Amy Leonard

May 30, 2008

After sixteen years of smoking cigarettes, I was recently able to quit. I truly feel a major part of my success with quitting has to do with my practice of Bikram yoga. On February 13, 2008 at 3pm, I decided I had enough of being controlled by cigarettes. In many articles I had read on quitting smoking, they all had mentioned that it may take a person three or four attempts (to find the right coping skills) before they are successful. I had tried Chantix, the Patch, and acupunture with little success. This was my fourth attempt and I decided to do it cold-turkey, with a lot of Bikram yoga to help detoxify my body.

Before my quit date, I was a pack a day smoker who had poor eating habits, drank excess amounts of caffeine, was easily irritated, and felt tired most of the time. Within my first month of quitting smoking and having a disciplined Bikram yoga practice, I was amazed how my over all well-being was changing. Since I was giving up a habit that had been apart of half my lifetime, there were many shifts taking place in my mind, body, and spirit.

The new lifestyle I began to cultivate consisted of drinking more water, eating more fruits and vegetables, cutting my caffeine and fried food intake in half, letting go of negative thought patterns and replacing them with positive ones, and limiting my alcohol intake. One of my biggest fears with giving up cigarettes is that I would gain a lot of weight. Although my weight has fluctuated, I've only gained five pounds which I'm fine with.

During these past couple of months, I have found that class overflows into my daily life. I have heard teachers call this practice a "moving meditation". Both class and life are in that we are to live moment to moment, one breath at a time. I have also heard, "When you are uncomfortable, to look at the emotion you are experiencing, embrace it and let it pass through you." Some days are easy and others more difficult. Overall, I feel much stronger, confident, and happy to be free from something that no longer controls me.

I am very thankful to Tricia and the other teachers at Bikram Yoga LES for being so wonderful. They are all very personable, educating, and inspiring. Challenging everyone in class to be the best versions of themselves. For the first time in years I am able to take a deep breath and feel peace instead of pain.

Amy Leonard