Why Spiritual Practices Support Recovery But Don’t Require Any Specific Belief
February 10th, 2026
Spirituality in Recovery
For some people coming into recovery from addiction and other mental health challenges, the word “spirituality,” can feel comforting and welcoming. For others, it is uncomfortable or even threatening, especially when it reminds people of past pain or trauma around religion.
That’s why at Windmill Wellness Ranch, we take a different approach. We don’t tell anyone that they have to use spirituality as part of their recovery, and we certainly don’t tell them what to believe. What we do instead is let clients know about the potential benefits of using scientifically-proven spiritual practices as part of their recovery and ideas on how this might be done. From there, it is completely up to the individual.
What We Mean When We Say “Spiritual Practices”
Spiritual practices can look like a lot of things to different people. They may be something public or private, specific or vague. They don’t have to mean religious belief or involve the idea of a higher power, unless someone wants it to.
Here are some examples of spiritual practices:
- Sitting quietly while concentrating on the breath
- Spending time outdoors
- Writing about what gives life meaning
- Focusing on gratitude
- Engaging with inspirational readings
- Reflecting on what is most important
- Connecting with whatever feels divine
Some people would call these spiritual disciplines, others might call them mindfulness and self-care. No matter what name someone uses, these small day-to-day actions can support sobriety and mental health, lower stress, and make it easier to stay present during treatment and long-term recovery.
Why Spiritual Practices Help the Brain Heal
Recent research has helped explain how regular spiritual activities such as gratitude journaling, prayer, meditation, or engaging with inspirational readings helps with mental health, including addiction recovery.
For instance, recent research has shown that that spiritual practices show benefits for:
- Reduced stress and cortisol levels [1]
- Improved emotional intelligence [2]
- Increased self-compassion [3]
- Lower relapse risk in substance use disorders [4]
A 2024 study found that spiritual practices improve cognitive flexibility [5], a key factor in recovery from both addiction and trauma. Similarly, a 2020 meta-analysis found meditation-based interventions significantly reduced anxiety, depression, and substance cravings [6].
It’s important to note that these studies measured improvement across groups of people with various religious and spiritual beliefs. In other words, our brains benefit based on taking spiritual action regardless of the individual’s theology.
Even more striking is that people who identify as atheists or agnostics show mental health improvements when engaging in structured reflection and mindfulness practices. A 2021 study found that non-religious participants experienced similar improvements in mental health as religious participants when practicing meditation regularly. [7]
That’s why at Windmill, we support any spiritual outlook in our clients, including not having a spiritual outlook at all. Our goal is to help people find practices that calm the nervous system, support sobriety, and build resilience, whether they think of these things as spiritual, secular, or something in between.
Trauma, Addiction, and the Struggle to Finding Meaning
Mental health struggles, including addiction, are often rooted in trauma. To make matters worse, these conditions are also traumatic within themselves. When people go through trauma, life can feel like a constant struggle for survival, which can then inspire people to numb their pain when it feels overwhelming. In such circumstances, it’s no wonder that the idea of finding meaning can be lost. Spirituality can bring it back.
A 2022 study showed that making and/or rediscovering a sense of meaning in life is vital to recovery from addiction and trauma [8], and spiritual practices offer a way to create and find that meaning.
Spiritual practices help people:
- Move away from self-criticism
- Work through emotions rather than trying to escape them
- Feel a sense of connection that can be healing
- Become more compassionate toward themselves
As our clients experience these shifts, they find that a sense of meaning and purpose returns. They see how they can help others, which is one of the most reliable ways to build a sense of meaning. Not surprisingly, service to others is a vital part of many spiritual paths whether formalized of self-defined.
Why Choice Matters So Much
One of the most damaging aspects of trauma is that it often feels like choice has been taken away, whether it is the choice of what happens to one’s body or whether to live or die. Thus, letting clients not only make choices but lead the way in their own care is vital.
This is one of the reasons that we know how vital it is to allow clients to choose their own path. Trying to force spiritual practices or a particular outlook can reactivate trauma and often leads to losing connection rather than building it. This is most true for anyone who has experience religious trauma, where spiritual beliefs are used to frighten, shame, and control.
That’s why Windmill:
- Does not force spiritual participation
- Makes room for any belief system
- Encourages clients to experiment, not conform
- Respects each person’s background and values
We explain why certain practices help, make them available, and trust clients to decide what fits. Recovery is strongest when it’s internally motivated, not externally imposed. When people feel free to say yes, no, or “maybe later” to spiritual tools, they are more likely to find something that truly supports long-term recovery.
How Windmill Integrates Spiritual Practices Into Treatment
At Windmill Wellness Ranch, we are here to help people no matter what they believe. Our individualized and groundbreaking approach can help you or someone you love get to the root of what it going on, so you can live the life of freedom you deserve.
Our program includes medically supervised detox, trauma-informed therapy, support for anxiety and depression symptoms, support for the whole family, individualized recovery coaching and holistic relapse prevention. We provide the structure and safety many people need to stabilize and begin real healing.
If you or someone you love needs support, we are here. Call 830-223-2055 or contact us online to take the first step toward healing.
References
- Chirico, F., Sharma, M., Zaffina, S., & Magnavita, N. (2020). Spirituality and prayer on teacher stress and burnout in an Italian cohort: A pilot, before-after controlled study. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 2933.
- Anwar, M. A., Gani, A. M. O., & Rahman, M. S. (2020). Effects of spiritual intelligence from Islamic perspective on emotional intelligence. Journal of Islamic Accounting and Business Research, 11(1), 216-232.
- Miller, J. T., & Verhaeghen, P. (2022). Mind full of kindness: self-awareness, self-regulation, and self-transcendence as vehicles for compassion. BMC psychology, 10(1), 188.
- Younas, M., Ehsan, S., & Sultan, M. (2025). A Qualitative Exploration of Spirituality in Relapse Prevention among Recovering Individuals with Substance Use Disorder. Journal Of Psychology, Health And Social Challenges, 3(01).
- Halder, S., & Tibrewal, S. (2024). Spiritual well-being and its relationship with cognitive flexibility in adults. Malaysian Journal of Psychiatry, 33(1), 20-26.
- Kadri, R., Husain, R., & Omar, S. H. S. (2020). Impact of spiritual meditation on drug addiction recovery and wellbeing: A systematic review. International Journal of Human and Health Sciences, 4(4), 237-250.
- Vesanen, K. (2021). Non-Religious Spirituality and Meditative Practices in Finland. Religion and Society, 19(1), 29-39.
- Iswardani, T., Dewi, Z. L., Mansoer, W. W., & Irwanto, I. (2022). Meaning-making among drug addicts during drug addiction recovery from the perspective of the meaning-making model. Psych, 4(3), 589-604.
FAQs
Do I have to believe in God for spiritual practices to help?
No. Research shows that meditation, reflection, and mindfulness improve mental health just as much for atheists and agnostics. The benefits are available to anyone, no matter what they believe.
Is spirituality the same as religion?
Not necessarily. Religion is one way people find and express spirituality, but spirituality can be found in any number of ways. At Windmill, spirituality is defined by the client, and not anyone else.
Why are spiritual practices common in recovery programs?
Spirituality provides a means of connection to self, others, and a sense of purpose. These things all help reduce relapse risk while improving lives at the same time.
What if spiritual language is triggering for me?
If it is, pay attention to that. It is often a sign that such language has been associated with pain rather than help. At Windmill, we help people heal from that pain so that someone else’s words no longer have that kind of power to upset.
Can spiritual practices replace therapy or medical treatment?
No. Spiritual practices are a part of evidence-based therapy and medical care, for those who want that, but they are not meant to replace healing from trauma, taking medication, or any other means of support.
