Yoga helps overcome an addiction to smoking through improving your breathing, body awareness and will power. Soothing anxiety and stress that trigger the urge to smoke through a yoga practice makes quitting less of a strain. Yoga's physical exertion leads to greater peace of mind, offering a substitute for the comfort of a cigarette, according to the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine. The combination of breath and movement in yoga conditions your body and improves your breathing. Performing challenging poses can help with nicotine fits, yoga instructor Dr. Baxter Bell says in "Yoga Journal."
Step 1
Practice alternate nostril breathing daily. Press your right nostril closed with your right thumb and inhale slowly through your left nostril. Hold the breath for a slow count of 10. Release the right nostril and hold your left nostril closed with your right ring finger and pinkie. Exhale through your right nostril. Hold the breath for a count of 10 and release the left nostril. Exhale through the left nostril. Continue this breathing pattern with slow, deep breaths for at least five minutes.
Step 2
Perform vigorous yoga moves twice a day. Practicing strenuous yoga, such as kundalini yoga, pushes your limits and makes you more aware of your lungs, says the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine. For example, perform the sun salutation, surya namaskar, repeatedly.
Step 3
Use yoga poses or breathing to overcome cravings. Turn to deep breathing or a favorite pose, such as the tree pose or the warrior, every time you crave a cigarette. By repeating the desired behavior of breathing deeply instead of smoking, you create a positive association with your own strength and health as an alternative to smoking.
Tips and Warnings
- This yoga breathing exercise helps to calm the mind and emotions. Using this technique often will help you quit smoking. Give yourself credit for your achievements. Every day without a cigarette is a success. Every time you stop and breathe instead of smoking is a success. Persist in your yoga practice and get back on track after any setbacks. Smoking is a tough addiction. Keep your goal to quit smoking firmly in mind every day and practice yoga at the times that are most challenging for you, for example right after work and before going out to a social event.
- Consult a doctor about any medical concerns. Be gentle with your body. Don't force yourself into extreme poses. Pay attention to your current level of fitness and flexibility and increase the stretch in each pose gradually to reduce the risk of injury.
