If you haven’t heard of British celebrity Russell Brand, you’re missing out on a funny, charming and very interesting young man. A few years ago, Russell surfaced in Hollywood and has been a much-loved character actor and stand-up comedian ever since. He became famous for his quirky character Aldous Snow in the popular US film: “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” and brought back that same character in Get Him to the Greek. Oddly enough, the character he plays: the drug-seeking, excessive-drinking celebrity is pretty far from the truth today, but not so much a few years back.
For about a decade now, Brand has been clean and sober. Before that, he was an alcoholic and suffered from heroin addiction. He now spends a lot of time on the motivational speaking circuit, talking to veterans, children and medical professionals about his alcoholism, his heroin addiction and his all-around dangerous lifestyle he has put behind him. He says that meditation saved him and continues to be a regular practice in his life. He is quoted below:
“What it felt like to me was the dissolution of the idea of myself. Like, I felt separateness evaporated, this tremendous sense of oneness,” Brand said. “I’m quite a neurotic thinker, quite an adrenalized person. But after meditation, I felt this beautiful serenity and selfless connection. My tendency towards selfishness, I felt that exposed as a superficial and pointless perspective to have.”
Vista Taos believes that heroin addiction and other addictions can be best addressed through comprehensive treatment including holistic and complimentary therapies like meditation, in fact it is a recommended practice at the facility. Meditation has a way to ease a person’s mind and body, helping to alleviate the pain and anxiety that goes with detoxification and withdrawal from drugs and/or alcohol. The New Mexico based clinic believes that meditation is effective, but also other therapies like equine therapy, massage, acupuncture also provide many benefits. Brand is speaking the truth when he talks about the importance of meditation in working through heroin addiction. It can truly make a difference.
