The Art of Deep Breathing.
When I first quit someone said to me 'deep breathe'. I looked at them with venom in my eyes and the thought 'how stupid can you be, asking me to take a deep breathe as if that will make it all go away' But then they explained it too me.
They said you have to breathe right, Again a look of downright bemusment came across my face. As if I didn't know how to breathe.
They carried on. Place your tongue on the roof of your mouth and breathe in through your nose. keep breathing in until your lower stomach starts to rise. Then put your lips together as if you are blowing up a balloon. Blow all the air out slowly in a controled manner until it is all gone. The breathing out should take almost twice as long as the breathe in.
Then they said "now for the magic" When you have practiced this and undersatnd what to do you will start to feel a change in your body, It is important that you take notice of this, The drop of the shoulders, The loosening of the face and any other feelings you have. When you have mastered this each time youv take a deep breathe you say a word. It can be any word, such as RELAX, CALM, QUIET or any word that you want. The word should be repeated over and over again in your mind as you breathe out. Very shortly all you will have to do is say the word and your body and mind will instantly return to that calm state, You can do this anywhere and at any time and noone will even know you are doing anything differently.
The control of breathing is important and the faster you breath the more adrenalin is pumped, the more oxygen is taken from the brain and the more anxiety is felt. Control that breathing and you will release the brains own feel good chemicals called endorphins. When you have practiced you will be able to change your mood whenever you want.
In away that is what smoking is. You say the word cigarette and your body reacts by becoming tense and anxious. You light a cigarette and by taking that first deep breathe you are doing exactly the same as taking a deep breathe without the cigarette you have just attributed the change in feeling to the cigarette. It hasn't actually done anything by itself.
It is amazing how many people do not know how to breathe though, I don't just mean normal breat
