Everyone knows that smoking is harmful to a person's health. In fact, the average person who smokes takes about fourteen years off the length of his or her life. Still, it's hard to quit, as every smoker knows. Many of the common helps for quitting are based on replacing the nicotine in your system with something that doesn't require smoking, such as patches or pills. These methods leave you still addicted to nicotine. If you use hypnosis to quit smoking, you can completely remove the addiction and be on the way to being toxin-free.

Hypnosis works on the subconscious level. A person enters a state of deep relaxation. It is thought that in this hypnotic state, verbal suggestions are received and acted on more thoroughly than in a conscious state. Hypnosis is a desirable method because it doesn't require any chemicals or other agents to change the body chemistry. It doesn't work for everyone, however.

Hypnosis can be done by a hypnotherapist, or a person can use a method of self-hypnosis. A hybrid between these two are CD's that are recorded with the suggestions necessary to bring a person into a state of hypnosis. These are like bringing a hypnosis therapist into your home at any time you desire.

When people quit smoking, one unfortunate result is that they often gain weight. The person no longer has something to put in their mouth, so they reach for food. Many smokers believe that smoking has actually affected their metabolism, because they can't tell they are eating more, yet the pounds pile on. Which ever is the case, hypnosis and self-hypnosis can help a person overcome the weight problem, too.

The suggestions used in hypnosis for quitting smoking differ from the healthy self-affirmations you may already use in your conscious mind. In the subconscious world of hypnosis, the suggestions must be much simpler, and they cannot include symbolic language. The subconscious mind takes everything literally. If you are writing your own script to use in self-hypnosis, it would be a good idea to study this point before proceeding. It is possible to do more harm than good if the mind runs away with a misinterpretation of a play on words.

Not everyone responds to hypnosis. A person must be able to relax and enter a very deep state of repose in order to receive the suggestions. Some people just can't let themselves go like this.

To try it on your own, you will first need to get comfortable. Lying on the back on a pad on the floor is a good position. Relax your muscles one at a time. Focus on your breathing. Breathe in deeply to a count of four while imagining the air filling up your lungs right to the bottom. Let the air out by a reversed method. If you have ever done progressive relaxation in a yoga class, the techniques used in self-hypnosis are similar.

Self-hypnosis is a safe, drug-free way to quit smoking. Whether you choose to go to a therapist or try it on your own, may it be a step on your path to better health.