A simple, powerful meditative technique to quit smoking

Smoking is a highly addictive bad habit that has significant health risk for the smoker and others. Cigarettes contain Nicotine that is very addictive in nature. People start smoking for a variety of different reasons. Some think it looks cool. Others start because their family members or friends smoke.

What ever be the reason a person smoke, there is no better day than today to make the decision to stop smoking. That will definitely be a decision that you will always feel good about. I am dedicating this article to all the smokers in the world with a request to stop smoking today for the better good of you and your family. We will also discuss a powerful and easy way that is very effective and helpful if you are willing to quit smoking.

To start with, this technique is going to help you only if you are willing to stop smoking. But then, tell me one reason why you should not quit. Let us start with a video. 

The serious negative effects of smoking on health are very well known now. Look at the facts (courtesy: American Lung Association)

• Cigarette smoke contains over 4,800 chemicals, 69 of which are known to cause cancer. Smoking is directly responsible for approximately 90 percent of lung cancer deaths and approximately 80-90 percent of COPD (emphysema and chronic bronchitis) deaths.
• About 8.6 million people in the U.S. have at least one serious illness caused by smoking. That means that for every person who dies of a smoking-related disease, there are 20 more people who suffer from at least one serious illness associated with smoking.
• Among current smokers, chronic lung disease accounts for 73 percent of smoking-related conditions. Even among smokers who have quit chronic lung disease accounts for 50 percent of smoking-related conditions.
• The list of diseases caused by smoking includes chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD, including chronic bronchitis and emphysema), coronary heart disease, stroke, abdominal aortic aneurysm, acute myeloid leukemia, cataract, pneumonia, periodontitis, and bladder, esophageal, laryngeal, lung, oral, throat, cervical, kidney, stomach, and pancreatic cancers. Smoking is also a major factor in a variety of other conditions and disorders, including slowed healing of wounds, infertility, and peptic ulcer disease.
• Smoking in pregnancy accounts for an estimated 20 to 30 percent of low-birth weight babies, up to 14 percent of preterm deliveries, and some 10 percent of all infant deaths. Even apparently healthy, full-term babies of smokers have been found to be born with narrowed airways and reduced lung function.
• In 2005, 10.7 percent of all women smoked during pregnancy, down almost 45 percent from 1990.
• Neonatal health-care costs attributable to maternal smoking in the U.S. have been estimated at $366 million per year, or $704 per maternal smoker

Have you made the decision?  

If yes, Congratulations!! This will be one of the most important decisions you have made in your life and you can be really proud about that.

For most people, the challenge is to overcome the withdrawal symptoms people experience when they quit smoking. Nicotine is a highly addictive drug and it takes most people several tries before they can quit for good. We congratulate you for going out of your comfort zone and attempting one of the most difficult things in life.

Now we will discuss a very simple but very powerful meditative technique to help you succeed in your decision. Don’t get scared by the word “Meditative”. We are not talking about going on long trips to isolated temples to meditate. These are techniques that you can practice at home and will not take more than few tens of minutes. To get a basic understanding of meditation, I would strongly recommend you get some understanding of meditation by reading this series : Introduction to Meditation  


The technique we are going to discuss is based on Silva Method of Meditation and marry the power of meditation and imagination to train your mind to achieve what you want. It has absolutely no side-effects and can be practiced by anyone. Since this method trains and strengthens you from within, your mind will command the body to stay away from smoking and to ignore the strong urge to smoke.  


If practiced properly, this method will give much faster and permanent results without any strain.

• First, let us build a schedule.  You have to pick a time interval based on the frequency of your smoking. Let us assume that you smoke a cigarette every 2 hours. And you took your first cigarette of the day at 7:00 AM. So, let us set aside 10 mins at 7:00 AM after you take the cigarette and every two hours thereafter.

• Sit down relaxed at a calm place and close your eyes. Mentally visualize that you are going to be a former smoker till 9:00 AM. To make it a bit easier, imagine you seeing yourself in your TV being a non-smoker for the next two hours. Visualize that you are enjoying being a former-smoker and it is easy to do it. 

• Also imagine that the body is working hard and healing the small burns inside your lungs that were created due to your last smoking. Once you visualize that the lungs are healed, take a deep breath and feel the coolness of the air filling your lungs and blowing out all the harmful chemicals from your body as you exhale. Visualize your body saying “Thank you” for not smoking

• Repeat this exercise every time you smoke. Once you are comfortable with this exercise, visualize that you will be a non smoker for two more hours. And when you feel the urge for smoking, ask this question to yourselves. “Do I want this one now?”.  You will be surprised that your mind will very soon start answering “No” to that question and then you wait till you really want it. 

• In the event you feel a strong urge to take a cigarette, close your eyes, take a deep breath and visualize your body pleading to you not to smoke to avoid harm. Reassure yourself that you will remain a non-smoker and you don’t need cigarettes to live. 

Please feel free to share this article with any family or friends who you know is addicted to smoking. Let us create a cigarette free future!