The Art of Deep Breathing
This is my first post on this weeks topic of relaxation. Stress management is an important part of the marijuana addiction recovery process.
Many people, myself included, do not breathe properly, and hold tension in their body while breathing. Nerves and anxiety are often the cause of this. We want to be breathing full, deep breaths from our lower abdomen. An icon of the buddha with a fat belly, is a symbol of his breathing techniques among other things.
If you feel nervous, anxious, or catch yourself breathing high in the chest, you can follow this simple 4 step technique to “vacuum your lungs” and reset your diaphragm back to a deep breathing pattern.
Resetting your Diaphragm
1. Exhale completely, blow out every single bit of air from your lungs as best you can.
2. Bend over. I like to fold my arms in front of my stomach when I bend to get that extra little bit of air out. Bending over expels the last bits of air from your lungs. When you’re totally out of air make sure you hold you breath, so you don’t accidentally let any air in.
3. Stand up while holding your breath. This increases lung volume, so air will want to flow into your lungs, but don’t breathe. Wait about 10 seconds until your body really needs a breath.
4. Then, when you can’t take much more, Breathe! Your body will have moved over from your normal, everyday breathing to unregulated, autonomic “response breathing.” You should feel your breathing has switched to deep and rhythmic breathing.
That’s all there is to it. Once you let your body take that unregulated breath in step 4, your nervous system reboots your lungs, and your previous tense and anxious breath becomes a thing of the past.
I recommend performing this technique, then breathing deeply for a couple of minutes to ingrain the positive feeling of breathing deeply and fully. Hope this helps.
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{ 35 comments… read them below or add one }
I practice deep breathing in order to relax and sleep. I find that doing the Yoga breathing I have learned work best for me, but deep breathing is deep breathing.
Great that you put up a post about it.
PS. We are on day three of sobriety, and I reckon we should be OK this week as we are working opposite hours so cannot influence each other in a negative way.
Great work on day three. I have a feeling I am going to make 2 days in a row here too! Go us!
Not all deep breathing is the same, taoists have many different breath techniques, this exercise is a quit way to reboot the lungs, and nothing more.
Would you like any changes to the article you posted?
Nah, when I re-read it again, I thought it was OK. A bit negative, but that is how I feel sometimes.
This is such bullshit, I don’t know where to begin.
It does help breathing , im 15 and i’ve been constantly smokin weed everyday at least a half ounce to a ounce a day no joke for 3 years .. im on my day one & i have many doubts im gunna make it lol
Oh my lord sweet heart how did you afford that. I smoke about half ounce a week and I work fulltime and still hardly afford that.
Ok Im on my first day,anxiety is going to kick in tonight, so Im trying some herbal stuff to keep me calm.
I have not stopped smoking but I was looking online for tips on quitting but I get major anxiety, Panic attacks and depressed when I try to stop, I am only trying to seek a job then starting to smoke again. I only need the name of a good cleaner for the body to pass a urine test if anyone has any good names of products please email me. thanks!
oh i guess you cant pull my email address, Greenalchemist31@aol.com
Whas up? I’m 33 and been smoking basically everyday since I was 18 today is my first day stopping. So far so good I guess I can only take it one day at a time. Thanks for all the tips. I will try them all
I just want to thank you for the tips. I have smoked since I was 16 everyday of my life. Only last year at 31 I started to realise all the damage it has been doing to me. I have stopped 3 days ago and it is the most difficult thing I have ever done, so I need all the help I can get. For all of you in my position, stay positive and think about how good life is. We don’t need this weed. I guess we need to concentrate on the positive things in our lives and to remain positive.
Good luck to you all!
Wow, this will really help me a lot, yesterday i quit smoking pot and im serious. it was a life changing experience, ive been smoking pot since i was 17 so its its been stony 7 years. But all of the sudden i woke up yesterday and felt the same feeling that u had. I wanna stop smoking ganja. and there it was.. i stopped. cold turkey just like that..it has been a very good day so far, i dont have anxeity attacks and i dont get paranoid at people anymore.. thanks for making this blog. ur an inspiration to humankind. keep up the good work! =)
Here I go…..Finishing last bag of weed today. I start feeling withdrawl symtoms after 2 days….this is going to be tough, but I want it and need it to work. I’m spending close to $600.00 a month on weed. Single mom..this money could be well spent on many other things.
Wish me luck!
good luck JR
Hmm Ive only been smoking for less than a year but it seems to control my summer. I think I might quit soon as well. I prolly spent over 1000$ last summer on bud and im only 18 so id rather have that money for something else
Now at 49. I’ve been smoking weed for overall 30 years and almost every day for the past 20. Cigarettes I have smoked even longer which I finally quit in May this year. 2 days ago, I decided to quit pot for good and hopefully to never start again although I will probably miss the creative juices flowing since I am in advertising. But, I really don’t care because I’ve had enough of this s…!
I am just hoping it isn’t too late already. I realized that my personality has been changing rapidly and that not for the better. I have always been a type A personality but never as aggressive as I have been in the last few years or even more specifically as in the last year. It has negatively effected my family, social and of course professional life. Today is my 2nd day as a non-smoker. Yesterday ( my first day) was a disaster. My wife and I had a big fight over a stupid reason which was definitely not worth it. That made me want to stay quit even more strongly and seek some support. Thanks for all the insight. I’m glad to see that I am not the only one. I was feeling pretty lonely today. Thank you all.
Now at 49. I’ve been smoking weed for overall 30 years and almost every day for the past 20. Cigarettes I have smoked even longer which I finally quit in May this year. 2 days ago, I decided to quit pot for good and hopefully to never start again although I will probably miss the creative juices flowing since I am in advertising. But, I really don’t care because I’ve had enough of it.I am just hoping it isn’t too late already. I realized that my personality has been changing rapidly and that not for the better. I have always been a type A personality but never as aggressive as in the past year. It has negatively effected my family, social and professional life. Today is my 2nd day as a non-smoker. Yesterday was a disaster. My wife and I had a big fight over a reason which was not worth it at all. That made me want to stay quit even more strongly and seek some support through the net. I’m glad to see that I am not the only one. I was feeling pretty lonely today. Thank you all.
Well, I am going to party the next 48 hours (bud only) and Sunday I am going to attempt to stop smoking both bud and smokes. I gained a ton of incite off your site and as a webmaster myself, think you did an awesome job (I love wordpress also). I would list some of my work but then my employers and clients would know I smoke a ton of herb.
Keep up the great work on your blog – it inspired me. I actually was researching memory loss because 2 friends made me realize finally by brain is shot from smoking EVERY DAY for 17 years straight…ouch, wish me luck!!
hey guys,
im 17 and still in highschool. I started smoking when i was a freshman and now im a senior. I have been smoking every day, on average 3 times a day(morning, lunch, and before i go to bed). I love weed but i really cant stand living in a constant cloud of stupid every single day, so i stoped 2 days ago. Its more rewarding than i thought it would be and even tho most of my friends smoke because its cool and all that, im gunna really try to cut back, and eventualy quit the green devil all together. I apreciate all the advice you guys have and i wish all of you the BEST of luck in quiting.
I’ve smoked bud multiple times a day for over 1 year straight, if I’ve been awake I’ve been high.
Yesterday I woke up and decided to cut back and so I didn’t smoke.Today was my 2nd day of cutting back and I did fine and really I feel way better I think instead of cutting back im just quitting all together.
I feel free like all this time I wanted to be high, but why? So I could be in a different state of mind I guess but f*ck, right now sober is a different state of mind, and not a bad one honestly.
We were fine, fun people with good lives before we smoked well be fine after we quit.
Honestly I don’t want to be a pothead forever. I even told my smokin friends that im quitting today and all of them are cool with it.
Some of them even told me they were gettin sick of smokin too so hey maybe I started somethin good lol.
Good luck everyone we can do it mannn
hey guys…I really feel good now that i’ve read all this comments…it gives me hope as of today i quit smoking weed…Yeah this green devil is not worth it at all. My grades are going down, i feel stupid next to a nonsmoker, it really doesn’t help in my depression period, and i cant focus for sh*t…i am sure all of you potheads know what i am talking about…we always feel guilty for nothing and that’s something i dont want to feel anymore so F**K WEED…AND GUD LUCK TO ANYBODY TRYING TO DIVORCE MARY JANE…
Hello all. I have been avoiding the obvious problems that cannabis has caused for me in my life. I strongly feel that Marijuana has a lot of positive uses, and I don’t think it is as evil as people make it out to be; however as with any medicine, it is easy to abuse and doing so will lead to a myriad of difficulties. Be it the money, the withdrawl from social situations in which I couldn’t smoke around certain people, or just the decrease in motivation to proceed forward in life. It can open doors to creativity and help you think outside the box, but the problem is that I use so heavily (couple hits at a time, every couple hrs. all day long)I seem to have locked myself outside the box that is reality. I wish I could be a casual smoker, but I love it way too much! I have become obsessed with finding the perfect bud. I am excited to have found this site and I plan on looking into the Cannabis coach program if it isn’t too expensive. I believe that personal will power is the most effective tool in giving up anything. I am on day one of no weed, and I have slacked up alot in the past few days so wish me luck and good luck to all of you!
good luck jeremy
My day one will be tomorrow, managed 18 days before, longest clean period in probably 15 or 19 years or somewhere between, have had some bad luck lately, the love of my life has left me, i have suffered from depression and now i have been made redundant too(which i dont mind as i didnt love my job) I want to quit and face reality, however harsh it is, and fix it create a good reality, a real reality, not some bs idealized dream.
I want to get fit, physically mentally and spiritually, successful happy healthy have fun and good times, in real life and i want my memory and brain function back too, i hope it isnt too much too ask for,
peace n love to all
I practice WTF Tae Kwon Do, and some of this is similar to Dan Jun Breathing. There is scientific explanations for how this type of breathing benefits the diaphragm as well as increasing blood circulation to the whole body. Good Info!
“The hardest part of a thousand mile journey is the first step” brothers and sisters.
I have been chasing the high since I fifteen and it hasn’t given me anything in return. I love (I should say loved as I am trying to quit) the high, but now the negative effects of memory loss, isolationism (I end up just hanging with other smokers, anxiety, poor breathing just aren’t worth it.
Take that first step fellow smokers (soon to be “x” smokers:)!!!!!
Rasta
hey everyone just wanted to share my experience with mj.okay im 15 and have been smoking 4 2 years, in the short term weed is awsome it makes you feel like a kid again and being a teen can be tough so i used to get rid of boredom, i love the high life but it really just ends up making life hareder then it is,when you are not high most times you dont feel fufiled its not a good felling and i dont want to be dependent on the weed my whole life its my second day quiting and it is really fucking hard sometimes i cant even amagine life without
Hi i am 26 and been smoking heavily for 10 years now.I finally decided it cant go on as the paranoia, and self isolation have become increasingly worse. I thought i was so cool but my life sucks! So its day 2 and i am having a glass of wine and some herbal calm tablets to take the edge of the withdrawls! It is bearable but i have really got my will power together i am determined to change my life for the better, so good luck to everyone else trying to quit u have made me feel better and less alone in this fight.
Well it’s been 3 days,this number seems to be a common smoker’s breaking point.What can i say,my emotions are all over the place.I’m sad,feeling positive,then rage induced,can’t sleep,pissed that my boyfriend is still smoking(away from me at least)i don’t have an appetite,i feel like punching a bag,it seems like i can’t breath(the exercise helped,I’ll keep it going)this sucks.It’s going to be a long bitch fest journey,the only instant gratification will be weight loss and extra $$.God Bless this mess…
hey guys… i’ve been smoking pot for the past 2 years, but i’ve only been a daily smoker for one year. i quit pot because i was feeling a lot of guilt towards myself and other non smokers arround me (family and friends). i’ve been clean for ten days, but bechause i felt i couldn’t handle it i had my first visit to a psychiatrist today. the advice and relaxation techinques really helped me…so if you find quitting really hard i suggest you do so. my biggest problem is that me and my friends we all live in the same block of flats and they’re all heavy smokers.
hello everyone,
good to know i’m not alone. To begin, I would like to thank the person who came up with this site, really helps alot. I’ve been smoking for about 13 yrs (amazing how time flies when your high). Have tried to quit on several attempts but finally just quit (car accident on my way to smoke with friends). I just came to the realization that enough is enough. Now mind you I loved smoking, but the question is do you love life more. Ironically, smoking took me away the life I definitely deserved to live so with that being said, I wish everyone a safe journey to a life of sobriety. It won’t be easy, yet I know its worth it.
I am 32 and have been smoking since I was 16. WoW!! I quit smoking cigarettes cause I got tired of coughing. Yes the coughing went away for the most part. Still smoking weed and kind of want to quit because of I cough a lot. I felt smoking weed makes me cough, and cigs make me cough. So why not stop the one that really doesn’t give a high. Maybe I should…. Quit? or go smoke a bowl after typing my comment. It’s a battle I feel I win and lose at the same time. Quit smoking= win for my body, lose for my mind. Keep smoking= lose for my body, win for my mind. I am epileptic and marijuana helps me. There are other ways to use. Tinctures, food, etc… Seems to me the best method. Smoking is a fast acting method for morning petite seizures. Stops those, which can lead to Grand Mal seizures. I do take other meds which with them and the combination of the Herb life has really gotten better as far as seizures go. I am being pulled two different directions. The weed normally pulls me to the pipe. It’s not that I just do it for the high which yes I do like, seems to go hand in hand.I put my head on in the morning and maintain it throughout the day. I’m not conveying to people to keep smoking or anything. We should be responsible first, that can lead to a more productive and healthier lifestyle. I am for legalization but more for it being used appropriately. Too much of anything is not good for us altogether. Afterthought–Weed=Munchies=Big Fatty burgers and fries, do the math unless you are a Vegan.Live Laugh and Love.
I decided to stop smoking after 7 years of habitual use. I would smoke between 5-10 times daily, starting with a bowl or joint in the morning and continue to do so throughout the day until I went to bed.
Marijuana originally helped with my ADHD but recently I found it hurting me more than it was helping me. I have been clean for 5 days and today has been the toughest as far as withdrawls are concerned. I feel very antsy, irritable, can’t eat, can’t sleep, and can’t stop thinking about smoking. I hear the first 2 weeks are the hardest but hopefully it doesn’t get any worse than it is today.
This is so hard. I’ve smoked almost for 10 years now but,I started smoking a lot of weed after my husband got a friend of mine knocked-up. After moving, getting a new job and going back to school it seemed like the only little thing I had.I’d sit in my lonely little house and get high . I knew if I couldnt sleep cause I missed him then i would just get ripped untill i just zounked out. I will be finishing up the last of my A/S degree this semester. I decided three days ago to stop smoking and today was the first day of class. I hope I can do this . I hope that in doing this something bigger is coming to fill this hole.
I’m 25 and today is my first day with out weed and i feel like shit…i know most of u guys already how it feels like whit out smoking weed. I just want to say good luck with all of you, just believe in your self …think positive dont let your self down and number one rule stop hanging out with friends that are smoking … how funny most of friends are smoking weed..i guess im just gonna be lonely and concentrating on myself and keep in mind straight that i will be ok with out MJ….
I am 27 and have been smoking weed almost daily since I was 14. For the last 4 years, I have smoked multiple times a day, and it has gotten to the point where I would sneak weed and smoke alone and then smoke a blunt or two with my husband when he got home from work. I had been trying to quit for a year or two, but each time I would say OK this is my last hit, but every morning (as I smoked a bowl) I would say well how about one more day. Which turned into one more bag, one more ounce, one more year. Then my whole department was let go, and I lost my job. Now I had to quit because I obvously need a paycheck more than a high and most companies will drug test. I am at day 24 without weed ( or job lol).. It’s better now than week 1, but it still sucks. I’m not worried that I will actually smoke, but still everyday I thing about it and want it and can’t even bear to be in the same room with it. Plus the withdrawl is horrible… No sleep, always cranky, depressed, bored now that staring at bad tv is no longer fun. Strangely, losing my job is probably the only thing that would have made me stop. I feel very alone in this crazy head of mine, but reading these posts has helped and made me realize I’m not alone, ( and hopefully not going crazy either). I like the idea of it being the green devil. Thanks for letting me get this off my chest, and next hopeully getting this green devil off my shoulder
For those of you battling weeks one and two, hang in there, I know it’s like that green devil is eating steroids for dinner with muscle milk for desert, but trust me, stick with quitting and it should get better.
Ahaha i can breatheee!!!
Another tip i could say helps me with breathing
WHen you get up and your lungs feel like shit, full of crap yah u kno all that jazzy shit
Just inhale as deep and hard as you can….it hurts, but after you do it a few times…it feels great…then follow up with this technique and you’ll be breathing like a champ
!
Day 1 down, 1 hour 22 mins into day 2, wish me luck