When it comes to recovering from addiction, many addicted individuals find it difficult because it involves switching from one lifestyle to the other.

For instance, one of the things addicted individuals need to watch out for is cravings that boost their addiction.

They need to avoid these cravings so that they can become permanently sober. Hence, to counter this lifestyle, recovering addicts need to imbibe a way of life to stabilize their physical and mental health.

One of such ways is by spending time in the desert. Many people see the desert as a place where nothing barely grows.

However, the desert is known to help people recover from issues related to addiction and mental health.

One of the things you will gain from spending time in the desert is the serenity that comes with it.

The desert is one of the best places to unplug and disconnect yourself from the world. By doing this, you will be focusing more on yourself because that is what matters at this point.

Additionally, there are lots of activities that you can do in the desert. These activities translate into physical activities which will boost your lifestyle.

An unhealthy lifestyle is more susceptible to addiction. Hence, you can kickstart a healthy lifestyle to become fully sober by participating in various activities in the desert.

If you are looking to meditate and look inwards, you can take time out to do this in the desert. You will be free of distractions and you are likely to think and process faster when you are there.

Before setting out to the desert, you must research on where you are going. You need to be sure that the place is safe before going there. After making your findings and you are sure the place is habitable, you can take a short trip there to boost your recovery.

You must have heard a thing or two about the desert, but do you know that spending some time in the desert has some benefits for your mental health. If you are considering spending some time alone for your mental health, one of the places to consider is the desert.

Here are some of the perks the desert gives your mental health

Less stress

If you are looking to reduce your stress levels because it is beginning to affect your mental health, the desert is one of the places to be. One of the things you would notice is, that there won’t be many people in the desert.

So, you would have enough time to yourself to relax and reduce your stress levels. Additionally, the quality of air in the desert is often different from what you will experience in city life because there are no vehicles or industries in the desert.

Healthy outdoor activities

To keep your mind sharp, you need to engage in healthy outdoor activities. Many of these activities can be done safely in the desert. The options are limitless because there is a free space with little or no restrictions.

Therefore, anytime you are planning a trip to the desert, remember to engage in outdoor activities that would benefit your mental health.

Reduce anxiety and depression

If you are experiencing anxiety and depression, one of the ways to reduce its effects is to go on a trip to the desert. The desert provides the right atmosphere for you to keep anxiety and depression at bay.

During your trip, ensure that you detach yourself from any trigger that could most likely alleviate your anxiety and depression symptoms.

Before you take a trip to the desert, ensure you make your research about the features that the desert has to offer. This will help you plan your stay and reap the benefits to the fullest.

Your environment has a great impact on your psychological and physical health, particularly when you are on the road to recovery.

When people are in a state of recuperation, whether physical or psychological, it is important that they are in a place that would provide peace and facilitate their healing.

One of the major reasons why people choose the desert for recovery, is because of the natural healing effects that it comes with. This healing power of the desert has the capacity to positively impact the health and wellbeing of an individual.

Often, the desert is the major choice for health and wellness centers because people seem attracted to the serene climate in the desert. The desert boasts of a dry and warm climate, alongside with a natural beauty that improves mood and steps up amazing lifestyle benefits.

Taking time out to spend in the desert could be one of the best choices you can ever make. You will be oblivious to the hustle and bustle of the city, and you will reconnect with nature.

Living and working in the city comes with huge stress that people find so challenging. So, the best way to help yourself is to go to the desert and spend some time.

The desert’s warmth is healing, and this positive effects transcends to the mind, body and brain. For people who live in very cold climates, it is important to take out time and visit the desert.

There is ample sunshine in the desert and this provides adequate nutrients like vitamin D which can turn your health around.

When you are connected to the ambience of nature that the desert provides, you will be calmer and you will experience peace within. Staying in the desert also provides you with the opportunity to re-strategize and plan out your life.

The desert is an untapped goldmine that people have not come to know, realizing this will help people live a better life.

Meditation is an old practice that aids you to have more control over your mind, and then your life before you fully discover yourself. Meditation is an efficient way to power up your batteries and provide calmness to your mind.

We all experience periods when our mind seems to be taken over by life’s challenges preventing us from thinking straight. A good number of times, some of these thoughts flood our mind and it even prevents us from sleeping.

However, with meditation, all these negative emotions, thoughts, anxiety and the likes can be eliminated.

Based on studies, if meditation is carried out regularly, the signs of anxiety and stress will be eliminated. You will be mentally balanced, and it would be easier for you to handle challenging situations.

You do not need to belong to a religion before you meditate, and you do not need to remain in a particular position before you meditate.

All you need do is take time out to be alone and clear your head. With meditation, people who have high blood pressure can get it lowered. In addition, meditation works effectively to provide strength to your immune system, preventing you from contracting illness.

Also, if you do not want to age faster, then one way to combat this is by meditating. It might seem difficult at first but if you keep at it, you will discover that it is easier than you expected.

Meditation also helps you to keep your calm even in the midst of frightening situations where people would fret. You will remain calm, and it becomes easy for you to think properly. With meditation, you will be more sensitive and tolerant; taking out your anger on people would become a thing of the past.

With time, you will realize that you are more confident in yourself than before. Also, your personal growth would be aided because you have a healthier mind.

For people in the workplace and students in school, regular meditation helps them to effectively combat distraction and improve productivity.

There are some environments which are known for promoting profound and meditative thought process, which is quintessential to the development of a sound mental health, and the desert happens to be one of such environments. The desert is unarguably one of the beautiful natural places, which has an incredibly big open space, and the sky towering over the entire place.

The fact that the desert is an isolated place, is what makes it ideal for meditation. Basically, the concept of meditation needs prolonged silence, which is what nature offers freely. The desert is a place which offers you the chance of taking yourself far from the reality of this world, into another realm, then back into the natural world.

In the years past, and even till now, it has been a tradition for some people to utilize the desert in having their meditation, in order to rid themselves of personal afflictions, in order to give themselves a sound mental health. In some religious stories, you would see where some people at one point or the other, would withdraw themselves into the desert to meditate.

Going to the desert suggests that you need ample time for yourself, to think and reflect on your life, your actions and a host of others. People do this, so that they can get the needed inner peace, which would improve their mental health, and the proper functioning of their brain.

We live in times when there is not enough time for us to improve our mental health, which can easily be done when you spend sufficient time in a place such as a desert. For those who take out time to do this, it gets easier for them, as their mental health gets better over time.

Due to the fact that the desert is a wide open space, it encourages meditation on a free basis, because there are no environmental distractions; just an open silent space. Hence, being free from things which distracts one when meditating, enhances the mental health of an individual. It is indeed a valuable practice.

The parellels that can be drawn between full self discovery and the desert are endless. Self discovery comes through depriving the self of the body’s usual nourishments. Not to a dangerous extent, but to a useful extent. What has been found is that those who deny their body’s usual sustenance bring forward the life of their metaphysical being, their soul. Depriving the body and nourishing the soul through meditation, spirit walks and the likes is an old tradition of sajes, prophets and wise men. When we ingest food for the soul instead of food for the body, we become more in touch with our truest self.

How does this relate to the desert, one might ask? The desert is where these said sajes, prophets and wise men are known to go in order to deprive themselves because it is a physically deprived place. The desert does not have water to spare. Most days of the year, it is as dry as a bone. This basic element essential to natural life is hardly present. Similarly, the provision of food, shade and shelter is also extremely limited. One goes into the desert expecting to navigate the harshest of conditions. Therefore, the philosophy of depriving the body in order to engage the spirit naturally goes hand in hand with the environment of the desert.

This blogger is by no means recommending that people should wander in the desert without water or provisions. This has been known to take the lives of many people. This article merely points out the value of entering the desert in order to seek growth for that part of our identities that is not of this earth. One should be very physically and mentally prepared for an excursion of this nature. Do not attempt anything like this without mental and physical training. However, if one can properly equip themselves to deal with the hardships of the desert, immersing one’s self within it for the purpose of self discovery can be highly rewarding.

There are many types of deserts around the world that are different types of ecosystems. Here in North America, the term “desert” usually draws to mind images of the Southwestern states in America, such as Arizona, Utah, Nevada, California and New Mexico. Here, deserts such as the Sonoran and Mojave stretch for many hundreds of miles in some of the most widely recognized desert landscapes in the world. The desert is a natural environment unlike any other. There is an incredible draw and appeal to the desert that brings in travelers from around the world, but just what features make the desert so distinct?

The arid weather of the desert is responsible for the familiar plant life of the desert. Plants such as cactus, palo verde trees and creosote are adapted to grow in climates that have very little water. The Saguaro Cactus and the Prickly Pear Cactus are known for retaining water so efficiently that someone lost in the desert can survive by cutting them open and drinking their fluids. Vegetation in the desert is very sparse and the plants that do grow there are very recognizably associated with the desert of the Southwest.

Monsoon season is the time of year that replenishes the desert’s water table. The desert of the Southwest is frequently without rain, but when it does get rain, it comes in deluges. Desert monsoons have a huge impact on the environment and the landscape. The Southwestern desert is known for its red rock sandstone formations, which are created entirely by the movement of water through the desert. Monsoon season is one of the most photographed seasons of the desert due to the dramatic lighting and color that black clouds and bright sunlight create over the desert landscape.

The wildlife of the Southwestern desert is also very iconic. Its well known inhabitants range greatly, all the way from small insects to large game. When exploring the desert, it is important to keep an eye on the ground for dangerous creatures such as scorpions and rattlesnakes. A number of bird species, such as quail, roadrunner and cactus wren call the desert home. Medium sized desert mammals include the ringtail cat, jackrabbit and desert tortoise, while large sized desert mammals include the coyote, antelope, bobcat and mountain lion.

It is a long held tradition of mankind to seek meditation in the desert in order to cleanse one’s self of afflictions. This has been done through out time in ancient societies, religious orders and by sages and mystics of all spiritualities. Even Christ spent time in the desert as a meditative trial. A common theme for meditation in the desert is battling one’s demons. Historically, meditation in the desert has been a test of sorts, either a test of survival, of inner strength or of character. Now, in modern times, this concept is applied on a new level. It is desirable to spend time in the desert meditating in order to heal addiction, mental unhealthiness and other similar afflictions. There are even substance abuse recovery centers and spas located in the deserts of the Southwest United States which operate under these philosophies.

First of all, the concept of meditation is a universal inner peace tactic used by virtually every spiritual sect and tradition. Meditating has been found to improve mental health, increase brain function, expand self-awareness and create peace within the person exercising it. The pace of the world we live in contradicts the spirit of meditation, making it difficult for most people to find the time, but those who do find it to be an exceedingly beneficial practice. Meditation is basically settling into silence and stillness in order to empty one’s mind of overcrowding thoughts. This allows the free flow of ideas and revelations to the person meditating, making them relaxed and open to possibilities.

Because we now know that thought patterns actually influence the chemistry of the brain, the idea of ritualistic mental relaxation is a valuable tool to a person’s physical and mental health. Stopping the rampant flow of thoughts in order to soothe the mind is useful in healing mental disorders, coping with negative emotions and ending addiction through meditation. The more inner reflection a person has, the more self-awareness they gain, which inspires them to make better decisions about their life choices.