Nicola Elliott
Every year on 31 May, World No Tobacco Day arrives like a slightly judgmental friend, reminding us that smoking is still the biggest cause of preventable death in England – nearly 80,000 lives lost annually, plus around 490,000 hospital admissions in 2017–2018 alone, 22% of them for respiratory diseases. For many smokers, that’s the day the nagging thought creeps in: maybe this year I’ll finally quit smoking with Yoga instead of white-knuckling it with another nicotine patch.
The campaign is aimed at protecting younger generations from getting hooked in the first place, but for those of us already on speaking terms with the cigarette packet, it’s also a chance to take a hard look at our habits – and, ideally, leave them behind. Given that any kind of respiratory issue can fast-track you into the “high risk” queue in today’s world, the case for stubbing it out has never been stronger.
We all know the usual suspects: gums, sprays, lozenges, vapes that look like USB sticks. Yet for a growing number of people, a more holistic route – pairing ancient practices with modern medicine – is looking less like a left-field option and more like a very sensible game plan to quit smoking with Yoga and Ayurveda.
From Ashtray to Asana: Kerala’s East-Meets-West Approach
If you picture a stop-smoking clinic, you probably don’t imagine coconut palms, Ayurvedic doctors and sunrise yoga sessions. But that’s precisely the setting at Sanjeevanam Ayurvedic Hospital in Kerala, India – a wellness destination that has turned “east-meets-west” into more than a marketing slogan.
Here, modern diagnostics, yoga, functional fitness, physiotherapy and the ancient science of Ayurveda are blended into a single care pathway aimed at reviving body and mind, not just prising the cigarette from your hand.
Dr Anne Mathew, who heads up the Department of Yoga and Naturopathy diet at Sanjeevanam Ayurvedic Hospital, says yoga can be far more than just a good stretch when you’re trying to ditch the habit. She puts it like this:
“Yoga postures, breathing techniques and meditation can help you to quit smoking. With yoga we are replacing a bad habit with a good one. Regular yoga practice eliminates the toxins from your body and helps to reduce the cravings. Here are the best poses to support you in your quest to give up smoking.
KAPALABHATI – This pose helps to clear the nadis and helps to resist the urge to smoke. This breathing technique consists of alternating short, explosive exhales generated by powerful contractions of the lower belly and slightly longer, passive inhales which suck air back into the lungs.
In the first step, focus on your lower belly, quickly contract to push a burst of air out of your lungs then quickly release the contraction so the belly rebounds and sucks air back in. Repeat ten times with one cycle every two seconds.
NADI SHODHANA PRANAYAMA (ALTERNATE NOSTRIL BREATHING TECHNIQUE) – This helps counter the withdrawal symptoms of de-addiction, pacifying all three doshas of the body. In this technique, you will need to find a comfortable sitting position with the spine lengthened.
Close your eyes and begin by folding the tips of the index and middle fingers inwards until they touch the palm at the base of the right thumb. Use the right thumb to close the right nostril. Exhale gently but fully through the left nostril. Keeping the right nostril closed, inhale through the left nostril deeply and pause.
Next, use the ring and pinky fingers of the right hand to gently close the left nostril and release the right. Exhale through the right nostril as the breath travels down that side of the body. Pause gently again. Continue to repeat the process for ten breaths on each side.
BHUJANGASANA (COBRA POSE) – This helps to relieve stress and minimise the urge to smoke. To achieve this subtle back bend, lie on your stomach, toes pointing straight back with your hands underneath the shoulders keeping your elbows close to the body.
Your legs should be engaged with your belly pulled in. As you inhale, lift your chest, roll the collarbones up and firm the shoulder blades into the upper back. Lift your head last and open your heart. Come down as you exhale and repeat three times.
SETU BANDHASANA (BRIDGE POSE) – This opens up the lungs and improves the flow of oxygen to the body. Lie on the floor, bend your knees and set your feet as close to your sitting bones as possible whilst ensuring heels remain flat to the ground.
Exhale and, pressing your inner feet and arms actively into the floor, push your tailbone upward toward the pubis, lifting the buttocks off the floor until they are parallel with the thighs. Keep your knees directly over the heels.
Lift your chin slightly away from the sternum and press the top of the sternum toward the chin. Stay in pose for 30 seconds before releasing with an exhalation, rolling slowly down to the floor.
SARVANGASANA (SHOULDER STAND POSE) – This will help to eliminate the urge to smoke. Lie on the floor with your back flat to the mat. Bring your feet together and place your hands sideways close to your body. Bring your legs in close to your chest. Lift your lower body slowly.
Take your hands and place them on your back as you slowly lift your legs up. Your entire body should be in a straight line with your upper arms supporting your back. Hold the pose for 10 seconds before folding down slowly.”
In other words, you’re not just distracting yourself with a downward dog while dreaming of your next cigarette; you’re actively changing your breathing patterns, nervous system response and stress levels.
For anyone looking to quit smoking with Yoga in a structured, supported way, this is less “wellness fad” and more “training programme with side-benefits.”
Ayurveda in Your Kitchen: Three At-Home Tricks to Tame Cravings
Of course, not everyone can teleport to Kerala the moment they decide to call time on their smoking habit. The good news is that Sanjeevanam’s physicians also offer simple tools you can deploy at home, using Ayurvedic principles and a bit of courage.
In addition, Dr Anil V Kaimal – Chief Physician & Medical Superintendent at Sanjeevanam Ayurvedic Hospital – highlights the three things you can do at home using Ayurvedic principles to help stop…
- Chew clove when a craving hits
Chew Clove when you have a smoking craving. The strong flavour will help to cull your nicotine desire in an instant, not to mention it stimulates the oral muscles used when smoking to help trick your brain. - Swap your smoke for cinnamon milk
Take cinnamon milk when you feel the need to smoke. Cinnamon’s strong taste helps to reduce cravings whilst studies have shown that when you drink milk prior to smoking it makes that cigarette taste terrible with a bitter aftertaste. The combination will ensure the thought of lighting up is less appealing than ever. - Make a pledge – and make it public
Make a pledge to quit. Being accountable to stopping smoking is a powerful mental method. Set yourself a “Quit Day” for when you’ll stop using tobacco products. Make a pledge or commitment in front of people who will support you on your path to quitting. Having others involved will help to make the pledge harder to break that making the promise purely to yourself.
None of these tricks will magically erase addiction on their own – if that existed, it would already be sold out. But combine them with the structured breathing, postures and meditation above and you’ve suddenly got a playbook that tackles habit, chemistry and mindset together.
This World No Tobacco Day, Change the Script
World No Tobacco Day isn’t about shaming smokers; it’s about offering a lifeline before those statistics become someone’s story. Whether you’re lighting up out of stress, boredom, or the pure force of habit, there are alternatives that go beyond sheer willpower and one more lecture from your GP.
For those willing to step onto a mat, breathe differently and tweak what’s in their mug as well as what’s in their mind, the decision to quit smoking with Yoga and Ayurveda could be the moment your lungs – and your future self – finally get a break.
