While a decision to put cigarettes in your past reaps long-term benefits for your physical and emotion well-being, nicotine withdrawal symptoms that occur in the weeks after you quit smoking often test your commitment. The American Cancer Society recommends deep breathing as a method to help ease the urge of smoking.
Breathing Awareness Technique
Start by sitting in in a chair with your back straight, although your body should remain relaxed. Close your eyes and concentrate on removing any tension from your body. Place your hands on your lower stomach and feel how the area moves up and down with each breath. Place one palm on your chest and the other on your abdomen. Slowly breathe in through your nose and visualize the air traveling down to your abdominal area. Ensure that your mouth, jaw and tongue remain relaxed and then breathe out through your mouth. Continue the exercise until the urge to smoke passes and focus on taking slow, extended deep breaths.
Natural Breathing Exercise
Begin by lying on your back and focus on relaxing every area of your body. Breathe in and out with your nose. Inhale slowly for about 10 seconds and visualize sending the air first to your lower lungs and then up through the middle and top of your lungs. Attempt to hold your breath for several seconds. Breathe out slowly and try to keep your chest and abdominal area completely relaxed. Relax for a few seconds and then repeat the breathing exercise while imagining yourself in a calm environment, such as the surface of a lake or in a forest. Delay the activity if you begin to feel dizzy, which indicates overexertion.
Bellows Breathing Activity
Sit or lie comfortably and ensure that your spine is straight. Inhale and exhale through your nostrils as fast as you can comfortably manage and visualize quickly pumping air into a bicycle tire. Continue the activity for about 15 seconds. Add more time as your comfort level increases, but avoid passing the one-minute mark to reduce your risk for hyperventilation.
Simple Breathing Technique
Start by sitting in your favorite chair with both hands on your legs. Breathe in deeply through your nose. Exhale fully and focus on emptying your lungs of as much air as possible. Relax your upper body, including your shoulders. Breathe out slowly through your nostrils as you count to five. Tighten the muscles in your abdominal area and draw your diaphragm back toward your spine to help remove the air from your lungs. Pause for two seconds at the conclusion of your exhalation. Inhale deeply and slowly for about five seconds and concentrate on expanding your lower stomach. Breathe out slowly and count to five.
References
- American Cancer Society: Guide to Quitting Smoking
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Relaxation Techniques
- Kundalini Yoga.org: Pranayama
- Dartmouth University: Deep Breathing Exercises
- Women to Women: Deep Breathing --- The Truly Essential Exercise
- American Medical Student Association: Health Hint: Breathing Exercises
