Quit cigarettes with DIY hypnosis

There are many people who tell you rules about how to give up cigarettes. Here are mine:

1. Don't believe anything anyone has told you about this subject.
2. Relax.
3. Don't worry.
4. It's not the most difficult thing in the world.

There is a great lie being told. The lie is: "Giving up smoking is very difficult - almost impossible." I disagree. I found it very easy. Did I spend a fortune on CDs, books, "specialists", patches and gum? No. Not a penny.

I started smoking when I was 18 and very quickly developed a 20 a day habit. I immediately noticed a dip in my health - not to mention an increase in my asthma. But still I soldiered on. I tried to give up numerous times, sometimes using gum or patches, but it never worked. Whilst giving up I was incredibly depressed. Every minute of the day I thought about smoking, or felt awkward, or both.

Over three years ago I developed a passing interest in Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) and from that became interested in self-hypnosis and meditation. For other reasons I started practising self-hypnosis and meditation for a few weeks and then one day stopped smoking! I was 35. I have been free from cigarettes and the desire to smoke for over 3 years. And (whispers) it didn't hurt!

I'm facing an uphill struggle with the ... deep breath ... smoking cessation community. I don't want to sound cynical but they seem to be as honest as the tobacco industry. "Our practise is to only endorse or link to official quit sites or methods approved by independent research published in reputable journals." Yeah, research no doubt sponsored by drug companies. Its funny how research suggests that success with giving up smoking is more likely with pharmacological aids and yet heresay and those who work in the field say the cold turkey approach is best.

We have been here before. It was clearly spelled out in the 1964 US Surgeon General's Report that cigarette smoking was not an addiction and he only came round to the idea in 1988. Nowadays the Surgeon General is advocating the use of pharmalogical aids in quitting smoking. Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose.
I have just started a website to try to help others on a free and easy way to give up smoking. I need people to try my technique - there must be other people out there who are like me and can give up easily even when they think they can not.

http://www.quitcigs4free.com

Meditation and self-hypnosis is hugely enjoyable and may well change your life for the better as well as stopping you smoking.

So don't put any pressure on yourself to quit - just know that it will come eventually.

We need to add a 5 minute routine to your daily life which may increase to 10 or 20 minutes as time goes by.

This is all about observation.

Just as you observe your breathing, observe that you are feeling clean and better and that you want to smoke less.

Through the day concentrate on what you are doing. If you are walking, concentrate on the sensations of you feet on the ground.

All of life happens within this capacity of observation. The desire for a cigarette is just another little thing that goes on within this capacity and it will arise and pass just like your breath.