For many people, meditation is a big part of their self-care routine. Not only can it be a total game-changer for your anxiety, but it can also help you feel calm and focused – and entirely redefine the way you deal with stress. But the truth is meditation isn’t always easy.
Even when you’re relaxed, it’s easy to end up with racing thoughts when you sit down and try to clear your mind. Wouldn’t it be helpful to have something that can slow you down and allow you to settle into your practice? That’s where cannabis can help!
Why Cannabis Can Help Your Meditation Practice
Combining meditation and cannabis makes sense in many ways. Most people use meditation to manage stress, and cannabis is known to reduce stress reactivity. Cannabis users also tend to feel that it gives them a heightened sense of awareness in their body and mind, making it easier to “drop-in” and focus on the practice.
How Does it Work?
But how does cannabis help your mind and body get into “the zone” during meditation? Most of your body’s cannabinoid receptors are located in the brain. CB1 receptors are responsible for your brain’s inhibition and excitation response, allowing the brain to function optimally. This can help promote balance in your brain.
Cannabis also affects the three primary neurotransmitters – dopamine, glutamate, and GABA – which help promote brain health, control mood, and modulate stress. When you introduce cannabis to this system, it directly affects all three of these neurotransmitters, making it easier to focus, relax, and settle into the meditation experience.
Tips for Meditating While High
Everyone is different and has a different experience during meditation, so there is no one-size-fits-all approach to combining cannabis into your meditation practice. Start by considering your tolerance and what you are trying to achieve for your experience. Here are a few tips you might try when using cannabis to deepen your meditation practice:
Choose the Right Terpenes
If you want to get the most out of your meditation with cannabis, you’ll want to look for terpenes that can support your practice.
- If you have a hard time relaxing, try linalool. This is a terpene found in lavender and is great for promoting body relaxation and decreasing stress.
- If you struggle with discomfort and pain, try beta-caryophyllene. This terpene is a CB2 agonist and can bind to receptors to help relieve muscle tension, inflammation, and pain.
- If you have a hard time focusing, try limonene. Limonene is terrific for improving focus, and it can also decrease stress and boost your mood.
Don’t Overdo the THC
It can be tricky using THC for meditation. A little bit might help you focus, while too much can make focusing impossible. So if you want to meditate while high, go easy on the THC – especially if you are new to cannabis. Try strains with lower concentrations of THC and high amounts of CBD. But if you are really set on using cannabis with high amounts of THC, go slow.
Final Thoughts
Meditation holds some serious power to relieve stress, and cannabis has immense potential to deepen your meditation practice. Now that you know the basics about meditating with cannabis, it’s time to shop our Venice Beach online menu, take a little hit, take a seat, and get to meditating.
