Meditation to Quit Smoking

And now you’re an addict.

But there’s still hope.

You can quit smoking with correct meditation and correct attitude.

Many years ago when I was in my early 20′s I’d just started a new job.

I was sitting at a table in the staff restaurant with a group of people I didn’t know.

They were all chatting together and I felt anxious and ill at ease.

Then someone offered me a cigarette.

Although I wasn’t a regular smoker, I had smoked before.

So I took it and lit-up.

After taking a couple of puffs, I was transformed – the nicotine coursing through my veins had made it to my brain within seconds.

I felt great – relaxed, confident and no anxiety.

Of course, I had to keep smoking to keep my brain flooded with nicotine.

And I realised that I’d have to become a regular smoker if I wanted the same effect.

But I knew this wasn’t the answer.

Later, I learned  how to use meditation to quit smoking or, I should say,the smoking quit me.

Because it wasn’t an effort of will on my part – I just didn’t want or need it any more.

I remember an interview with the English comedy writer, Dennis Norden.

He would regularly smoke 60 cigarettes a day.

But he gave up smoking in a split-second after a startling realisation.

He’d drive to various meetings and would smoke in the car.

At the start of the week he’d fill the car glove-box with packets of cigarettes.

Whilst driving he’d smoke and, when the packet was empty, he’d crush it and throw it into the passenger foot-well.

Then, at the end of the day he’d throw away the crushed packets .

On one particular day, he removed the old packets and to his horror realised that he’d smoked one hundred cigarettes.

He was so disgusted with himself that he never smoked a single cigarette ever again.

But what’s even more amazing is that he didn’t experience any withdrawal symptoms.

And never even had the slightest desire to smoke again.

His feeling of disgust, shocked him into awareness.

If you want to quit smoking you must cultivate this awareness.

Because the effect of the nicotine is to make you less aware.

But regular meditation will make you more aware.

Then, with this awareness, you can respond differently.

If you’ve tried to quit smoking, you’ve probably used will-power to resist the craving.

But your will-power is not as strong as the craving.

Although you may start out strong, slowly but surely your will-power will begin to shrink.

And eventually your will, will have no power at all.