Smokers enjoy fagging, despite its negative influence on their health. Awareness has been created by conscious groups about the serious ill-effects of smoking one one’s health. Even the issue of passive smoking, whereby non-smokers also face serious health problems when exposed to tobacco smoke, has been highlighted by social activists.
Many smokers do want to give up the habit and try very hard to do so. Some succeed, whereas others continue to smoke. Several methods have been suggested to give up smoking and yoga happens to be one of them.
Yoga helps in improving the immune system and also relaxes the body muscles and makes it more flexible.
How Does Yoga help in Quitting Smoking?
Yoga provides much relief mentally and physically. Here are some asanas that help one relax:
Deep breathing exercises help in controlling smoking and provide necessary relief. Before attending a yoga class, one can reduce the number of cigarettes that one is smoking and take to deep breathing in the class. One will feel the difference. Deep breathing exercises also control the initial cravings for cigarettes that one experiences on quitting smoking.
Technique of deep breathing: The way to deep breath is to inhale and slowly exhale the air by touching the chin on the chest. Feel the tensions and strains draining out of your toes and fingers. Do this three times daily.
Pranayama helps in cleansing as well as detoxifying the body of harmful toxins. It relaxes a person also.
The cleansing practice “Jala Neti” is very good. It helps both physically as well as psychologically.
Camel Pose
- Kneel down keeping the body erect. Check the alignment. Make sure the knees are directly beneath the hips on top of the knees. Shoulders need to be atop the hips. Ears should be atop the shoulders.
- Place the palms on the small of the back, with the fingertips facing up. In case it is uncomfortable, then let the fingertips face the floor.
- As one inhales, feel the chest inflate and breastbone begins to ride allowing the ribcage to float up as well as off the waist.
- Continue to lift the upper part of the back over an imaginary ball till each of the hands reach the heels. The back gets arched with the hands comfortably placed on the heels.
- Take full five breaths, allowing the head to drop backwards. If it causes neck strain, then tuck the chin and relax the muscles. Keep the thighs and pelvis moving forward in order to ensure that the legs are lengthening.
- To come up, bring both the hands to the lower part of the back and on one inhale and lift the body. Get into child pose and breathe five times to counteract the back bend.
Sukhasana – Easy Pose is the easiest type of yoga pose. It is normally done during meditation and slows down metabolism, opens the hips, straightens the back. It also helps in keeping the mind steady and promotes inner peace. If you are at peace with yourself you smoke less.
Anulom Vilom – Alternate Nostril Breathing helps in improving brain functioning. It also helps in calming the nervous system as well as the mind.
Shavasana – Corpse Pose – This is a simple pose, which requires a lot of concentration. One can gain much from it by practicing it daily. If one does it properly, it helps relieve stress, improves sleep disorders, lets you overcome fatigue, helps in the treatment of diabetes as well as asthma.
Ardha Matsyendrasana – Half Spinal Twist – Twisting the body makes it more flexible. This asana tones the ligaments as well as the spinal nerves. It improves digestion.
Yoga is useful in helping one to quit smoking. It relaxes the mind and body and provides much relief from the stresses and strains of life. People often smoke due to mental stress as well physical discomfort.
