Stop Smoking with Yoga
Are you trying to quit smoking? If so, have you considered yoga?
A regular yoga practice has huge benefits it reduces stress, enhances relaxation, helps to clear and focus the mind, removes toxins and generally helps you feel great. When yoga techniques are practiced regularly practitioners find that they unconsciously begin to make many different positive lifestyle choices.
Yoga encourages physical and emotional balance.
When the body functions more efficiently and the mind is clearer and more focused, stress levels lower and different levels of health and vitality are experienced. Enhanced health will encourage positive lifestyle choices, eating habits begin to change and some cravings might reduce too.
This means that…
Anything that is not required for the better health of the body or mind is gradually eliminated as it is no longer desired or required.
So… by performing an achievable and well-balanced yoga practice regularly it could help combat addiction and eliminate the cravings for nicotine.
Making it possible to quit smoking forever.
Start at the beginning
It is important to begin by learning basic breathing techniques also known as pranayamas. Pranayamas teach breath control and how to use the breath to release stress and tension.
The practice of regular breathing exercises (pranayamas) will help to break the mental addiction to nicotine.
Simple breathing techniques can be performed discreetly when a craving is experienced.
Pranayamas also help to cleanse the lungs, increase oxygen levels and improve overall levels of health and vitality.
Pranayamas will help you develop the necessary will-power to succeed.
Once basic pranayamas have been mastered make sure they are incorporated into your daily routine and that you use them to offset a nicotine craving.
As the benefits of pranayamas filter into your life a few basic yoga asanas will compliment your breathing exercises helping you to stay on track and achieve your goal.
How to Perform a Basic Breathing Technique
Sit with a straight spine (either cross legged on the floor or in a firm chair).
Close your eyes and breathe slowly in and out through your nose.
Picture your lungs filling with air from the bottom up, pulling the breath right up to the collar bones.
Now become aware of the rib cage expanding as you inhale and the diaphragm lowering.
Take your time to breathe slowly and work to lengthen each exhalation, allowing the out breath to remove any unnecessary tension.
Focus on the sensation of the breath entering and leaving the body and then become aware of the path that the breath takes, follow that path in your mind as you breathe slowly in and out through the nose.
This should be practiced daily upon waking for at least 30 complete breaths and use this technique whenever a nicotine craving is experienced.
NB To succeed, you must really want to stop smoking and be prepared to commit fully to the practices.
To help you stop smoking Yoga 2 Hear have created the audio yoga class Stop Smoking and Breathe.
This blog article was written by Sue Fuller creator of the Yoga 2 Hear range of audio yoga classes and yoga teacher training courses.
