Smoking is a difficult habit to conquer. Throughout my nursing career, I had seen many people struggling with trying to quit smoking. There are tools to change cigarettes, vaping, chewing, smoking cigars, or marijuana to a less harmful way of consumption by using patches and gum for example. Quit tobacco websites are present nationally and in most states. Smoking can cause many harmful effects on our lungs that can cause difficulties in breathing and develop chronic diseases like lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), data from 2020 Tobacco kills 8 million people each year. People who use tobacco have a 50% chance of dying because of using tobacco (WHO, 202).
Besides traditional supports to replace nicotine in your body or switch from smoking nicotine to gum or a patch mindfulness and meditation techniques can also be helpful to decrease smoking and turn toward a healthier lifestyle.
Jackson et al (2022) have found that mindfulness techniques can help aid smoking cessation by decreasing cravings, focusing on something else, and decreasing symptoms of nicotine withdrawal.
Mindfulness-guided meditation supporting your lungs can lead you toward your goals in smoking cessation.
Mindfulness Meditation for Smoking Cessation
I would like you to find a comfortable position. Take a nice calming breath by slowly breathing the air in by counting to four, holding your breath as you count to four, gently releasing your breath while counting to four, and counting to four before taking your next breath.
Now, I would like you to set your intention to reduce harm to your body. Think about a reasonable goal that you would like to achieve in the next few days. Visualize your goal. Once you have this image in your mind think about the positive effects your goal will bring to your body. Continue to take nice deep breaths and if your mind wanders just gently bring it back to your original intention.
Now I would like you to think about your heart and lungs. Focus on these two organs. Feel your heart pumping blood around your body. Imagine your heart bringing blood filled with oxygen that I coming from your lungs throughout the body allowing your body to function properly. Feel the energy of your lungs as they expand bringing this fresh oxygen to your blood allowing your heart to move the oxygenated blood throughout your body.
Gently than your lungs and heart for bringing oxygen into your body and allowing your body to function.
Now think of the intention and goal that you have set for yourself. Imagine the relief it will provide for your lung and heart to be able to function better. Feel the positive intent bringing new energy and hope throughout your body. Sit with this feeling of positivity for a few moments while gently breathing in and out.
With the next breath, I would like you to imagine that you are bringing in beautiful fresh air to your lungs as you are taking a breath and collecting used-up air and any harmful chemicals that are in your body and letting them go as you breathe out. Feel free to repeat this process as many times as you feel necessary until you breathe easier.
When you are ready, bring your attention back to your present surroundings by setting your intention one more time on the goals you have set in the beginning regarding smoking cessation.
Repeat this or a similar practice as often as you can to support your smoking cessation goals.
I hope this activity was helpful to you.
Thank you for reading,
Gabriella
I hope you have enjoyed this article by Dr. Gabriella Kőrösi. Please subscribe to my stories and Newsbreak below. Learn more about my work on my website www.gabriellakorosi.org
Dr. Kőrösi Gabriella also writes in her publication Dancing Elephants Press on Medium and has a Gabriella's YouTube Channel
Dr. Kőrösi Gabriella has a Ph.D. in public health, and a master’s in nursing and she is the author of multiple books. She focuses on topics about healing, addiction, health, mental health, wellness, travel experiences, and poetry.
References
Jackson, S., Brown, J., Norris, E., Livingstone-Banks, J., Hayes, E., & Lindson, N. (2022). Mindfulness for smoking cessation. The Cochrane database of systematic reviews, 4(4), CD013696. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD013696.pub2
WHO. Tobacco. (2022) Retrieved on 1/10/2023 from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/tobacco#:~:text=Tobacco%20kills%20more%20than%208,%2D%20and%20middle%2Dincome%20countries.
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