Great American Smokeout 2009 - natural, holistic ways to stop smoking

As this annual reminder of the benefits of being a non-smoker is recognized, many of those who wish to improve their health and the health of their family are looking for safe ways to end their smoking habit. In making this choice, it helps to recognize that this is your choice that you have the power to make. You see the benefits of being free of the smoking habit as well as the unpleasant and painful results of long term smoking. Once you commit to this choice within yourself you are increasing the likelihood that whatever approach to smoking cessation you enact will work. You are setting this as a priority that overrides any perceived immediate joy or relief you might have experienced when smoking. To support this choice you can use healthy methods of relieving stress or generating pleasant feelings in order to replace the habit and fill the void that smoking may have occupied. Those choosing to stop smoking can benefit from meditation, relaxing music, breathwork, hobbies, reiki, support groups, acupuncture and energy medicine, herbal stress relievers, and psychological and spiritual guidance to heal old patterns and parts of oneself that have been connected to the smoking habit.

One of the most popular and effective methods of quitting the smoking habit is hypnosis. Hypnotherapy helps reprogram the subconscious mind, the part of our mind that holds our memories and impulses and patterns of behavior that we engage in without deliberate thought. This approach is effective for many people, and can help smokers overcome any doubts they have about becoming a non-smoker. Once a person experiences being a non-smoker as natural and pleasant and develops positive habits for handling stress, he or she is unlikely to revert back to smoking. The physical withdrawal from a drug like nicotine is actually just a limited part of the smoking addiction. The psychological aspect is paramount, as the subconscious level of processing is what determines how we react to any drug. Some people feel very unpleasant when exposed to cigarettes and have no desire to smoke - any people with the smoking habit can shift from the patterns of a smoker to the patterns of a non-smoker if they desire to transform their identity and lifestyle. There are many resources available to assist, so this year's smokeout could be your day to start the next phase of your life smoke-free.