Five tips for meditating with cannabis
Meditation, yoga, and mindfulness are believed to be an excellent combination for a more fulfilling lifestyle. Most of the effects of these kinds of mind and body control practices have been heavily researched in recent years and found to be incredibly effective in several ways. That’s great news for the millions of people who are able to harness this power to make it through this fast-paced day and age, where maintaining a natural state of mind is generally more of a goal than a reality, and it’s not difficult to achieve.
What is meditation?
Mediation is the act of being in the here and now - fully and completely in the present. It is also the art of seeing the world through a different lens to eliminate the intense need to intervene or interact.
Take a few moments and sit somewhere comfortable while closing your eyes and taking a breath which should be your main focus. This is a state of simply being. All that matters is how you breathe, so focus on the pattern of each inhale and exhale. Both yoga and meditation may bring you one step closer to a more natural state of consciousness that should facilitate a deeper sense of clarity, awareness, and realization, paired with many physiological and psycho-therapeutic benefits.
Tips and tricks for meditating with cannabis
Cannabis has deep roots in the spiritual side of meditation dating back as far as 1500 BC where ancient texts from India described it as one of only five sacred plants. Though the two are connected, it’s going to take a lot more than a few puffs off a joint or a massive bong rip to truly discover zen.
If you’re interested in using cannabis to enhance your meditation session then you’ll need to research various meditative practices and experiment with products to learn more about how it affects your mind and body, because every person is different. It will also take some planning, and following these five tips certainly won’t hurt.
1. Start with a microdose
Some more experienced users might feel the need to take higher doses to help them to achieve a higher state of consciousness, but for most, a small microdose is more than enough to get the job done. Taking too much could leave you feeling groggy or unbalanced which could make meditation much more difficult to accomplish.
2. Select an appropriate strain
There is no such thing as the perfect cannabis strain for meditation. Still, there are some that may boast effects that are more conducive to relaxation and soothing tension which is precisely why so many people choose to try this form of self-therapy. Below, you’ll find a few that should give you some ideas to get started.
- Oregon Lemons
- Shapeshifter
- White Buffalo
- SoCal Master Kush
- Blue Dream
3. Make sure you’re well rested
Meditation is all about a healthy balance and if you’re not sleeping well, or making an attempt too late in the day when you’re feeling tired and groggy, you’ll be far less likely to receive some of the many benefits of the process. So be sure to get plenty of rest and schedule your sessions long before you’re ready to head to bed.
4. Come to the mat (or area) calm and relaxed
If you’re upset, angry, or too worked up about a rough day at work, or some other stressful situation encountered in the day, then there’s no way you’re ever going to reach a zen-like state. Of course, these feelings can’t just be shut off, but it is possible to do a few things like breathing exercises or a brisk jog to bring yourself back down to earth, in a calmer more relaxed state.
5. Set the mood before you get started
Toss on some gentle music, dim the lights, make sure you have a comfy mat or pillow ready, turn off your phone, and steer the kids and pets towards another room or activity so they aren’t going to interrupt this process. These interruptions and distractions can impede your ability to reach zen, so it’s best to deal with them all long before getting started.
