A few years ago, when tests showed nicotine patches on his lungs, doctors warned a young Himanshu Nagarkar that he would live for another 15 years only. Today, Nagarkar is a mountaineer, an activity that needs high lung capacity. He is also the fittest among all his co-trekkers and is living a healthy life. His journey from being ‘high’ on smoking to going ‘high’ up to mountain summits is awe-inspiring.
Nagarkar’s foray into substance abuse happened at the age of 12. He was obsessed with Hollywood movies, which influenced him to take up his first cigarette in seventh grade.
“The first smoking experience made me feel like James Bond. I started smoking every month. Soon, I was smoking one cigarette per day which eventually snowballed into 40 cigarettes a day,” said Nagarkar.
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The psyche of a smoking addict
Smoking and drinking made Nagarkar guilty. But, the guilt would soon turn into frustration, stress, and depression. To battle depression, he would reach out for a drink and a cigarette again. Struggling to get out of this vicious cycle and to escape his guilt, Nagarkar would stay with friends who smoked too. He feared that something untoward would happen if he didn't smoke.
Guilt-ridden yet unable to break free, Nagarkar was dealing with a dilemma that is common among smoking addicts. His addiction to smoking continued to engulf him, until one day he met with an accident. The test reports showed nicotine patches on his lungs.
Breaking the habit
Not willing to succumb to his addiction to smoking, Nagarkar chose to give his life a second chance. He began finding ways to get out of the shackles of his habit when he was introduced to Art of Living’s YES!+ (the Youth Empowerment and Skills workshop).
During the seven days of the program, he did not smoke. He followed it up with the Art of Silence program, conducted at The Art of Living International Center in Bengaluru. Nagarkar found himself neither smoking nor drinking.
The programs gave him much-needed peace. Nagarkar realized he could not only live without smoking and drinking but also live happily too.
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Goodbye addiction
“I continued my practices. I was regularly practicing Sudarshan Kriya, the breathing technique taught in the YES!+ program and I kept away from anything remotely related to smoking. I kept good company, immersed myself in knowing more about the vastness of life, and got involved in seva (service) activities. All this served as a smoking rehab for me,” shares Nagarkar.
With the regular practice of Sudarshan Kriya, Nagarkar developed the willpower to overcome his addiction to smoking.
Passion for life overtakes addiction
Nagarkar said his abstinence from smoking and drinking without any treatment at rehab centers is a big feat in itself. Charged with new energy in life, he began to scale new heights in his interests.
Nagarkar, who could, at one time, scale only 19,000 feet because of his dwindling lung capacity, began to climb up to 22,000 feet! His co-trekkers, who mainly hailed from the defense sector, were astonished by his body’s tolerance and immunity levels in rough weather conditions. They jokingly call him ‘yogi baba’.
Nagarkar has also skied down the highest mountain in Asia - Affarwat Peak, Gulmarg (14,403 ft).
“I skied at an approximate speed of 100km/hr. This speed would have been an impossible dream if I hadn't quit smoking,” he added.
Inspiring others to quit smoking
Nagarkar went on to become an Art of Living teacher and is now busy saving many lives struggling with addictions.
“A 25-year-old participant thought he was the biggest addict in the universe as he smoked 25 cigarettes a day. When I shared that I used to smoke 40 cigarettes a day once upon a time, but today I stand clean, he was inspired. Gradually, he gave up smoking completely. In fact, he volunteers with an NGO involved mainly in de-addiction rehab programs,” Nagarkar said. Nagarkar has conducted workshops for defense personnel too.
“The choice was not a difficult one to make when the options were a hospital bed or the top of a gorgeous mountain,” Nagarkar smiles, when asked how he deals with a relapse.
If you are looking for a way to overcome drug addiction, smoking, or drinking, join the Wellness Program for Substance Users and the Quit Tobacco Program; with holistic practices like Sudarshan Kriya, yoga, and meditation, you will set off on a life-changing journey towards health and happiness.
Written by Priya Mani based on inputs from Himanshu Nagarkar
