Yoga & Self-Hypnosis to Quit Smoking

Actually it’s simple and easy to stop smoking.

Many people find it difficult and are unable to quit because they don’t know how to invoke cooperation from their subconscious mind, how to harness that power in their everyday lives and so become the individual they want to be. By practicing yoga and self-hypnosis, we can find joy and pleasure that within days to weeks will empower an individual to quit smoking and remain a nonsmoker for the rest of his or her life.

In his second yoga sutra, Patanjali defines yoga as the “conscious process of gaining mastery over the mind”. By practicing self-hypnosis, asanas, pranayamas, kriyas and meditation, we develop awareness of our body, breathing and thoughts. This awareness awakens inner knowledge and wisdom that helps us better know ourselves. Thus we gain mastery over our mind and learn how to use this power towards helping the individual locate a healthier, happier lifestyle. We become instinctively more health-conscious, more aware of what we do and what we eat. We develop a powerful inner drive to do things that are good for our health and avoid things that are harmful.

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To quit smoking through yoga and self-hypnosis, I have developed a simple, practical and effective method anyone can try.

There are three steps:

1) “Positive thinking brings me what I wish”

Many find it difficult to quit because they already believe it is difficult to quit: a self-fulfilling (or unfulfilling) prophecy. They find themselves unable to do it, therefore they are unable to do it: “As you think, so you become.”

By practicing this method of self-hypnosis I have developed, an individual develops a strong positive attitude that you can in fact live the life you would like, you can become a nonsmoker and it is easy for you to do this.

Here’s the exercise to practice:

In the morning when you wake up (or any time you wake up) as you open your eyes and before getting out of bed, please repeat this sentence: “Positive thinking brings me what I wish” 20 times in your mind. Then get out of bed. In this state, there is now a good communication flow with the subconscious and so useful suggestions and ideas will imprint more easily onto the subconscious mind. Repeat this sentence sometimes during the day, with an attitude of joy and pleasure, particularly any time a negative thought or temptation arrives that is connected to smoking. This sentence can also be repeated during self-hypnosis, asanas and after pranayamas and meditation.

 

2) Imagined scenarios, ‘imaginations’

The next, equally important step is picturing yourself as a nonsmoker in certain places and situations.

Many unwanted habits are programmed, deeply rooted in the subconscious mind and repeat themselves in a destructive cyclical pattern. These habits can be deprogrammed by the power of positive auto suggestions and also by what I call “imaginations”.

Here are some examples to practice in addition to the imaginations you may want to develop for yourself.

• Imagine it is the morning and you are having breakfast, drinking tea or coffee: You feel good that you are a nonsmoker.
• Imagine it is after your meal and feel good that you are a nonsmoker.
• Imagine you are working with a computer and you are a nonsmoker.
• Imagine you are making an important decision and you are a nonsmoker.
• Imagine you are talking with your relatives, friends or colleagues and you are a nonsmoker.
• Imagine you are waiting for a friend who is already late and you are a nonsmoker.
• Imagine you are having a walk and you feel fresh and energetic. You feel good that in the last few days you didn’t smoke at all.
• Imagine you are climbing up a hill or mountain and feeling strong and energetic. You realize your lungs feel clear and healthy because you did not smoke for weeks.
• Imagine you are laughing, recognizing that your lungs are clear because for many months you did not smoke.
• Imagine in general about yourself that you are very healthy and a non-smoking person.

In addition to practicing these imaginations during self-hypnosis, they can also be practiced during asanas and after pranayamas and meditation. They are also effective when practiced after waking up from sleep or before getting out of bed.

 

3) “I am always healthy, and I am a nonsmoker”

The final step is to develop a strong attitude towards a healthy life, so that we do things that are good for our health and avoid things that are bad, like smoking.

The sentence “I am always healthy, and I am a nonsmoker” should be repeated during self-hypnosis and also during yoga asanas, pranayamas and meditation. It should also be repeated sometimes during the day, particularly any time a negative thought or a temptation to smoke invades the conscious mind.

Self-hypnosis practice (10-15 minutes):

After completing yoga asanas, lie down in the shavasana posture, allowing the back to fully rest on the ground, legs apart, hands slightly away from the body, palm facing the sky, eyes gently closed and face smiling.

Now start relaxing the entire body for about five minutes. Start from the toes, directing the mind to different parts of the body and so propagating a feeling of relaxation.

Please bring your awareness to your toes; slightly move them and let them relax. Relax the feet … relax the calf muscles … relax the knee joints … relax the thigh muscles … relax the buttocks and pelvic region.

Relax the muscles of the abdomen and let all the organs in the abdomen relax and function nicely in harmony.

Relax the chest muscles and let all the organs in the chest relax and function nicely in harmony.

Relax the muscles, nerves and bones in the lower back region … relax the muscles, nerves and bones in the middle back region … relax the muscles, nerves and bones in the upper back and shoulder region.

Relax the arms … relax the elbows … relax the forearms … relax the hands and fingers. Relax the throat … relax the neck muscles … relax the back of the head … relax the top of the head … relax the forehead … relax the eyes … relax the nose. Relax the ears … relax the face muscles, chin, lips, tongue and teeth.

Tell your mind to relax your whole body and mind.

Now bring your awareness to your abdomen, feel the abdominal muscles moving up and down … as you inhale, feel the upward movement and as you exhale, feel the downward movement of your abdominal muscles. Feel your breathing become slow, smooth, calm and rhythmic.

One inhalation and one exhalation forms one round. Keep observing your breathing for 20 rounds by counting each breath down from 20 to 1.

After 20, follow the three steps of self-hypnosis:

1) Mentally repeat to yourself 10 times: “Positive thinking brings me what I wish.”

2) Imagine yourself in situations as a nonsmoker.

3) Mentally repeat to yourself 10 times: “I am always healthy, and I am a nonsmoker.”

Now gently move your whole body, your toes and fingers, your head. Count from 1-5 and by the count of 5, open your eyes and feel fresh and wonderful.

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Auto suggestions and imaginations during asanas and after pranayama and meditation:

Auto suggestions and imaginations can also be dropped easily into the subconscious mind during asanas and after pranayama and meditation.

While practicing asanas, as you come to the final position of a particular asana, concentrate on the point of stretch for 20-30 seconds and then, holding that position, mentally repeat three times either “Positive thinking brings me what I wish” or “I am always healthy, and I am a nonsmoker”. After three repetitions, slowly return to the relaxing position.

First observe your body, breathing and mind and then imagine yourself in a situation where

you are a nonsmoker. Then continue with the next asana and while in the final position, repeat three times another auto suggestion and as you come back to the relaxing asana imagine yourself in another situation where you are a nonsmoker. And so on. Continue like this.

After completing your pranayama or meditation, follow the three steps of self-hypnosis:

1) Mentally repeat to yourself 10 times: “Positive thinking brings me what I wish.”

2) Imagine yourself in situations where you are a nonsmoker.

3) Mentally repeat to yourself 10 times: “I am always healthy, and I am a nonsmoker.”

Then count 1-5, open your eyes and feel fresh and wonderful.

Wishing you all a better, healthier and happier life.

 

Dr. Sohail Ebady

About the author:

Dr. Sohail Ebady, M.D. has been a yoga teacher for 21 years and hypnotherapist for 20 years. He immediately recognized the need for these seemingly separate sciences to be intertwined. He created the Patanjali Institute to impart Yoga Teacher Training in combination with Hypnotherapy training to students who wish to become effective healers. The courses take part in Thailand or Bali.