, anywhere on their own because yoga asanas (postures) and pranayama (breathing exercises) are readily accessible when a therapist or sponsor isn’t.”

4. Yoga reduces anxiety and impulsivity, which is linked with a reduction in violent behaviour source. Since alcohol abuse has been so widely linked with violent behaviour, it is of great importance that we become aware that the practice of yoga has been shown to help reduce violent outbursts among prison inmates source, as well as reducing the perpetration of domestic violence by offenders source. The practice of yoga is likely to produce these impressive results, due to the fact that yoga helps increase personal regulation, reduce anxiety, intercept impulsive behaviour with mindful responses, and is founded on the basic principle of nonviolence (ahimsa), which is often communicated within yoga classes source. Yoga provides moral frameworks and clarity to the otherwise chaotic inner signals of addiction. As this article states source, “contrary to popular Western beliefs and modernization, the ancient practice of yoga involves more than just the asanas (postures) or dhyana (meditation). These eight limbs are comprised of ethical principles for living a meaningful and purposeful life; serving as a prescription for moral and ethical conduct and self-discipline, they direct attention towards one’s health while acknowledging the spiritual aspects of one’s nature.”(

5. Yoga provides an alternative form of social recreation. Many people associate alcoholism with severe circumstances such as homelessness and incarceration, yet alcohol abuse is not necessarily visible. It is often our colleagues, friends and successful peers who are struggling to hold it all together whilst battling an addiction source. The social emphasis on ‘going for drinks’ can be very persuasive and troubling for someone trying to manage over-use of alcohol in their life. When peer environments and communities consent to alcohol use that reinforces excessive drinking as ‘normal’, a person may remain in denial until their health and life are seriously compromised source. Yoga practice can include being involved in group classes as well as accompanying social aspects such as developing a relationship with a teacher, other class participants, and the wider community of practitioners. Events, festivals, workshops, retreats, and other events are common among the yoga community and can provide a sense of social belonging and participation beyond the class setting. Yoga’s social environment provides a healthy space where a person can feel support without having to partake in behaviours that can be toxic to the body and mind of someone living with, or trying to manage, alcohol abuse. Many people think of yoga as a personal recreational pastime, yet as the evidence of this paper illustrates, it is far more than that. Making yoga accessible to as many people across Australia as possible needs to be a high priority if we are to utilise yoga as the major contributor it can be in our collective mission towards low-cost, effective public health strategies.