The Mindful Nonsmoker

07/19/2026

Still fighting the urge to smoke, v**e, or chew? Tried everything?
Stop “Trying to Quit” and attend this three-hour live interactive webinar — The Mindful Nonsmoker — where you’ll learn to change your relationship to ni****ne more effectively (and easily!) I’ll be sharing the best practices I've developed over 20 years of to***co cessation coaching with thousands of individual clients and over 100 public events.
No willpower required. No pills, no patches, no products. No Problem. All you have to change is your mind.
$75. How much will you spend on ni****ne this month?
20 seats. Live and interactive on Zoom. Clinicians welcome.
Learn more and register:

No pills, no patches, no products to sell. Just 3 hours of real-time expert coaching on "the mental game" for complete ni****ne freedom.

04/12/2021

Frank Oden's answer: I believe, and teach, that mindfulness-based relapse prevention (MBRP) is key to a successful and literally painless cessation process. First, a simple definition: Mindfulness is a specific way of paying attention to the present moment, on purpose, and — this part is most im.....

03/01/2021

There are (at least) six reasons your latest "Quit Attempt" didn't succeed. In this video I'll show you what they are, and in my next live online seminar I'll teach you what to do about them. You don't need pills, patches or products of any kind -- All you have to change is your mind!
Full details and registration:
https://www.hypnosmoke.com/Seminars.html

11/25/2020

Q: What is the safest alternative to smoking?

The safest alternative to smoking is not smoking.

Any replacement behavior that contains ni****ne has the potential to perpetuate the problem of ni****ne dependence which, if not directly harmful in itself, is at least undesirable to most people and carries an increased risk of relapse to smoking.

Non-ni****ne replacement behaviors such as chewing gum or sunflower seeds, fake ci******es, toothpicks, cinnamon sticks, etc, end up being annoying themselves, and also keep your mind thinking about ci******es in a romantic way, as if you miss them and are looking for something similar.

The best replacement for any unwanted behavior is the opposite of that behavior. Smoking has some very noticeable and useful opposites you can use to advantage:

- Smoking compromises the respiratory system, so frequent deep breathing is a healthy and relaxing replacement instead of smoking.

- Smoking decreases hydration in the body, so drinking water frequently is a healthy and relaxing replacement instead of smoking.

- Smoking is generally inactive / sedentary, so doing some degree of physical activity is a healthy and relaxing replacement instead of smoking.

The safest alternative to smoking is not smoking at all, supported by replacement behaviors of breathing, hydrating, and being physical active.

Frank Oden's answer: The safest alternative to smoking is not smoking. Any replacement behavior that contains ni****ne has the potential to perpetuate the problem of ni****ne dependence which, if not directly harmful in itself, is at least undesirable to most people and carries an increased risk...

11/18/2020

Q: I started smoking two days ago and now my hand shakes at night and I can't sleep. Am I addicted?
--
What you’re describing is not a sign of addiction (though if you keep on smoking you will likely find yourself on that path.)

Ni****ne is a rapid acting stimulant — Insomnia and muscle shaking are signs of stimulant overuse. “Overuse” use in your case is about the fact that you've consumed more ni****ne than your current tolerance level can handle, so you’re experiencing the physical effects of ni****ne toxicity — which can include dizziness, nausea, sleep disruption, loss of appetite and loss of fine motor control.

The bad news is that if you keep on smoking, your brain will adjust to the effects of ni****ne and you wont notice those problems so much anymore. I say that’s bad news because once you notice that you’ve built up a tolerance for the drug effects, that’s when you’ll start noticing withdrawal effects whenever you don’t get the drug, and that’s a sign of addiction.

The good news is that you’ve just had a valuable learning experience. Ni****ne doesn’t serve you in any way, it just messes with your nervous system. And, of course, smoking ci******es as a way of getting ni****ne messes with your health, your energy and your respiratory system.

So take that lesson to heart and quit smoking before you start getting used to the negative effects. Before you actually do become dependent.

11/17/2020

Q: What do I do when my significant other and I v**e and I want to quit but I relapse from both of us making poor decisions?

---

You didn’t relapse from both of you making poor decisions, you relapsed only from your own decision — and your SO relapsed from their own decision, not yours.

What to do? It will be necessary for you to separate your own actions and decisions from those of other people, no matter how significant they may be.

We don’t get to control what other people think or do, we only control our own thoughts and behaviors. You are not responsible for whether your SO quits or not, or how they feel about whether you quit or not. And if another person, even your own SO, is unable to control their own thoughts and behaviors about smoking, why would you be willing to let them dictate yours?

They are not responsible for your outcomes, nor you for theirs. Neither of you is entitled to blame (or credit) the other for your own behavioral decisions.

Most importantly, you cannot quit for someone else, you have to do it only for yourself. Quitting because someone else wants you to is almost always ineffective in the long run. It becomes much too easy to abandon the quit in the heat of an argument or snap judgment about the other other person’s behavior.

When you have your own intrinsic motivations and mature reasons to prefer being a nonsmoker — it won’t matter to you what other people do or think.

09/19/2020

Interactive HypNoSmoke Seminars are now live online, and now only $39 including downloadable audio. Join To***co Treatment Expert, Certified Hypnotherapist and former 30-year heavy smoker Frank Oden for this classic crash course in self-directed behavior change. See www.hypnosmoke.com for details.

08/26/2020

I attend Bruno's online yoga classes myself, and I've been recommending him to all my Health and Wellness clients. One of the best things you can do when stopping a bad habit is to simultaneously start a good one. Especially after years of sedentary smoking, you need to be moving and breathing and getting re-embodied in your true physical self. Bruno is an excellent teacher (and amazing person!) and his approach is particularly well suited to those who pursue mindful awareness and appreciate the power of a positive mindset. Bonus: I love being able to participate in live classes from my own home, but also going to Maui twice a week!