Relax and quit smoking!

It's a bit mystifying, but people still smoke cigarettes. The health risks are well known and documented, but the nasty habit persists.

To be sure it is a personal choice (except for when we have to breathe the nasty second-hand smoke). But we're certain many who still smoke would love to stop.

WebMD's "Stop Smoking Support and Tips by Gina Shaw, however, shares a few relaxation techniques that might help those who would like to quit smoking kick the habit for good," writes TestCountry.com. "The article does mention that there are no hard-hitting scientific facts and observations – not yet, anyway – to back up how effective these techniques are in helping people stop smoking, but the American Cancer Society’s Vice President for Epidemiology and Surveillance Research, Michael Thun, M.D., concurs that these approaches might be of help."

These techniques are held together by a common factor: all involve deep breathing. The reason why these might help is that smokers are generally used to breathing deeply while sucking on a cigarette, and this might be a practice that they no longer do once they try to quit. Forgetting to practice deep breathing may lead to an increase in tension levels, which leads to that “fuzzy,” “grumpy” and “out of sorts” feeling that smokers who try to quit sometimes get.

The techniques include practicing deep breathing, guided imagery, tai chi, meditation and yoga. If you're even thinking about quitting, these are worthy of investigation. Read the full article here and be sure to visit www.perfectbreath.com for more info on mindful breathing. You'll be glad you did.

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Save the Ritalin, Garth: Try Breathing Instead

Kids, by nature, are a rambunctious lot. But today's kids are just as stressed as adults. Pennsylvania grade school teacher Marilyn Molchany found a solution to calming her class down and finding some focus: breathing. In a LancasterOnline.com article, Molchany talks about her class, the 11 high-energy boys who dominate it, and the savior she found in yoga instructor Suzanne Accardo.

Accardo taught "breathing techniques to get focused before lessons or at the start of the day," Molchany said. "I used soothing music to promote a quiet atmosphere while the students were working." The results were so impressive, she invited Accardo ack to her classroom next year.

"Ultimately we wanted to stress the importance of listening carefully and following directions," the teacher said. "We think of children as being carefree, but kids today are really stressed. Things are going on in their family life, maybe both parents are working adn - especially over the summer - they are being shuttled around to caretakers, or their parents are divorced, so they're splitting their time between houses."

So Molchany's been placing a heavy emphasis on breathing techniques."Breathing gives you something to focus on if you're stressed and need to relax," said yoga instructor Accardo. "If you give your mind one thing to focus on, it's easier to calm down. The class is about learning to calm yourself." She talks them through "guided imagery," where they imagine focusing on an image in their mind of a butterly or a balloon, but she likes focusing on the breath best, because it teaches children that they can calm down anywhere.

"If you learn breathing techniques," she said, "you can use them not matter what house you're in, what car you're in or where you are. Your breath is always with you."

We couldn't agree more.

For the full article click here

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