| YogaHub |  |
The Smoking Gun!
I didn’t want to write this. I should say that first. But this week has been difficult – really difficult – and I have it on solid professional advice that it might help to get it out in the open:
I had my last cigarette on last Thursday.
The fact that I’m quitting, however, may come as somewhat less of a surprise to some of you than learning that I smoked in the first place.
Now, to be fair, I assume a good many people figured it out a while ago; the signs were certainly there. I was never really proud of the habit, so I tended to publicly deny it, preferring that it stay unmentioned even if obvious.
Now those days are gone. They’re over. Finito. And I’m proud of it, to be perfectly honest. In fact, most of the time I’m outright elated. It’s just that, every now and then, the urge hits me and I miss my cigarettes. Rather, I miss the habit. Because that’s really it – that’s what gets you. You’re used to smoking at certain times, or in particular situations. These sorts of associations are psychologically habit-forming, and now that I’ve quit, they’re craving-inducing.
But I know I’ve got it beaten. You see, it’s all a matter of perspective. You have to outthink your own addiction. A smarter man than I told me that you can’t look at quitting smoking as giving up something; you have to believe that you’re gaining something. It’s that simple. And he’s right. It doesn’t make it easy by any measure, but it puts things in simpler terms.
So I guess we’ll see how this goes. I’m confident I’m over that little phase and hopeful that I didn’t do irreparable damage. Live and learn, I guess.
Hmm… I reluctantly suppose I do feel better with that out in the open…
[tags]smoking, cigarette, quit smoking, last smoke, tobacco, habit[/tags]
Congratulations Allistair!
It is never about giving something up, but making room for new experiences.
Now you can again begin to enjoy the flavours and smells that nature has to offer. You will find those senses beginning to return.
My suggestion is to begin drinking lots of water. Eating more raw fruits and vegetables to begin rebalancing and supporting your system.
Possibly you will find time for more Yoga classes. A little sweating will help to purge the toxins from your body.
When you get a craving, go into a yoga pose to simply open up your chest with a nice long inhale and exhale several times. This will begin to remind your “mind” that it’s good to breathe air and not smoke.
Most important is not to pressure yourself. Just know that you have accomplished this for however long and if you go back to the habit, you WILL be able to succeed again.
Blessings of support!
Thanks for the support, Christina! I don’t suppose you could recommend any specific poses that you know of to ease these sort of cravings? I don’t expect to cure this with Asanas, but if you know some that might be helpful, I’d love to give ’em a shot. Thanks again and cheerio.