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In this lesson you will learn a special technique to handle cigarette cravings. It is the fear of cravings that prevents us from quitting smoking. Once we get over the fear of cravings, then stopping smoking becomes very easy.
Enjoy
Rishi
Previously we’ve spoken about the strategy, which is to go slow, to be kind to yourself. If it’s taken 5 years to build a habit, 5 months to get rid of it permanently is no big deal. And if you go slow and have a long term view, then it may not even take 5 months - it may take 2 or 3.
When the approach is not extreme, it is sustainable. Say it with me, because it’s not extreme - it is sustainable.
Practical example
Let’s say you are smoking 10 cigarettes a day, and you want to cut down to 7.
Assuming you’re awake for 16 hours of the day, 10 cigarettes a day is a cigarette every 96 minutes, and 7 cigarettes a day is a cigarette every 137 minutes.
Ok, so with this approach when you’re not trying to be a hero, and going from 10 to zero - you’re only going from 10 to 7.
Which means that it’s not as stressful. You just need to delay your cigarette by 41 minutes. Now that doesn’t seem so scary does it? Not at all!
You’ve waited 41 minutes so many times. IN a meeting, or in traffic, or visiting family - NO BIG DEAL. 41 minutes is NO big deal.
But now… HERE IS WHERE THE MAGIC HAPPENS. Ok, here is where, you learn HOW to deal with cravings.
The normal advice that’s given for cravings, is to distract yourself in some way.
Although this advice is coming with good intention - it is bad advice. Although this advice is coming with good intention - it is bad advice.
Distraction is the OPPOSITE of awareness, it is the OPPOSITE of mindfulness. It is an avoidance tactic.
Think about it, when we are in an uncomfortable situation - what do we do? We pull our phone out and start scrolling. We are trying to AVOID that uncomfortable feeling. This avoidance simply increases the fear of that situation. Until you face that fear DIRECTLY, it’s never going to go away.
Distraction increases fear, it increases resistance - what you resis, persists. DIstraction makes craving the ENEMY.

Secret yogic technique
So I promised you a secret yogic technique to deal with the craving. It is to make the craving your friend. To befriend the craving. If a friend comes to your house… what do you do? You sit with them. SO here, you sit with the craving. You invite it, and you sit with it.
You simply sit with it, and observe it. You feel it. Where is it in the body? How does it feel? Where is this uncomfortable feeling?
WHAT HAPPENS… is that the craving will go away. Cravings don’t actually last long - they are usually 3-5 minutes, sometimes a major craving will be 10 minutes. But that’s it. So when we sit with them. When we befriend them, we see that they go away. They actually go away.
And you think to yourself, oh, that was no big deal. It went away. I’ve spent more time with an unwanted relative! Hahahaha
You realise the IMPERMANENCE of the craving. When you realise the impermanence of the craving, you no longer take it so seriously!!!! You no longer take it so seriously.
SUMMARY
Don’t avoid the craving, make it your friend.
You will realise how temporary it is, and it will stop scaring you!
In the next lesson I will share with you a short 5 minute meditation to befriend the craving.