Craving Relief: Using Yoga to Understand and Rewire Compulsive Patterns

By Kristin Cambron Steele | Mindful Motions Yoga

– The Neighborhood Flow

Far North Dallas

We’ve all been there. That restless feeling that pulls you toward another glass of wine, another scroll through your phone, or another piece of cake you’re not even hungry for. You know you don’t need it, but something deeper is driving the urge.

That’s the nature of compulsion. It’s not just about willpower or weakness. It’s the nervous system’s way of saying, “I don’t feel safe right now, and I need relief.”

Yoga offers a different way forward, not through shame or control, but through regulation, awareness, and compassion.

1. Yoga Calms the Stress Response

Most compulsive behaviors start with stress, anxiety, or discomfort. When we’re stuck in “fight, flight, or freeze,” the body craves something that brings temporary relief.

Slow breathing, gentle movement, and mindfulness, all central to yoga, activate the

parasympathetic nervous system, our body’s natural brake pedal. When we breathe deeply and move mindfully, we tell the brain, “It’s safe to relax.” Over time, this rewires how we respond to tension without needing a glass of wine or midnight snack.

2. Yoga Interrupts Habit Loops

Compulsive behaviors often follow a loop: trigger, urge, action, temporary relief. Yoga helps us notice that loop as it’s happening.

Through awareness practices, we strengthen the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain responsible for impulse control and decision-making. We start catching the moment before the behavior, noticing, “Oh, I’m reaching for that because I feel anxious,” rather than acting

automatically. That pause is where freedom begins.

3. Yoga Increases Interoceptive Awareness

Interoception, or sensing what’s happening inside your body, is often blunted in people with compulsive patterns. We get good at ignoring signals like fullness, fatigue, or emotional tension.

Yoga rebuilds that connection. When we tune into our breath, heartbeat, or sensations in a pose, we start noticing what’s really happening underneath the urge. Maybe it’s loneliness, boredom, or overstimulation. Once we name that feeling, we can meet it directly instead of soothing it with another drink or cookie.

4. Yoga Teaches Us to Stay with Discomfort

Sometimes stillness or strong postures bring up discomfort. Yoga doesn’t make us avoid it; it teaches us to stay with it.

That skill transfers beautifully to daily life. The same way you breathe through a challenging pose, you can breathe through the craving or compulsion without giving in. You learn that the wave of discomfort rises, peaks, and passes every time.

5. Yoga Rewires the Brain

Over time, consistent practice changes the brain itself. Research shows yoga can reduce activity in the amygdala, the brain’s alarm system, and strengthen the prefrontal cortex, which helps regulate impulses and emotions (Streeter et al., 2012).

That means fewer automatic reactions, more choice, and a growing sense of inner steadiness even when life feels chaotic.

The Takeaway

Compulsions, whether it’s pouring another drink, rechecking your phone, or eating past fullness, are signals, not failures. They point to where we’re seeking safety and soothing.

Yoga helps us find that safety from within. Through breath, awareness, and movement, we begin to rewire our responses, trading the quick fix for calm and the craving for connection.

Quick Tip

Next time you practice yoga, notice how you feel in shavasana, and then ask yourself: How can I cultivate this feeling the next time I am tempted to react compulsively?

Interested in learning more about this practice on the mat? Join us at Mindful Motions Yoga for an online or in-person class. https://www.mindfulmotionsyoga.com/classes

Warmly,

Steele

Mindful Motions Yoga

Far North Dallas