By Dr. Pradnya Aptikar , Ayurveda
Every packet of cigarette comes with the warning ‘Smoking is injurious to health’. With every national budget plan, the prices of nicotine based additives are hiked. Yet, you cannot quit smoking because you find it extremely difficult to resist the nicotine urge. Ayurveda says that the root cause of addiction is mental stress due to one of the 3 Doshas that are Vata, Pitta, Kapha. People try to terminate them through temporary, addictive methods rather than a bit more natural, holistic methods. Here’s how it can be easier for you to quit smoking by adopting Ayurvedic remedies.
Ayurvedic remedies:
- Drink adequate amount of water, especially from a copper vessel. This helps to accumulate the wastes and release them.
- Perform the Neti kriya (pouring saline water through one nostril and releasing it through the other and then reversing the procedure).
- Performing the Bhastrika pranayama twice every day, both in the morning and at night.
- Consume 3 tablets or 1 teaspoon of triphala, everyday before going to bed, to eliminate the deposited nicotine tar in your system.
- Consumption of a measured mixture of ashwagandha, bala, shatavari and ginseng every day, or a chyawanprash containing these help in detoxification.
- Opting for Ayurvedic detox panchkarma procedures.
Changes in diet:
- Avoid consumption of alcohol and other addictive drugs, such as coffee, sugar, etc. because they increase the urge to smoke.
- Decrease intake of fatty foods because your metabolism rate is lower than at most other times, so you might risk gaining weight during this period.
- Try a vegetarian diet because it increases the Sattvik quality of your mind. Every fresh food item contains prana or life which rejuvenates both your body and mind.
- Chew cardamom or suck on cinnamon sticks which curb your urge to smoke.
- Keep eating low-calorie food items like carrots, apples or celery.
- Incorporating regular exercise in your routine may help you to quit smoking more easily. It controls weight gain, which is a side-effect of quitting, and also offers you a fit and healthy lifestyle.
- Meditating and doing yoga regularly helps in relaxing your mind. Yogic postures like Shavasana help attain internal peace and divert your mind from craving to smoke.
Besides these techniques, there are various other ways like taking help from a professional ayurvedic counselor, which will help you quit smoking, socializing with friends or spending quality time with your family, will keep your mind diverted from the stress of quitting.
