He knew he wanted to quit. He underwent all the possible techniques and ways to give up. He would fail every time. What failed him was his own mind. Those twenty seconds of his life where the mind craves and there is intensity for that one puff. His urge was on the pinnacle, the withdrawal tendency symptom was going higher. That was the moment when Girish took advantage of the Art of Living course and insanely said NO to the craving.
“I learnt in the course on how to deal with the craving and how to handle the mind, the secret is worth knowing,” says Girish Gowda, a 23 year old engineering student from Bangalore. He says that every smoker wants to quit. They wait the day when they would resign from the world of smoke.
Narrating his own story of quitting the smoke, Girish said, “I started smoking about eight years ago at the age of 16. Eventually, I became a chain smoker just within two years from when I started. I would smoke 30 cigarettes per day, passionately.”
In the wake of insane smoking, Girish found himself having 10 cigarettes per day in the first two years and gradually in the third year he would smoke 30 cigarettes. “After the smoke I would feel less energized my lungs, mental power, my body and my stamina was drying. Smoking is not just a habit but it’s about a lot of things, it’s about cravings. According to me it is attached to your emotions,” points out Girish.
The ways to quit smoking are many but what worked for Girish – were none. “The first thing I tried was Reiki, I tried acupuncture, nicotine gums, and then I also tried past life regression. Nothing worked. Finally, I was informed about the special de-addiction course of the Art of Living. The tagline of the course was very motivational- now quitting is just a breath away. The course was amazing. At the end of the course, many had quit,” he pauses.
Those Two Days!
After three months Girish says he reduced more and more. “I did DSN course because I wanted to give up smoking completely. It is the most amazing course. The first time in my life, I quit cigarette for two and a half days. I mean it was a big thing and I was amazed,” Girish says.
After DSN, Girish quit for about ten days. He says that was the last time he smoked. “I was investing in Art of Living. All the techniques were working but it is just that craving. When I continued practice of Sudarshan Kriya, over time I realized that I was on the verge of giving up smoking. There was a gradual but a sure change in my life. Sudarshan Kriya was one of the most important things for me to go through the withdrawal symptoms. I happened to meet Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, his talks made a big added difference in my life. It’s been two years and I have given up smoking and I am really happy,” he says.
“I am so happy that I did the Art of Living course!”
It was a gradual process of five months and regular practice of Sudarshan Kriya that got Girish out of the smoking world. Highlighting more he says that the technique here deals with the withdrawal symptoms, deals with the root-cause called craving. “It pushed me that extra mile. My studies, my relations improved. It was a drastic change over time. I am ever grateful for my life time. For a smoker like me, there is a perception in other people’s mind that he may decrease it but not quit. But then the miracle of the pranayam and Sudarshan Kriya is beyond understanding of anyone,” he smiles.
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Article written by : Monica Patel
