With the current acceptance of cannabis, weed yoga classes have become popular. The question remains, however. Could weed really enhance your yoga experience
The Interesting Story
With cannabis currently being included in a yoga routine, everything seems interesting. In fact, it is interesting enough to attract the attention of newbies, and keep fanatics going. It is a unique experience each time you hit the mat.
As part of your preparation, there are things that you need to take into consideration. Where do you start Which strains should you try Should you give an indica strain a try Would sativa be a better option instead For sure, you will encounter these questions, especially if you are a beginner in smoking cannabis.
These questions may only be answered if you have extensive knowledge in different weed strains, as well as the way that they impact the mind or body. Regardless of your option, you can make sure that you will enjoy the entire experience!
The Real Experience
If you are interested in trying ganja yoga, as its commonly called, it is important to know what you are getting yourself into. Here are the things that you can expect out of the experience:
- Heightened Senses
With ganja yoga, you can expect an intensified level of your senses. Even though you may be strong and disciplined to shut out noises and sounds around you and focused on what you are doing, you just couldn’t help start noticing the things around you. Whether it is the sound of music, the scent of a nearby candle, the draft that comes in through your window – all of them are strong enough to distract you. This means alertness, which is good especially if you need to focus on something that you need attention too.
- Relaxed Feeling – Fast
Usually, before starting to practice, ganja yoga practitioners spend their first few moments allowing previous interactions, events, and feelings melt away. Even though it may actually take some effort, usually, a combination of focused attention and mindful breathing, the end result is an amazing one. For example, if you choose to smoke an indica strain, especially one that can give you that ‘mellow’ feeling, you can experience to drop in to a relaxed feeling easily, and fast.
- Enjoy Music
Creating a playlist that is particularly tailored to fit the occasion is no doubt an amazing choice to consider. If you end up just sitting in silence right from the start, you might drop in faster, but if you intend to enjoy every moment of the experience, staying still when high, while enjoying music would seem a great option.
- Beat Driven Movements
Based on the experience of actual ganja yoga practitioners, they felt more synced with the music, and their body after smoking their favorite strain. Their movements start to become receded and crested, with some pulsing movements. Of course, you can expect that staying still while doing yoga after smoking can really be challenging. Some describe their movements as pulsing, beat-driven and oceanic.
- Connected with the Inner You
Yoga has the ability to connect you with your internal self. This is true whether or not you smoke ganja before the session. However, it seems that the connection is even intensified. You feel connected with your muscles, your breath, and you feel the beating of your heart. Achieving certain shapes will become less important compared to focusing on what was happening inside you, moving right from the heart.
This is considered as one of the spiritual parts of the weed yoga practice. If you are used to a noisy mind filled with thoughts, you will value the silence afterwards, and just feel your inner self giving in to relaxation. With ganja yoga, you can make space for your heart and diaphragm to expand, feeling that sense of joy.
- Exaggerated Sensation
This may sound exaggerated, but ganja yoga can really give that feeling of exaggerated sensations. This was particularly true with circular joint and twist movements. For instance, low-lunge twist feels more dynamic, while flipping your wrists while planking can allow you to experience more sensations. As you enjoy these intensified feelings and reactions of your body, you will definitely find it liberating to feel everything offered by your senses.
- Feeling Sensible
With your ‘normal’ weed-free frame of mind, hesitations usually come in as you allow yourself to be trapped and limited by your mental goals. However, by trying out ganja yoga, you can enjoy a different state of mind that will shake up what you used to believe, and allow yourself to enjoy a new flow of positivity, where following what your heart feels is sensible becomes the better choice.
- Soothing Closed Circuitry
By trying out the Virasana pose towards the end of the session, as you do your meditation while palming the balls of your heels, you can feel your very own energy. This will give you a very calming sensation, and healing, especially if you are experiencing a lot of stress throughout the entire day.
The Debate Continues
With weed yoga sessions currently becoming more and more popular in places wherein recreational weed is considered as legal, a debate continues to brew among experts. They are debating whether a so-called altered state of consciousness is effective or not when it comes to attaining the ultimate goal of oneness promised by yoga.
According to Darrin Zeer, the creator of 420 Retreats, cannabis is a medicine for the emotional, physical and spiritual body. He also defended his belief that mind-altering substances were used originally as a ritual, especially during the Vedic times as a way to expand consciousness. He also attests that practicing yoga with weed is also helpful in relieving medical conditions such as back pain and chronic pain, thus allowing any practitioner to expand their sense of self-awareness.
For those who are closing their book on the combination of yoga and cannabis based on historical grounds, the arguments are usually based on ancient Hindu practice. The specific basis is Ayurvedic medicine, which is the practice which is associated with yoga, aiming to attain purity of both mind and body. The same practice also agrees that when cannabis is used as medicine, it can be advantageous.
However, when taken frivolously or recreationally, it can be described as “tamasic”, which is a term that is used in describing drugs that are taken in order to escape from emotions or pain. Some yoga fanatics also believe that cannabis can impact the VataDosha, which practitioners of Ayurveda claim are responsible for indigestion and anxiety, neither of which impacts any person’s mindfulness.
Marijuana – From An Ayurvedic Perspective
Various ayurvedic texts have described weed used in the medical community as “nectar”. However, when used in a recreational way, it is usually described as “poison”. Different studies have revealed that cannabis offers a number of medicinal benefits, especially for those who are dealing with chronic pain, among several others.
It seems that Ayurveda is saying that there is no real shortcut to inner peace, whether it is using a pipe or otherwise. In order to attain a sattvic state, hard work is very important, especially when it comes to navigating the complexities of emotions and mind, going through the ups and downs of tamas and rajas through this discipline.
Yoga – More than Just an Excuse to Smoke Weed
Weed yoga is not just your regular yoga class. It is one in which the participants are under the influence of cannabis. However, it is not just one of those smoke sessions that are common around, but it was way more of yoga compared to focusing on cannabis.
Even though these cannabis friendly yoga classes are now famous in places where the use of weed has been considered as illegal, the combination of yoga and cannabis is actually an ancient concept already. As mentioned, Ayurveda has admitted that cannabis is considered a medicine. Ayurveda is a practice of healing the body and mind and understanding the relationship between these two.
It does not mean, however, that you can just do yoga classes anytime you want. In fact, there are certain precautions that you need to take into consideration, especially if it is your first time to do cannabis yoga. For one, students that are enrolled in yoga classes are expert yogis who are searching for ways to further deepen their practice. Of course, it does not mean that you are not allowed to join a yoga class, but it is similar to skipping kindergarten and jumping over to first grade.
If you are not really a first timer, and have gone to a number of yoga sessions before, but are just looking at it as just another workout, then cannabis yoga may not really be right for you. Traditional yoga philosophy explains that asana or the physical aspect of yoga is but one out of the eight characteristics. The other seven which makes yoga standout are not connected to the physical body. Therefore, if you are not really to be immersed in meditation, a cannabis yoga class may not be right for you.
Also, if you have never smoked weed in your life, this class may also be not for you. Just the thought of being high may only be an idea to you but have never been a reality. As such, you may not know how your body will react or feel, just yet. At the same time, just being inside a yoga studio along with a number of other strangers may also make you feel uncomfortable just like a beginner to feeling high.
With this said, if you are already familiar with the feeling of getting high and yoga, does it mean that you can just combine the two A lot of people, in general, would love to feel relaxation, though,at times, relaxation may also be hard to achieve. In fact, it seems quite rare for people to be in a constant state of immersing in the current moment.
Expect the Best Out of Cannabis Yoga
With all the benefits that weed has to offer, one thing that is common is the fact that it helps in quieting a busy mind. As such, it allows for deeper introspection. Currently, there is a stigma that feeling high may end up with the feeling of paranoia. However, this can be solved by selecting the right strain, the perfect one that has the capability to tame feelings of anxiety.
Our mind has the tendency to cloud some thoughts, feeling it with negative reflections. This is despite the fact that doubt is normal to humans. Using marijuana in a yoga class can help in reeling your consciousness so that you can look at things more clearly, compared to what you would normally do in a normal, sober setting.
True, what you are getting yourself into is a cannabis yoga class. However, there isn’t really that much of smoking involved. On top of that, whatever available weed there is, everything is shared among the students. In fact, nobody is forced to smoke more. Cannabis yoga allows every student to move at their personal pace, not even requiring to smoke at all.
Due to the presence of medicinal properties of CBD, which is the non-psychoactive cannabinoid, there is no choice to enjoy weed without having to feel the high offered by traditional cannabis. Cannabis yoga classes are ideal for those who are suffering from chronic pains, aches or injuries because of using CBD lotions and oils. CBD products work by interacting with the naturally occurring systems of the body, thus promoting homeostasis, while alleviating soreness or pain.
All in all, cannabis yoga offers the potential of healing both body and mind, provided that you use it correctly, and in moderation. Yoga classes are all about making sure that the substances found in the plant can reach both the physical and mental well-being, instead of feeling stoned.
Video URL for Reference:
