Alternative Therapies

If you are resolved to quit smoking, then yoga is perhaps the best way to begin your venture. Pranayama or breathing exercises are recommended to deal with this addiction. It is often due to stress and anxiety that one wants to smoke. By changing your breathing pattern, you can relieve yourself from anxiety and stress. Pranayama calms your mind and harmonises the functioning of your body mind and soul. Ultimately it reduces your craving to smoke cigarettes. Nadishodhi Pranayama is a very effective yoga breathing exercise.

1. Sit cross legged or in any comfortable position by keeping your spine straight. Close your eyes and relax your whole body.
2. Close your right nostril with your right thumb. Inhale and exhale 5 times through your left nostril. Take deep breaths while breathing.
3. Close your left nostril with your ring finger. Now take deep inhalation and exhalation 5 times through the right nostril.
4. As you breathe in and out, be aware of each breath.

Make sure that you do not produce any sound while taking breaths. Repeat this exercise at least five times.