The power of connection in addiction recovery | Nicoletta Longo | TEDxBoston

NOTE FROM TED: While some may find this helpful as a complementary approach, please do not look to this talk for mental health advice and seek professional help if you are struggling. This only represents the speaker’s personal approach to and understanding of addiction, breathwork, and community intervention. We've flagged this talk because it falls outside the content guidelines TED gives TEDx organizers. TEDx events are independently organized by volunteers. The guidelines we give TEDx organizers are described in more detail here: http://storage.ted.com/tedx/manuals/t...

The scale and scope of the addiction crisis is hard to digest. Nearly 50 million people in the US struggle with a substance use disorder, and of that baffling number, only 6% sought treatment.

Nicoletta Longo, founder of Namastay Sober, is reimagining not just sobriety support, but what socializing itself looks like. Bringing people together in a judgement-free, social, and vibrant community centering on yoga, exercise, and wellness activities instead of bar culture. The movement aims to fill the social void that those in recovery often face, replacing negative habits with positive ones to improve outcomes. The organization is already reaching 10k people a year and helping folks stay in recovery through the power of connection. Nicoletta Longo is the founder of NamaStay Sober, and an 850 hour meditation & mindfulness trainer. She is committed to empowering and enabling people to live a life that they love; the concept on which she developed NamaStay Sober. She is passionate about yoga, meditation and fitness and sees them as being an access to a fulfilled life.

After having her own life transformed through her time living and studying yoga in Bali and India, Nico was inspired to offer yoga and fitness memberships to people in early recovery in her hometown of Boston. She seeks to foster creativity in the space that sobriety creates so as to prevent relapse and isolation. Nico believes that "mindfulness in the body leads to self awareness and that is where transformation begins." This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx