Congrats to you JWZ for availing yourself of this forum and its wonderful people for the kind of support you needed while focusing on doing more constructive things with your time than smoking.
To all who desire to turn their attention to something other than sucking on a paper stick of poisonous fumes: Place your focus on WHAT YOU WANT and not on WHAT YOU DON'T WANT! Instead of repeating, like a mantra, "I don't want to smoke", say instead, "I want to BREEEEATH!" "I want freeeedom!" (Saying "I want to quit smoking" is still focusing on the act of smoking.) "I want to keep more of my money." "I want to smell better for my co-workers and friends." Etcetera, etcetera.
Ask yourself, "What is it that I really want that smoking is holding me back from having?" Then, desire that thing like you've never desired anything else before! And forget all about smoking because now your desire for that special thing or someone (?) will be so powerful, so much stronger than your desire to fill your lungs with choking carbon monoxide targuck.
You hold the power!
In February 2005, my sweetheart bought me a didgeridoo for Christmas. (It's probably one of the most difficult wind intruments in the world to play as it requires mastery of circular breathing.)
Anyway, at the time, I smoked about a half a pack a day. That didn't help my learning the didj at all. It certainly didn't allow me to figure out the circular breathing thing.
The more I picked up the didj, the more I fell in love with it and the more I desired to learn how to play it properly. Cigarettes were my greatest obstacle but I knew they would have to go otherwise I would always remain a mediocre didj player. And that thought didn't appeal to me.
To make this short, my desire to play the didj overuled my desire to smoke and I broke free from bondage in September 2006 after 14 years. Now I can do the circular breathing. Ironically, I replaced sucking on a small stick with blowing on a big one.
How funny is that!
But the former stick harmed my lungs while the didj stick has repared them and made them stronger than they have ever been in my entire life.
I can now play continuously - when I get into the right meditative state - for a little over 30 minutes, doing what I prefer to call switch breathing instead of circular breathing because circular makes it sound like I'm breathing both in and out at the same time, which isn't the case.
It's just switching from lungs to stored air in the cheeks being pushed through the didj tube or whatever. Can't really explaing it.
Okay, so I like to talk!! My sweety (Rayvin darling) got me the didj for a reason you know. It keeps me from talking so much, I think.
Anyway, I am so grateful to Rayvin for loving me enough for her to care about my health. . .
If you need anyone to lean on while you go through this very difficult time, whoever you may be, we're here for YOU! We appreciate YOU and bow to the divine in YOU - Namaste!
Love & Light,
Rob & Rayvin Nyte