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Sunday, August 19, 2012

Why is it so hard to quit smoking?

I asked this question on Facebook and got lots of great responses (read them here).  My initial thoughts on the topic are that we need to have a real reason to LIVE, be it someone or something that we want to stick around for. With good quality of life and lots of zest for living. I arrived at this conclusion because when a person smokes they extinguish the part of the body that regulates our life force. We can survive with out food, water, shelter for days but how long can you last without breathing? The smoke also clouds our ability to receive guidance and intuition from our angels. More to come on that later .... 

I've spent a couple minutes thinking about why people might find it hard to quit - beyond the nicotine addiction and the habit: 

  • Taking deep breaths is good for the body, the brain and the spirit. Smokers generally take deep breaths when they are smoking and the body mistakes the benefits of air for a benefit of smoking. It makes them feel more alert, but so would a pure deep breath and a liter of water. I'm not a smoker but I experienced a similar sensation with fizzy drinks and coffee. A year ago I realised that I never drank water. If I was thirsty or bored I'd reach for a Diet Coke or an Iced Coffee. One day this occurred to me and I reached for a glass of water before having my morning coffee. WOW. I also noticed that when I felt like snacking it was usually moisture rich foods.  What I really needed was to drink water.  I think smokers crave a nicotine fix but their body also craves a nice dose of fresh air. 
  • Clearing your head is a good way to bring in new ideas and inspiration. When people fall into the habit of going outside to smoke, as is often the case because of smoking bans, they are craving some quiet time alone and "fresh air" ... this helps them clear their muddled brow chakras and go back to their desks with a little relaxation. Taking a cigarette break is like meditating in that it lets you escape for a few minutes and focus your mind. This could just as easily be done without a cigarette though it might feel strange at first. Try taking a meditation break instead of a ciggy break and see how it feels!
  • The sacral chakra is the one most often affected by addictions. It contains our desires, passions and our emotional link to the outside world as well. The heart is the seat of love, but the emotions are in the sacral chakra. Any addiction masks the feelings that we are not prepared to deal with. In healing sessions we are often taught to focus on the sacral chakra when the client has an addiction to recover from, no matter what it is. This can be cigarettes, alcohol, drugs, sex, shopping, etc. People with addictions need help managing their emotions in a constructive way, which in turn will prevent them from desensitising their experience of the emotional situations. The sacral sits just under the belly button. Below that we have the root chakra. These two chakras are linked to our  impulse control. A healthy chakra system can make it easier to resist (more will power!), problem is that addictions can weaken these chakras. Downward spiral here we come .... 
  • Back to my original thought - just about everyone has someone or something to live for.  And they'd want to live long and live well. So how does this will to live link with the willpower to quit smoking? It is the moment when the = fear of missing out on a life experience is bigger than the fear of actually experiencing that very experience. Scary stuff. 
See here for a post on Addictions & the Sacral Chakra.  

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4 comments:

  1. Have you tried curing ppl yet of smoking? Have you had any successes? I'd be interested to try something like this...

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    1. Hi Kelli,

      Thanks for the message. As a healer, I don't cure people though, I can work with my clients to facilitate their self-healing process. Quitting smoking requires will power and intent, and I believe Reiki can give it a boost.

      I haven't worked with anyone on this in particular, though I'd be keen to try. Are you looking to quit?

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  2. I started Reiki for depression and stopped smoking as a side benefit! I totally agree that smoking is for 'me' time . That a why I like the idea of the fake cigarette. I look forward to meditation the same as I used to look forward to a cigarette. A chance to collect thoughts and breath x

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  3. Cool, sorting that out for myself as well. Lately, constantly thinking "quit, quit, QUIT, QUIT, QUIT SMOKING..." my best was one week, a while back, but naturally I am realizing that it is far better, to improve ourselves, and today I ran for 8 minutes (in a hurry for the bus), kind of a rough moment catching a breath.

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