How Cannabis-Infused Yoga Helps in Improving Mental Health
The use of cannabis for enhancing your fitness is a rising trend in Canada and the rest of North America. This is especially now that views on cannabis and especially CBD have become more relaxed thanks to its legalization back in 2018.
For instance, CBD is no longer in the World Anti-Doping Agency’s Prohibited List, making it a viable option for athletes who want to use it for pain management. While THC is still one of WADA’s banned substances, which means the use of the entire cannabis plant isn’t allowed, it’s still one step towards progress.
In the fitness world, yoga practitioners are usually considered as the more open-minded ones when it comes to cannabis use. There’s a relatively new movement called Ganja Yoga that promotes cannabis use in yoga classes. It was first developed 10 years ago in Toronto by yoga instructor Dee Dussault, who is now teaching it in the U.S as well.
Although yoga is popular in the western world for its physical benefits, it also has positive effects on mental health, which can be enhanced with the help of cannabis.
Yoga’s Mental Health Benefits
Aside from pain relief and better flexibility, breathing, and circulation, practicing yoga also brings benefits such as:
- Reduces Stress, Anxiety, and Depression
Yoga can reduce stress and anxiety symptoms like restlessness, trembling, and lack of concentration. It was found that it worked best on people with very high anxiety levels. People with clinical depression can also practice yoga as an additional treatment along with ongoing therapies. This can be helpful when antidepressants aren’t effective.
This is because yoga helps regulate your heart rate, which plays a big part in regulating your mental and emotional state. An uneven heart rate makes you more anxious and stressed, while an even one makes you calmer.
-
Enhances Sleep Quality
Anxiety and depression can be both the cause and result of insomnia. The lack of sleep affects how your mind and body function on the following day, but the stress this causes can also lead to even more sleeping difficulties.
However, there have been studies on yoga that show that it can reduce your insomnia, which can further improve your mood, energy levels, and brain activity.
Mental Health Benefits of Cannabis
Cannabis’ most common uses include relaxation. It is often recommended to patients with psychological and neurological problems like
- Anxiety
- Sleeping disorders
- Tourette’s syndrome
- PTSD, and
- Epilepsy
Cannabidiol (CBD), a non-intoxicating compound of the Cannabis plant, is very popular in the treatment of anxiety and depression. Find out what the research says about CBD oil and anxiety:
Cannabis’ usefulness in pain management can also help people whose mental states are affected by any pain that they feel. It is sometimes used in treating opioid addiction as an alternative option. It’s ability to provide sleep relief makes it a very popular method of getting a good night’s rest, especially after a stressful or anxiety filled day.
A study back in 2018 revealed that different cannabis strains had varying effects on a person’s mental state. According to the study:
- Cannabis with low THC content but high on CBD (indica) was more effective at dealing with depression, while
- Cannabis with high THC but low CBD content (sativa) was better at lowering stress levels
However, caution was also advised. Too much dependence on cannabis for dealing with mental health issues may lead to worse conditions for users. It’s best to use it moderately instead of solely relying on it.
Effects of Cannabis-enhanced Yoga
From what’s been stated above, we can see that yoga and cannabis both share similar benefits, like:
- They can help in pain management and relaxation
- Both can manage your stress, anxiety, and depression
If cannabis is used to complement your yoga session, this can enhance the effects that they share. Getting in tune with the mind and body is one of the goals during a yoga session. Some people may find it much easier to achieve this with the help of cannabis high.
You can reach a deeper state of relaxation, which can help in further reducing your stress or anxiety.
If you’d like, you can experiment with different cannabis strains during yoga classes. Indica strains, which induce relaxing effects, may be used for meditating. On the other hand, sativa strains, which are more energizing, can be used when going through different yoga poses.
Cannabis-infused yoga may not be that appealing to practitioners who prefer faster yoga styles, however, as this style is more focused on slow-flowing but mindful pose transition.
What About Yoga’s Spiritual Aspect?
For yoga practitioners who are in it solely for its physical and mental benefits, using cannabis during yoga classes shouldn’t be a problem for them. But those who are more focused on its spiritual side — particularly those follow Hinduism’s Ayurveda, an ancient lifestyle system from which yoga originated — may proceed with caution.
The Ayurveda viewed cannabis as highly beneficial from a medical point of view, especially when it came to dealing with pain. It was usually taken orally, not smoked, and dosages were closely monitored.
However, it doesn’t recommend using cannabis (or THC in particular) without moderation, as users may become too dependent on it for relaxation and peace of mind. This creates a false sense of security and is the opposite of the Ayurveda’s goal of spiritual enlightenment, which involves complete mental clarity.
Cannabis can indeed be used in conjunction with yoga, meditation, and other methods of spiritual enlightenment, but strict followers of the Ayurveda don’t recommend being completely reliant on the plant.
Final Thoughts
While cannabis can be a big help with your mental health, it can also lead to adverse effects in your body if used without moderation. These can include headaches, nausea, or allergic reactions.
It’s still best to consult with your physician first before taking any. This way you can avoid suffering from any unwanted side effects and contraindications if you are under any medications or treatments. They can also recommend you with the right dosages for your body.
Yoga is generally safe for pregnant women as long as they take precautions. However, they are discouraged from using cannabis, as it can have detrimental effects on their child later on.
For a safe cannabis-enhanced yoga session, make sure to buy your cannabis from an accredited dispensary and join a certified cannabis yoga studio.
Author Bio:
Sarah Brooks is a passionate blogger and informative content writer. She has been closely researching the trends in the cannabis industry and writes to share her knowledge while enlightening people about how marijuana has proven to help with anxiety and wellbeing. She is currently working with Apollo, a leading cannabis clinic and research organization; helping thousands of Canadians gain access to medical cannabis.