Stop Smoking

We clever humans can rationalize doing anything, for good or ill, and so I was going along fooling myself into thinking I could take yoga classes and continue to smoke. As a forty-year smoker who's barely suffered the consequences of smoking, I didn’t resolve to stop, but there was recently a surprising convergence of factors leading me to WANT to stop.

First, I love yoga! Your classes are great, making me stronger, more coordinated, and somehow less angry about the state of world affairs.

But a few weeks ago I got the respiratory “crud” that’s going around and, WHAM, it went straight to the lungs. I missed two yoga classes. I could breathe using only what felt like the top one-third of my lungs (the bottom two-thirds literally drowning in mucus), and during this – the most awful feeling in the world – I tried lighting up! I had smoked my way through the flu, through bouts of tonsillitis, but this? Coughing, gasping, drowning, I had to be crazy to try it.

Breathing improved after a week on Mucinex, though the first day back to class left me weak, sweating, and struggling to breathe deeply. When I got home I was depressed. I grabbed one of my cats and took her outside to sit with me. Her fur smelled like smoke! Later that day I went to the grocery store and, on the way out, saw a little old lady bent over her oxygen cart, struggling to get to her car.

Enough! That day did it for me, Annette. I put the cigarettes down and haven’t touched them since. Today is Day 12.

I always hear your voice, my teacher: "Bring your awareness to your breath," not just for three hours a week, but every hour of every day. I could never have dreamed of quitting without yoga. I know yoga will help get me through this and I thank you for your encouragement.

Best regards,
Patty