BREATHING EXERCISES

[jillygirl]

Cravings lead to irritation and sometimes panic, causing the quitter’s mind to speed up. When this occurs, concentrating becomes hard. Using a deep breathing exercise is an effective way of calming yourself down.

This exercise can be done anywhere from sitting down in a chair to waiting for a bus. Follow the simple stages described below;

With your mouth closed and shoulders relaxed, inhale deeply and slowly to the count of eight.

As you breathe in, push your stomach out.

Hold your breath for the count of four.

Breathe out slowly to the count of eight.

Repeat the cycle five times

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When you first stop smoking, you may feel that you have more phlegm and mucus on your chest. This may cause you to feel a bit rattly and as though you need to 'cough something up'... Doesn't sound very nice, I know but this is a good sign.

At the end of the day, you are only coughing up what is not supposed to be there!

1. Stand up with your legs your shoulder width apart.

2. Put your hands on your hips.

3. Take a long, deep breath in through your nose - Very slowly.

4. When you feel like you have taken your fill of air in, take another little bit more.

5. Keeping your hands on your hips, slowly bend over forward. As you do, blow your breath out slowly through your mouth. Making a blowing noise as you do.

6. When you have pushed out that final bit of breath, stand up and give a gentle cough.

Repeat this 3 times.

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Because you are not used to all this good clean oxygen, you may feel slightly dizzy - This is just an oxygen rush. However, if you are not used to it, then please have a comfy chair at the ready.

If this cough lasts more than a couple of weeks, it may be worth visiting your GP.

Before you try going to sleep, think about your day, and try and clear your mind. Is anything worrying you? If so think about whether or not you can do anything about it. Focus on all the positive things that have gone well for you, how good you feel about them or the things that have happened during your day. Any negative thoughts you may have collect them all together and have them ready to leave your body.

Once you have done this, close your eyes and focus on your breathing.

Breathe in and out a few times, in your own time

Next, take in a nice, long, slow, deep breath through your nose

Breathe out a nice long sigh through your mouth

Repeat this 3 -4 times

As you feel yourself ready to relax, shrug your shoulders up towards your ears and then let them drop

Focus again on your breathing, now think of the number 10 as you breathe in

As you breathe out, see the number 10 leave your mind.

Feeling any tension leaving your body as you do this.

Next, breathe in nice and slowly as you think of number 9

As number 9 leaves your mind, breathe out slowly.

As you breathe in, see the number 8

Imagine every bit of worry within you being caught up in your breath and being pushed out

as you see the number 8 leaving your body,

taking everything that concerns you away.

Continue to focus on your breathing

Imagining with each breath in, you are gathering up every bit of tension from every part of your body.

Every breath out takes all this tension away.

As you see the number 7 enter your mind,

feel the activity within your head and thoughts starting to slow right down

breathing in and then out, feeling more and more relaxed each time as the numbers leave your mind.

Your breathing should now be nice and slow, your heart and pulse will be more relaxed and your mind will feel so at eased.

As you slowly count your way down the numbers, you should be feeling ever so relaxed and the days worries and stresses should be as far away from your mind as possible.

The more you practice this breathing exercise, the easier it should become every-time

[Chickles 3 YEAR WINNER]

Thanks for posting this again Jilly, it's refreshed my memory! Jan xx