In part two of our conversation on yoga and addiction recovery, Lauren continues her discussion with Noelle, a trauma informed yoga teacher whose work bridges holistic practice, recovery support, and community healing. This episode moves beyond introduction and into impact, exploring what healing can look like over the long term and why recovery is about far more than willpower alone.

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the student hosts, guests, and contributors, and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the University of Iowa or the College of Public Health.

Lauren Lavin:

Hello everybody, and welcome back to Plugged In to Public Health. This is part two of our conversation on yoga, addiction, and recovery. So if you haven’t listened to part one yet, I highly recommend starting there to hear Noelle‘s journey and how recovery yoga took root in Iowa City. But in today’s episode, we’re going to go a little bit deeper. We talk about long-term healing, relapse, and the realities of recovery beyond treatment. Noelle shares what she has witnessed over time, how yoga supports nervous system regulation and why recovery cannot be separated from community, compassion, and supportive environments. We also explore the relationship between holistic practices like yoga and data-driven medical interventions and why these approaches are not in competition, but are really strongest when they work together. This episode includes powerful reflections from the participants themselves, offering firsthand insight into what it means to feel safe in your body again.

My name is Lauren Lavin, and I’m so happy to be hosting part two of this episode. So let’s get plugged in to public health. Plugged In to Public Health is produced and edited by the students of the University of Iowa College of Public Health. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the student hosts, guests, and contributors. They do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the University of Iowa or the College of Public Health.

What do you think then yoga’s impact is on healing long term? What kind of outcomes or feedback have you personally heard about this process?

Noelle:

Yeah, absolutely. I mean, the harsh reality of addiction, its relapse is about 70%. Some people say 80%.

Lauren Lavin:

Wow, that’s high.

Noelle:

Yeah. And I think, again, I’m not an expert, but I think it can also depend on their addiction. So meth has the greatest release of dopamine so it takes, again, there are a lot of varying opinions within addiction, so I say all of this, take it with a grain of salt. There’s so many different opinions, and I think that’s one of the hard things about collecting data, and especially if it’s something like yoga, how do you really collect data on yoga?

Lauren Lavin:

Correct.

Noelle:

But it takes a long time for your brain to get back into healthy cycles of dopamine release when, especially a drug like meth, when they’ve had these intense… And I also think, I want to say it’s important to, for me, I’m like, “I can’t understand how you would do that to yourself and your body.” But I also think it’s important to understand they’re doing it for a reason.

Lauren Lavin:

And they come from a different place.

Noelle:

Yep. And oftentimes it’s like they want to, especially the men who come to CFR, a lot of them have “the willpower,” but then it’s like their brain to take a year or two years to get back into normal cycles of dopamine release and what else is going on within their body, right?

Lauren Lavin:

Yeah. And that’s also to say they have a supportive environment to go back to because who knows where you’re going to end up. You could have all the willpower in the world, but.

Noelle:

Yes.

Lauren Lavin:

Yeah.

Noelle:

Yeah. And then if they have to go back and serve time and then to get a job or to get housing, oftentimes I feel like we’re setting them up for failure. And I’m not saying I have all the answers, but yeah, just coming alongside and trying our best to support them and also have this compassion of they want to change, they’ve faced consequences, and granted there’s a segment who maybe they don’t want to change, but also recognizing certain things are just so, so hard to get out of those patterns. And again, when their brain has been affected, that’s where I think it’s important when we can easily be like, “Why don’t they just stop?” It’s not that easy or they would.

Lauren Lavin:

Yeah, [inaudible 00:03:46] it wouldn’t exist if it was that easy, right? So how do you bridge then this idea between the holistic yoga healing, and some of the more data driven medical interventions that people use?

Noelle:

Yeah. So I think education is key. Like I said, I love Gabor Mate’s work. I love The Body Keeps the Score. I personally think I would love for all medical professionals, and also I would say law enforcement, educators, judges, lawyers, learn about trauma. Be trauma informed and then also read The Body Keeps the Score, because our body holds so much in. And I think a huge part of it is, again, being open-minded. There are so many variables. Each one of us, we’re all different, and I hear so many different opinions. I hear so many different stories.

I hear some men saying, there are some men who are like, “I easily gave up this drug, this drug, this drug no problem, but alcohol I could not give up.

But another guy, even this past week, there was a man saying, “I’m kind of jealous of the guys who are alcoholics. I probably shouldn’t say that but,” he’s like, “Withdrawing from meth is horrible.” I was almost going to repeat, I won’t swear.

I hear a lot of swearing. That’s also where you asked about a typical class and there’s a lot of groaning, there’s a lot of swearing, there’s a lot of passing gas. The college boys, college basketball, they passed a lot of gas too, and you just become, sometimes there’s really bad body odor both from… Sometimes there are people who have been, there’s a lot of people who’ve been homeless, but also in detox, sometimes there’s just these things that are-

Lauren Lavin:

You’re going through it.

Noelle:

Yeah. I definitely starting off my yoga career couldn’t have been a young yoga instructor in a room full of men who are detoxing and have all these things going on. But along with that, I do want to say a little side note, I have been absolutely floored and amazed with how receptive and respectful these men are, and that too is, it’s so different than what you’d stereotype and what you’d think. And you think of addicts, and a group full of men. I never would have thought I’d be teaching men, and many who have committed crimes, so it’s just been amazing how receptive they are. I still am like, “I just can’t believe that,” but I do think so many have had so much pain and brokenness that they’re so open to trying something new.

Lauren Lavin:

Yeah. So if funding wasn’t a barrier, what kind of programs or research would you love to see developed around yoga and in the recovery space?

Noelle:

Yes. Such a good question. If funding wasn’t a barrier, I think yoga should be available for anyone, that’s a brief answer. But I would say if those who have the ability to do research, to try and try something new, and again, a huge thing is watching and noticing the changes. So even the physical and mental changes, but again, it’s like, how do you really, how do you document some of this? How do you get statistics on this? But even just from a man coming in and first trying to stretch forward and he can barely move and he’s shocked at himself too. But it’s like, when was the last time you tried to stretch and fold forward or something? And then by his last class, this progression, I mean, I feel so privileged. It’s such an honor to see these men progress.

But I would say, yeah, just having an open mind to, I think there can sometimes be this, it’s, for lack of a better word, woo-woo of this, okay, there’s all this trendy trauma talk. There’s all this talk of, I’m really interested in somatic therapy, that’s one of my goals and I think that we need to find this collaborative way for all of us to work together and realize we’re working for the greater good, which is even within medicine, it’s like it should be about the patient, but there’s so much, so many other voices and just coming back to this, this is about the person we are trying to serve and recognizing that first.

Lauren Lavin:

Yeah. I know that you have some quotes from the men in treatment. Would you mind sharing a few of those reflections and what they’ve meant to you or how it encompasses the work you’ve been doing?

Noelle:

I would be thrilled too. And I do have a few, I have a couple of quotes also from this free Tuesday night class that I teach.

Lauren Lavin:

Yeah, which I do want to talk about that too.

Noelle:

Absolutely.

Lauren Lavin:

I don’t know if you want to do that before you read the quotes or.

Noelle:

Well, I’ll read a couple quotes. I know which ones are separate. I’ll read a couple of quotes. I mean, this is a handwritten letter that I won’t read the whole thing and this gentleman, I actually asked him, he’s one of very few that I… Some of these guys I never see again.

Lauren Lavin:

Right. And you only see for 28 days.

Noelle:

28 days.

Lauren Lavin:

And you-

Noelle:

Sometimes there’s an extension. One heart-wrenching thing, sometimes I’ll see a man downtown and that just breaks my heart. That’s really hard.

And then sometimes I’ll see, this past Tuesday, there was a gentleman who has been at CFR more than once. So that’s another thing. The longer I’m there, the more I’m like, “Oh, you’re back.” But I just embrace it. It’s bittersweet, but it’s like some of those guys, I’m like, “Thank God you’re alive. You’re alive.”

Lauren Lavin:

You’re safe now.

Noelle:

So this note, this guy actually, I rarely do this, but I shared, I think he looked at me as a mom figure. He served time, meth addict. So we occasionally email, and he’ll let me know. He’s an outpatient in another city too, and he’ll let me know, “I’m still clean.”

I’m like, “Oh, yes.”

So I’m only going to read the first part. “Hey Noelle, I hope by the time you finish reading this letter, your heart finds comfort and peace the same way mine has after our yoga session on Monday. I found a sense of peace I thought I’d only find disc golfing so with that, I sincerely thank you so much for letting me experience something new. I understand if this isn’t such a big deal to you, but for me, it’s life changing.”

So I just want to pause right there and I was like, “This is a big deal to me,” and I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t a big deal. I mean, I can be teaching in gyms, like you said, but I’m here because I care. So that kid had like a special place in my heart and like I said, so also he read through, I was telling him books, he read through The Body Keeps the Score. When he was there, he was just like, “That book took me a year, truthfully.” He was just plowing through that book and it was this connection and I think part of it was feeling again and being okay feeling.

So here’s another one of a gentleman who just, he just this week finished treatment. “I started using drugs and alcohol to feel a sense of ease. I never found it within a bag or a bottle. However, doing yoga just a few times with Noelle has given me a start with finding that sense of ease I’ve always wanted,” and he too, from his first day of just feeling awful and shaky to the last class is just amazing. And he’s going to a recovery house, which is so great. So I have this, it’ll be a long journey, but I always have this little bit of those who go home, it’s more of a feeling of… Because it’s easy when they’re around support and people understand and then going back in the real world is what’s really hard.

This one is from a person who comes to the Tuesday class, which is my free public class and I’ve learned, oh, this man, I’ve learned so much from him. I know he’s going to listen to this podcast. He is an open book. So another thing is some people don’t want to share anything and some people, and that’s fine. I’m like, “I’ll respect that.”

Some people, part of their healing is just telling everything. And I’ve heard stories that I’m like, “This is why I’m doing this later in life because some things would just shock me.”

He is one who says he was high for four years straight and his story of finally recognizing that he was an addict, you’re just like, “Whoa, and how did you?” It’s easy on the outside to be like, “How did you not see that before?” He’s a super bright man.

“Recovery from drugs and alcohol is a long road. Practicing yoga regularly helps me to calm my nervous system while reinforcing the mind, body connection. I also have arthritis, so it also helps me maintain my flexibility and joint health.”

And this other gentleman. And I do have a quote from a woman too because my Tuesday class, women come, “I started yoga and recovery and it became a vital part of my healing. Recovery yoga offered a peaceful, judgment free space where I could reconnect with my body and begin to grow.”

And there’s one from, there’s this woman that I just love so much. So most of the people who come to my Tuesday class, this is a pattern that I think is important for the medical community to know too. Most of them have gone through 12 step program and I don’t have any, I’m not here to advertise 12 step, but I do think that there’s a correlation in the fact that they have that support and that community and that the 12 steps. I mean, I think anyone, whether you’ve struggled with addiction or not, you can learn from the 12 steps.

This woman, however, did not do the 12 steps and she’s retired and she’s this, I call her my mentor and I’m pretty sure there are 20 people who say she’s like a mentor to them. She’s just a wise woman. “I say I use drugs because I like how it feels, but I really like that it moves me out of my body and keeps me from feeling. Yoga moves me into my body and makes me like how I feel.” And there’s tons more. Lauren, I mean, I could just keep reading all of these just amazing-

Lauren Lavin:

If this isn’t the most resounding endorsement for not only you as a teacher, but the practice of yoga as a whole for these types of people. And I’m guessing that a lot of people listening to this are maybe not going to be addicts or have a problem with addiction themselves, but if they want to feel some of this, right? Because maybe it’s like you scroll too much on social media. I’m not trying to compare those as the same thing, but we have-

Noelle:

We all have some kind of unhealthy coping or some kind of escape or something.

Lauren Lavin:

Right, we’re trying to feel something. Oh, yeah. We could.

Noelle:

Yeah, some people are like, “All of us have some kind of addiction.”

Lauren Lavin:

So if people are listening to this and are like, “I want some of that too,” or you’re supporting someone who does have some of these issues, where would you recommend that they start? How do they get into yoga? Is this something accessible to everyone?

Noelle:

Absolutely it is. I do think you can connect to certain teachers and certain styles of yoga. Yoga varies so much, as you know.

Lauren Lavin:

So greatly.

Noelle:

So greatly, so I always think start with gentle. If you haven’t done yoga, start with more beginning. And even if you’re an active person in great shape, because it should feel different than other workouts, in my opinion. And sometimes that, we have so much access to everything now for the good and the bad, but just finding a gentle yoga YouTube video and see how you like it. But I do think there’s something about in person, just-

Lauren Lavin:

Absolutely.

Noelle:

… quality of instruction and the connection and community that can be built in person. It doesn’t have to be recovery or trauma-informed yoga. There’s still a sense of community when you’re going to a yoga class and I’ve always loved that. I would say, again, we have so much yoga all around Iowa City. If there’s any health needs, not to, I’m not dissing hot yoga at all, but if anyone does have any health needs or they haven’t done yoga before, I would probably not jump right into a crowded hot yoga class. I would start again a little more at beginning, and also know your needs and that will come out in yoga.

What does your body need? Where are you holding stress? Where are you tight? We’re all tight somewhere. And sometimes there’s something really hard or something even literally going back into childhood that you’re storing within you. I know that’s going into that realm that I said woo woo, but after working with trauma and people struggling with substance abuse, I firmly believe that, and so to progress, we need to start addressing that.

Lauren Lavin:

Yeah. I always tell people too that you need to go to more than one yoga class just because if you don’t align with one teacher, it can feel make it or break it, because it kind of is. Because I think you do have to connect with the teacher and the space and all of that stuff. So if you don’t align with one, try another, try a few and just see where you end up because I think that that’s really important.

Noelle:

And different days, different stages of life. I mean, maybe one day you’re like, “I want to really tone,” and they could go to your yoga sculpts class, but then maybe you just need to slow down and slow down your body and mind. So just recognizing what you need on that day in that moment.

Lauren Lavin:

Yeah. And I oftentimes tell people that just the practice of breathing at its core is yoga.

Noelle:

So good.

Lauren Lavin:

I think it’s a really good point that you make that starting from maybe the bottom and working your way up to some of those more intense versions is a really great place to start, especially if you’re trying to get some of the feelings that you’ve been talking about that your participants get, that starting with the breath and that slow mind body connection or that rewiring, I think comes from that. You’re not going to probably find that at yoga sculpt, so if that’s what you’re looking for, I think it’s-

Noelle:

That’s right. There’s more and more evidence based research out on that too, just deep breathing and breathing techniques to regulate your nervous system. So that is one area where I feel like we’re progressing.

Lauren Lavin:

So now, I do want to talk about the free community class.

Noelle:

Sure.

Lauren Lavin:

That’s beyond CFR. You teach this free community class in Iowa City. How did you come about that? How has it evolved? Who can come?

Noelle:

So anyone is welcome, although I do ask that you are sober because that can be triggering to someone else. And actually, my first class was June 4th, 2024. That was the first time I taught. I had been doing a few private lessons with this amazing girl, but that was my first public class. And I was thinking it would just be for women, which is kind of ironic because now I’m teaching so many men.

There was this sweet man who I knew and I was like, he and his wife are both in recovery and there’s some people in recovery you’d find this at this class. Again, you’d be like, “How in the world are you an addict?” There’s professors, high level, all over the place, any kind of job, any. I’m always like, “Addiction does not discriminate.” And then there’s some people like this couple I’m describing and it’s almost like their full-time job is recovery when they need a lot of assistance and that’s where we as a community can come alongside them.

My first class was, that was when I was serving AmeriCorps, and it was small. There were maybe four or five and it started very small, like I said. And then it slowly built to where for a while I stopped getting the word out because I wanted to stay close and intimate and the friendships that have blossomed in that class, especially with the regulars, it’s amazing. But what I love and what I was passionate about is keeping it free. So every Tuesday, 5:30, it’s at this little church right by Mark Twain Elementary. It’s called the Faith United Church of Christ on Deforest Avenue in Iowa City, Tuesdays at 5:30. For an hour, we are there, all are welcome, and we truly mean that when we say that, and all levels.

So there are people who’ve been coming to every class who very rarely miss. Sometimes we laugh, sometimes we cry, sometimes it’s very mindful, kind of peaceful, calm, but serious yoga. And sometimes it’s like someone falls and they swear and everybody laughs because they’re like, “I feel like I’m in a sobriety test,” when they’re in tree pose. You hear all these, no and then it leads to some story and I totally welcome that.

And final relaxation, I’m always like, “Once we’re lying down on our mat, that’s a time to be quiet.” Once in a while, triggers happen. There have been people who, once I’m in final relaxation, there’s a grown man who sounded like a baby crying and I was just like, “Whoa, he’s having some kind of release.” But again, it’s a safe spot, nobody there is going to judge you. And the things people have said about the warmth and again, just inviting space there, it’s amazing. Of all my 22 years of teaching yoga, that’s my favorite class. I mean, I love working with impatient men too.

It’s like my favorite class because it also encompasses what yoga and this like community and connection is all about. And again, that also aligns with 12 steps in recovery. Yeah, so anyone’s welcome. And if for some reason I’m not able to teach, which has only happened two years in, a year and a half. We’ve had game night. One man in his recovery perfected making homemade pizza, awesome pizza. He made pizzas for everyone once. So once in a while we’ll have a little hangout, but otherwise we’re there at that little, it’s a little church on Deforest Avenue, Tuesdays at 5:30.

Lauren Lavin:

Incredible. How many people come now?

Noelle:

Yeah. So anywhere from, the most we’ve had is either 21 or 22, and a lot of people just, I was starting to say this, but I really believe in you don’t have to commit. You just come when you can. And also it’s like the only yoga class where it’s like, okay, if you’re late, people don’t care. They’re understanding. There’s also, there’s a recovery place in Iowa City called Thrive, and they sometimes bring a van with a few residents so they have inpatient and outpatient. I believe they have outpatient also, and they have men and women so sometimes people will come from there.

Guys from CFR used to be able to come. One of my colleagues who’s no longer there, who did a study on yoga, he lives in a different city now and is furthering his education, but he’d bring some guys, which was so good for the men to get out and be around people who are farther along and it’s this beautiful circular healing for everyone. Encouraging others, but also receiving encouragement, building each other up. Yeah. So numbers, it’s all over the place. It just really varies, but there’s a core regular group that almost every week they are there.

Lauren Lavin:

And that’s good for people who are coming in and out to know that there’s always this safe space to come back to with people who regularly show up.

Noelle:

That’s right.

Lauren Lavin:

I’m just going to break it down. For the people who are listening to this and are like, “Yep, I want to come,” do they need to bring a yoga mat and what should they wear?

Noelle:

Thank you for asking. Just wear something comfortable you can move in. I do recommend bringing a water bottle. So we do some specific stretches, Lauren. Addiction recovery yoga, I like to do a lot of twists. So sometimes, there are medications that can screw up your GI tract. There are addictions that can screw up your GI tract as well so we do a lot for stimulating the area and twisting. I like to tell them we can twist sitting down, standing up, lying down. There’s so many different spinal twists. Then when you think about it, you’re massaging your internal organs too, right? So there’s certain poses that are known for stimulating kidney and liver functions. With that, you need to drink extra water. So I’m always like, “Bring some water.”

We have mats. If you have your own, go ahead and bring it because the floor is a little bit hard there, so a lot of times we stack two mats. We don’t have yoga props there. We have a few. We’re always open to donations of bolsters and blocks and straps. I have enough of my own that I use at CFR, but when we have 20 people there, we don’t have enough, but there are almost always… There’s never been a class where no one has had a yoga mat. And again, you can come if you’ve done years of yoga or you’ve never done yoga. If you think I’m in horrible shape or if you’re like, “I’m in such good shape, why do I need yoga?” Still come and breathe with us. It’s so good and important for all of us to just pause and notice. And again, there’s a lot of healing and vulnerability in that just slowing down whether you’re an addict or not.

Lauren Lavin:

Absolutely. So as we wrap this up, what do you hope that people, especially those working in healthcare or public health, take away from your work?

Noelle:

Yeah, thank you for asking. I would say the importance for incorporating, I’ll use the word somatic, but just movement, and which we all know how important movement is, but movement in terms of the whole being. So again, the breath, I am just always amazed. So many of the men naturally, after we take our first deep breath in and out, their eyes will close because it’s like they want to feel that deeply and they don’t even… It’s not conscious, they just find themselves closing their eyes.

And so I would say just these exercises for the mind, for the body, and anytime we can work on pathways and the mind with an addiction, which we know, but unlike anytime your mind is focusing on something other than your addiction, which again, there’s a time and a place to face add on, but if you can slow down and let your mind have this natural feeling of I feel good in this moment because I mean, it’s a breakthrough for some people when they’re like, “Wait, I feel this and I’m not under the influence of anything.” And again, there’s vulnerability in that, but just how powerful that is.

And I really feel for the medical field, I feel they work so hard. So even at CFR, there’s nurses there all the time. They have to go in and check on the men every hour, and so there’s a lot of burnout to just working with an addiction because you see these hard things, you see relapse, you see men who, and women should be dead or almost died and these hard stories and horrible things they’ve done to get their substance. It’s horrific. And so I think it’s also important to recognize those working within this field need support too and encouragement. And again, just having this open mind to us collaborating together, I think is really important.

Lauren Lavin:

Yeah, mutual respect for the work that you’re both doing. And finally, how can listeners learn more about recovery yoga or get involved in supporting these efforts?

Noelle:

Yeah. So right now, I mean, first truly, we’ve mostly been word of mouth. The local paper, Press-Citizen, did an article on the Tuesday night free class and talked a little bit about CFR as well. I do have, I’m not super active on social media, but I do have, it’s goldfinch.yoga, an Instagram page which does have a flyer on there sometimes so I’ve collaborated a little bit. I’m on International Overdose Awareness Committee for Johnson County, so I’ve collaborated some with Johnson County Public Health. Sometimes they’ll repost about my class and University of Iowa has U of I ARC, so Addiction Recovery Coalition. I’m quite sure I got that right. They have representative on the committee I’m on.

And also, Johnson County Prevention Partnership. I “serve” on that, but every meeting is during the time I’m teaching yoga at CFR. I’m on that committee and I’m never in the meetings, but they also have all this info. And again, if you wanted to go to the Instagram page or just show up Tuesdays, 5:30. It’s just the most beautiful people, so many stories. And I truly feel you walk in and just walking in there, you can feel like the love and support.

Lauren Lavin:

That’s great. And do you have contact info that you’d want to include in the episode show notes?

Noelle:

On my Instagram, you can send me a message.

Lauren Lavin:

I’ll link your Instagram in the show notes-

Noelle:

Sounds great. Sounds great.

Lauren Lavin:

… so that they can contact you that way. Well, thank you so much, Noelle. This has been a fabulous conversation. I hope you enjoyed it. And I know our listeners absolutely will, and I hope that it gets the word out about what you’re doing, but also more broadly about the usefulness of yoga because I think it’s such an important practice.

Noelle:

It is.

Lauren Lavin:

That all of us could really benefit from, whether you’re recovering or existing in the world today.

Noelle:

Well, thank you so much for having me. Thank you for all you do, and thank you to everybody listening. And I do want to just emphasize too that I believe all of us know someone who’s struggled with addiction and if you don’t think you know of anyone, you probably do. They’re probably just in the place where they’re hiding it well. So again, just coming along our community, our friends, our family, and showing compassion and support is so important.

Lauren Lavin:

Well, thank you for all of your incredible work.

Noelle:

Thank you. I appreciate it. It’s truly my joy.

Lauren Lavin:

That brings us to the end of part two of our conversation. A sincere thank you again to Noelle for sharing her experience, her work, and the voices of those she serves. In this episode, we discuss what recovery looks like over the long term, the role of the nervous system and somatic practices and healing, and why yoga can help people reconnect with their bodies in ways that traditional approaches alone often cannot. We also highlighted the importance of meeting people where they are, supporting healthcare and recovery professionals, and building spaces rooted in dignity and humanity.

This episode was hosted and written by Lauren Lavin, and edited and produced by Lauren Lavin. You can learn more about the University of Iowa College of Public Health on Facebook. Our podcast is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and SoundCloud. If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with your colleagues, friends, or anyone interested in public health recovery or community-based healing.

Have a suggestion for our team? You can reach us at cph-gradambassador@uiowa.edu. This episode is brought to you by the University of Iowa College of Public Health. Until next time, stay healthy, stay curious and take care.