i used Meditation to Quit Smoking,.. you learn to disassociate the

[sam sarrha]

emotions and internal dialog involved in the addictive process..

the process of Meditation is to watch the thoughts and not become attached to them, to not be swept away with them..

i actually lost 28 pounds also.. i would see the stuff i snacked on and think of eating some.. then the mediation practice would say.."just thinking" and i would let it go realizing i really didn't need to eat anything.. in the process over a period of 4 months i quit smoking and drinking 'i was an alcoholic for about 30 years', and lost those 12-Pack-Ab's.

people at work would come up and ask me what happened.. it confused me at first, but they were asking why i had become a happy and centered and positive person..

It all started when i got a tape set by Pema Chodron, 'When Things Fall Apart'. then i ran into Jack Kornfields lectures from 'Insight Meditation' and then i ran into a Tibetan Lama..Tenzen Thupwang. things have never been the same:woohoo: i have been clean/sober/free of drugs of any kind for 6 years now, and i have not had any craving of any sort at all.

there is some meditation instruction and a little video at Http://www.buddhanet.net and in the Buddhanet Audio section, lower left corner Home Page.. are some talks on meditation, you can download.

[Theres-a]

1. When things fall apart

I have that one,I love it.

[sadinred]

2. You know it's yoga and meditation that got me to try

again to quit. I need to breathe.

I am smoking. But I am meditating and yoga-ing and I am concentrating on breathing all day long. I realize that I barely breathe at all if I am not minding it.

I'm glad to read that it took many months for you. I think I am on that road as well. But it is a journey and doesn't happen in an instant. I am happy for you.

Thank you for thinking of us!!!!!

[sam sarrha]

3. do some Pranayama, it will lower your tolerance to Monoxide..

the Pranayama exercise i am referring to is a fairly quick in breath, as fast as you can comfortably breath in without straining, abdomen fills out first then top of lungs..like pushing out your tummy first..then lifting your chest to the very top.. then slowly bring in the tummy and then the chest till empty.

then breath out as slowly as you can without straining..

ten breaths when ever you think of it.. it can be a Mini Meditation.

do this in a hot tub or hot bath, you can use different rhythms and you will feel the O2 surge when you do it right for you.

it is like In/1-2 or In/1-2-3 ...then out/1-2-3-4-5-6-7 or
out/1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12.. or maybe to 21..?? whatever your lung capacity allows.. topping off the lungs tight will help increase the size of them.

what can happen is something called 'Teteny', the face gets tight and the lips purse tightly and the hands and maybe feet get drawn down tight, the finger tips close together and are drawn down, this is a reaction to the increased O2 in the blood stream... it goes away soon after some practice.. it is interesting...
the hot water will increase the circulation and it happens quickly at first, but it quits happening when your system becomes accustomed to higher O2 levels.

what will happen is that the nerve ganglia in the Carotid Artery in the neck that regulates the frequency of breathing relative to the Carbon Dioxide *CO2* levels in the blood will reset your tolerance to CO2.. alcohol inhibits the flow of blood cells thru the capillaries and raises the CO2 level.. it made me nauseous to drink alcohol after a while..

Monoxide *CO* is about 300% more reactive than CO2, and if you quit smoking i would take about a week or more to rid the CO from your system.

what is happening with Pranayama is the quick in breath pulls in more O2 its smaller than CO2 during the in breath. and the slow out breath allows the exchange of O2 with CO2 and the Vapor pressure of CO2 raises and the slow out breath allows more of it to escape than regular breathing.. your are pumping O2 into your system

it is the opposite of hyperventilation like blowing on a fire and you get dizzy, your are blowing off your O2 that way.

i met several people who had complete remission from terminal cancer do pranayama.

[sam sarrha]

4. There are sometimes ASC's-altered states of consciousness associated

with doing Pranayama. But it usually really takes some effort, like an hour or more of serious breathing.. you have to practice for several months usually to even build up the muscles to do it that long.. and you need a destination.

when i started to do it, for the ASC experience.. i could see the veil, or the 'Event Horizon' it got closer and closer, the trainers stopped me the first couple of times.. the last time as i became aware i was 'Right There' the trainer touched my shoulder and whispered..'Aferm'.. i was totally blissed out and i reasoned they meant as in 'Affirmation'.. saying something in order to get something.

My wife had run off with two prostitutes and a drug dealer and taken our 2 year old son.. and was leaving him with addicts and miscreants for long periods while she ran to FL on drug runs... i did not know where he was.. and was beside myself with fear and worry.. which i would blame her for and i was lost in anger and fear..mostly anger.

so i thought the only thing i really wanted was to end the conflict between her and i.

i took 2 more breaths and in a nanoSecond i exploded into a brilliant white Arch Light. it was fiercely streaming past/thru me and electrocuting me at the same time. i was invisible except for a hint of clear shell like outline, the light was streaming out of a single point about 10 feet away or so. a voice like a bell thundered thru me as the words came..'THEN LOVE HER.!!'...i sort of reflexed 'yea but'... and the voice replied, 'BUT NOTHING, LOVE HER.!!'

and i was overcome with what was pure 'unconditional LOVE..', the stuff i had heard of in new age books but now i was it.. and i realized i was before the burning bush and i had neglected to remove my shoe and i was arguing with it. not at any time did i sense this a 'god' or a 'God'.

so i started blessing her twice every time i cursed her.. and i envisioned her and our son in a white and rose light and a protective blue globe, i prayed for her guidance out of her situation and protection till she was safe., first thing upon waking, every time i thought of her and last thing at nite.

in 18 days i received a letter from her, saying she had moved into her mother's house, and i could see our son whenever i wanted. she later got a government job that took her all over europe and eastern europe for several years, our son got to learn several more languages and now has a PhD in engineering, and she remaried a very fine individual who is making a differince in the world.

I am convinced the metaphor of Indra's Net is a reality.. when you quit smoking or drinking you make it easier for everyone else, what ever good you do makes the whole universe just a little better.