For as long as I can remember, my favorite part of a cigarette has always been the exhale. In the early days of my smoking habit, when we would sneak smokes on my Mom’s bingo nights, I would close myself up in the bathroom and smoke in front of the mirror, obsessing over the way the smoke floated over my lips and out of my mouth. To this day, my most favorite moments of my smoking content is watching the exhalations on repeat.
I’ve never been one to feel “buzzed” from smoking cigarettes and I don’t seem to get lightheaded from smoking too much and while the inhale and holding are nice (and essential to the enjoyment of a smoke), they don’t bring me as much pleasure and fulfillment as the exhale does. It forces me to focus on my breathing in an almost meditative way.
To me, exhaling is the most sensual and erotic part of a smoke. It’s slow, it’s deliberate, it’s focused and as someone who can be a bit orally fixated, it’s using all those beautiful mouth muscles. Your lips touch and then part, forming shapes to allow the smoke to escape. You breathe out and get a visual representation of your breath leaving your body. It releases something in a very profound way.
Speaking of visuals, seriously?!? Watching the exhale is just so damn hot!
And I’m not even talking about the cool tricks people can do while exhaling, which make the moment even more exciting. I’m just talking about your average, everyday, run-of-the-mill exhale. The way the smoke dances slowly, winding through the ether in glorious tendrils. The way it swirls in the sunlight and fills the empty space before you. It’s a delightfully mesmerizing thing. It turns me on so much!!!
I’ve always held the exhale of a cigarette in high regard. It’s always been my favorite part of smoking and it’s always been the thing that I think I would miss the most if I were to ever quit. I’m not worried about “what do I do with my hands?” or “I need something in my mouth!”. I’m always worried about “how will I remember to breathe out? how will I remember to release my breath?“.
I once read a book that contained the following mantra and every time I’m really enjoying the exhale, I think of these words:
Breathing in, I calm body and mind.
Breathing out, I smile.
Valerie Rayne Smokes 