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sunflower55 · May 08, 2009, 05:39 AM

Relaxation and Positive Thinking

Once more, until you learn to do this exercise on your own, it's a good idea to tape this exercise or ask your buddy or someone else to read it to you. Ideally your buddy will read it slowly, with a low voice tone to encourage relaxation.
This exercise lets you develop comfortable feelings of heaviness and warmth in your body and helps you establish the word “calm” as an effective relaxation cue which you can use in your daily life. The last part shows you how to combine relaxation with positive thinking to overcome any urges you may have to smoke. Start by sitting back comfortably in your chair. Now, take a deep, relaxing breath in and feel a sense of warmth spreading throughout your body as you continue deep, regular breathing. Feel warmth in your finger-tips...hands...arms. Feel the warmth spreading into your neck and head...down into your chest and stomach...as you become more and more relaxed. Feel the warmth moving into your hips, thighs and calves as they become more relaxed. Now, the warmth moves into your feet and your whole body feels warm and relaxed as any tension flows away. Your entire body is resting comfortably, deeply, fully relaxed.

Now, keeping your eyes closed and continuing deep, regular breathing, let your mind drift as you see a warm spring morning...you are walking through a beautiful green meadow...take a deep breath and smell the fresh grass and wildflowers. See the colors of the flowers scattered in the grass...feel the tall grass brushing gently against your legs as you move slowly along, breathing deeply, filling your lungs with pure air...and letting all the tensions flow out as you exhale. Feel the gentle fresh breeze...it is quiet and peaceful...a bird sings in the distance...enjoy the peacefulness and beauty of the scene...now you lie down in the meadow and gaze up at the clear blue sky...you are completely content, serene and relaxed. You feel calm. As you breathe deeply and regularly, say to yourself the work “calm” every time you breathe out. Wherever your thoughts go, gently bring them back to the word “calm.” Say to yourself, “I am calm, I am calm...”

Sensing this calm, feel how alive you are and know you are a part of the universe of living things. Your body belongs to you. You direct you movements, actions, thoughts and feelings. You can protect your body from things that may harm or damage it. You can control the destructive habit of smoking that threatens your health and well-being...You have the power to overcome this threatening habit...Because you are relaxed, calm and in control, you have no need to smoke. You can overcome your habit. You can resist any urge to smoke and become free from cigarettes. Because you are the master of your body and have the power to relax without cigarettes, you are confident that you no longer have a need to smoke.

You are now free from the urge to smoke. You are free from the smell of cigarettes, dirty ashtrays, the persistent cough. Feel your breath coming naturally, deeply, giving you satisfaction, relaxation and life. Know that you can achieve your goal: To remain a nonsmoker.

Now prepare to end the exercise. Slowly open your eyes and become aware of your surroundings. Stretch your arms and legs, look at the room around you, sit up straight. You are now ready to resume your daily activities rested, refreshed and confident that you can deal with tension using your own resources rather than the crutch of cigarettes.

This one is new to me. I look forward to using it!
I hope that they help you with your cravings and in any other stressful area of life!

Peace!