In order to help me deal with the stress of marijuana addiction and withdrawal, I created a series of 4 posts demonstrating different relaxation techniques. These techniques can be used when craving, or as part of a daily ritual to assists me during withdrawal from marijuana.

One of the major reasons for relapse is stress. Stress causes physical, mental, and emotional problems. By following these relaxation techniques, you can diminish the stress in your life, and make the beginning of recovery far easier.

#1 The Art of Deep Breathing

Many people, myself included, do not breathe properly, and hold tension in their body while breathing. Nerves and anxiety are often the cause of this. We want to be breathing full, deep breaths from our lower abdomen. An icon of the buddha with a fat belly, is a symbol of his breathing techniques among other things.

If you feel nervous, anxious, or catch yourself breathing high in the chest, you can follow this simple 4 step technique to “vacuum your lungs” and reset your diaphragm back to a deep breathing pattern.