Health Chasinglions

Trying to stop smoking can be difficult for many people. It certainly seems a lot easier to start than it is to quit smoking. Yoga breathing techniques can be helpful in the process, enabling the lungs to clear out accumulated toxins, and also helping the smoker develop discipline and good health. The Yoga breathing system (known as pranayama) has survived for thousands of years because it is highly effective. Generations of yoga students have utilised pranayama techniques to help them calm the mind, and to detoxify and purify their bodies. The practice of yoga breathing also helps to develop self-control and heighten self-awareness.

A smoker, particularly one who has done so for some time, will typically have lungs that are coated with tar, oxygen-deficient blood and a reduced lung capacity. This severely reduces their capacity to fully take part in many areas of life. For example, they may find that playing some sport becomes too difficult and they are left gasping for breath. This can develop into a negative spiral. Sport becomes too difficult as they can’t breathe properly, so they stop playing sports, which in turn reduces the limited breathing capacity they already have.

Most smokers at some point realise that the habit is not healthy and decide that they want to stop. The motivation can be different – it may be save money, or to improve their health, maybe they don’t want their kids to grow up in a toxic environment. Many smokers are looking for a “magic bullet”, something to take to help them finally stop smoking. But the answers are not to be found on the outside, but are actually within. Stopping smoking is in part a matter of overcoming a physical addiction, but it is largely about letting go of a psychological addiction. For many, the failure to stop smoking highlights the tendency to not follow-through on promises and commitments they make to themselves, which can reduce self-esteem. This is where yoga breathing techniques can be a great help, as they cultivate the qualities of resolve and self-discipline.

One simple technique to that has a profound effect is to stand with knees relaxed and inhaling raise your hands above your head. Make sure you inhale through your nose. Once your lungs are filled, fold forward quickly from hips, powerfully exhaling through your mouth, making a powerful “Haaaa” sound as you do so. As you are coming down allow your arms to be heavy, letting them fall and hang like a rag doll. Do this exercise 7 times.

The primary effect of this breathing technique is to expel stale air and other toxins in the lungs. It also boosts the amount of oxygen in the body and gives you more energy. I recommend using it 3 or 4 times per day. This yoga breathing technique along with others is best combined with a regular practice of yoga poses and meditation. This is when you will derive the maximum benefit from the yogic system.

Most smokers find that they lack the necessary resolve and willpower to quit the weed. A balanced yoga practice can quickly build the inner strength necessary to beat the habit and set you on the road to vibrant health. Achieving quick results helps give you the motivation to carry on, confident that you have finally found it within yourself to quit smoking.