You want to quit smoking and you’ve tried everything, from gums to sprays, and all else has failed. But have you tried yoga?
Long considered the domain of housewives and young professionals, yoga has taken on increasing popularity with athletes and now, it would appear that it benefits smokers looking to quit, too.
If you decide you want to kick your smoking habit with yoga, you must find the inner strength to do so. Quitting smoking is difficult, but you have to have strong resolve and realize the toll that it is taking on your body, specifically your lungs. Think of how great it will feel to be rid of that “smoker’s cough” in the morning.
Before you can quit smoking, you must realize why you started in the first place; it may have been peer pressure when you were a teenager, enjoyment of the activity, or a way to relieve stress. This should help you better understand why you’re quitting.
Regardless of why you quit smoking, yoga’s relaxation methods of slow breathing will help to improve your lungs; meditation and purification will cleanse toxins from your body and help you to deal with withdrawal symptoms. In fact, yoga can help to reverse the damage that smoking does to your lungs and other organs.
Here are the top two yoga methods you can use to improve your health and make quitting smoking that much easier:
Yogendra Pranayam I
This yoga pose is great for the lungs, since it uses inhalations and exhalations of equal duration. It also benefits your skin and it’s easy to do. Simply stand with your feet apart and inhale slowly and continuously, starting at five seconds before gradually increasing the amount of time.
Yogendra Pranayam IV
Not all yoga positions are for helping your lungs; this yoga pose is great for helping your nervous system, which will doubtlessly feel on edge after you quit smoking. To do this pose, simply lie on your back and bend your legs at the knee, keeping them as close to your body as possible while staying comfortable. Lightly place your hand on your navel and breathe in for three seconds, then out for three seconds, making your abdomen rise and ensuring that there is no movement from your chest.
Those are two of the top yoga poses you can use when quitting smoking. Taking up yoga will heal the damage you have done to your lungs and help you through the worst withdrawal symptoms after you kick the habit!
Sources for Today’s Article:
Sampath, P., “Quit smoking naturally – The yoga way to kick the butt,” The Health Site web site, March 27 2014; http://health.india.com/diseases-conditions/quit-smoking-naturally-the-yoga-way-to-kick-the-butt/.