Searching for Peace: Emotional Sobriety, Recovery & the Path Back to Self with Brian Hyman
When the body is sober but the emotions are still in chaos, recovery can feel confusing, frustrating, or incomplete. Many people reach long-term sobriety only to discover that old patterns of fear, self-protection, perfectionism, or emotional reactivity continue to run their lives — leaving them overwhelmed and disconnected from their inner peace.
In this powerful episode of The Moon Collective Sanctuary Podcast, host Dr. Lydia Luna, Ph.D., licensed psychologist and founder of Moon Collective Sanctuary, sits down with Brian Hyman, author, yoga teacher, meditation guide, and creator of Recovery with Yoga, a Nautilus Book Award–winning collection of practices to support addiction recovery.
Together, they explore what lies beneath addiction, what emotional sobriety truly means, and how yoga, mindfulness, and ancient wisdom traditions can help the recovering individual reclaim harmony, presence, and freedom.
What Is Emotional Sobriety?
Brian describes emotional sobriety as the ability to meet life with steadiness — to feel without being overwhelmed, to stay present without collapsing into fear, and to respond rather than react.
“Recovery is not just the absence of a substance. It’s learning to live with a peaceful mind, an open heart, and a regulated nervous system.” ~ Brian Hyman
Many people enter recovery longing for relief, but what they truly crave is connection, clarity, and inner safety. Emotional sobriety is the gateway to these deeper forms of healing.
Addiction as a Response to Emotional Pain
Throughout the episode, Brian emphasizes that addiction is not a moral failing, it is a complex, often subconscious survival strategy.
Disconnection, emotional overwhelm, unresolved trauma, loneliness, shame, and spiritual emptiness often fuel addictive behaviors. Substances temporarily soothe these wounds, but they also disconnect us further from the very things we need in order to heal.
As Dr. Luna reflects, emotional sobriety is the process of learning to reconnect; with the self, with the body, with others, and with something greater than oneself.
Yoga & Mindfulness as Tools for Recovery
Brian shares how yoga, breathwork, and meditation helped him soften the walls around his heart, quiet the mind, and find a new way of relating to discomfort.
“In recovery, we don’t eliminate pain, we increase our capacity to be with it.”
Yoga becomes a pathway back into the body, where trauma is stored and where healing must begin.
Mindfulness strengthens awareness.
Breathwork regulates the nervous system.
And meditation builds the inner spaciousness needed to meet life soberly, consciously, and compassionately.
His book, Recovery with Yoga, was born from this integration, offering structured practices for those navigating addiction, emotional dysregulation, or spiritual disconnection.
The Journey Toward Inner Freedom
One of the most powerful themes in this conversation is the idea that recovery is not linear. Instead, it unfolds in spirals, layers, and seasons. Brian emphasizes that emotional sobriety requires:
Patience
Honesty
Willingness
Nervous system regulation
Connection to community
A spiritual practice or inner anchor
Self-compassion
As he shares, “You don’t heal by becoming harder. You heal by becoming more present.”
Dr. Luna adds that emotional sobriety offers a doorway to identity transformation, shifting from surviving to truly living.
Reconnecting with Peace
Ultimately, emotional sobriety is about coming home to yourself.
It’s the moment you stop abandoning your feelings.
The moment you choose awareness over avoidance.
The moment you recognize that healing isn’t a destination — it’s a daily practice of meeting your humanity with grace.
This episode is an invitation to breathe deeper, feel fully, and trust that recovery is not an end…it’s the beginning of who you were meant to be.
Meet the Guest: Brian Hyman
Brian Hyman is an author, yoga instructor, meditation teacher, and creator of Recovery with Yoga, a Nautilus Book Award Silver Winner. His work blends spirituality, mindfulness, and the principles of addiction recovery. Brian also teaches on Insight Timer, where his courses and meditations support thousands of people on their healing journeys.
Website: https://www.brianhymanyoga.com
Art Website: https://www.brianhymanart.com
Listen to the Full Episode
Tune in on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube to experience this deeply insightful and inspiring conversation.
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