Article by Nigel Martin
Various studies based on treatments surrounding general addictions have shown that practicing yoga and/or meditation on an ongoing basis can help decrease the possibility of a relapse. Considering the fact that smoking is easily amongst the most common form of addiction, the help derived from these methods can definitely prove beneficial.
Can Yoga and Meditation Help?
The basic premise of yoga and meditation is to make you more mindful of the things that you do. This will make you more aware about facets like your physical being, your feelings, as well as your thoughts. The next step is your becoming aware that your body does not wish to be subjected to the variety of toxins it so often is, and this is when you voluntarily choose to make suitable changes in your lifestyle to lead a healthier life.
Consider this. If you take into account any number of people who have quit smoking (permanently or temporarily) you will see that the people who have remained smoke free for long are ones who lead healthy lifestyles. Also, if you are to look at ex-smokers who practice yoga and/or meditation, you will notice that their possibility of relapsing is rather low.
Know that there is more to quitting smoking than addressing the physical withdrawals. After all, these physical withdrawal symptoms don’t last for very long, and you do have help to combat these in the form of nicotine replacement therapy and various medication programs. However, after a certain period of time, it is mental triggers which lead people to relapse and light up again. This is where practicing yoga and meditation can help.
How can Yoga and Mediation Help?
These age-old practices have been used to good effect by various eastern cultures for centuries. These practices help you in understanding the working of your mind and also in understanding what you can do to control it. In addition, these practices also help making one’s though process more rational. And once you’re aware of what to expect and what to do, you increase your chances of remaining smoke free manifold.
The Osho Account:
Osho, formerly known as ‘Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh’, was an Indian spiritual teacher whose popularity rose considerably during his lifetime, only to rise further after his demise. Following is an account of his interaction with a follower who wished to quit smoking.
When the person is question said that he’d been unable to quit smoking despite wanting to Osho simply suggested that he, ‘meditate on smoking’. He suggested that the person in question be completely aware of all his actions during the entire process. This involved removing the cigarettes from the packet slower than usual; smelling the cigarette before lighting it; concentrating on inhaling every drag; etc. This, according to Osho, would simply make the smoker aware of what people around him had been telling him for a while; that smoking is bad. It worked. Osho’s secret, he said, was the ‘de-automization’ process.
When you mediate or practice yoga, you, in a manner, take a step back from the real world. This is when your mind is at its active best and becomes aware of everything around it. Know that meditating, going through simple yogic asanas, and breathing exercises can help combat stress as well, and this is something almost every smoker complains of whilst trying to quit smoking. And even in the probability that you don’t quit smoking, you’ll still end up feeling better than before.
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For Information on the Effects of Smoking Cigarettes:https://secrets2meditation.com/goto/?url=http://www.quitsmokingplace.com/health-effects-of-smoking.html