Does Cannabis Help with Meditation?

Does Cannabis Help with Meditation?

Meditation is a solitary thing. It is selfish in a good way. It offers release from daily stresses. And, it takes you away from the very problems that make you adult.

Meditation pursues serenity in mindfulness, a connection with your inner person. As an exercise, you work on integrating the rhythm of your breathing with your heart beat.

Meditation works on removing mental and emotional debris that accumulates during the day. Having done that, you may find peace.

Does cannabis help? No!

It depends on what you are looking for. Most meditation practitioners find something spiritual in their journey. Writing for the Essence of Meditation, Richard Lewis explains that meditation means “focusing the attention not on what is happening in the outside world, but on what is happening in the inner landscape of the mind, body, and emotions.”

  • To reach a state of stress-free calm
  • To come to term with your suffering and that of others
  • To develop and strengthen a sense of compassion
  • To merge with some spiritual force
  • To find a state of bliss in body and mind

As such, meditation is a personal experience, a transformational journey. And, in changing yourself, you are positioned to influence others.

An article for Trike Daily Motivation speaks of preparing for meditation by practicing “diligence.” You commit not to indulge in tempting distractions, such as “more interesting” or “more important” problems, projects, or fantasies.

The diligence first shows itself in your posture, a physical position conducive to the process. It also suggests favoring an environment free of distracting stimuli. Meditation purists, especially those following a Buddhist tradition, would discourage use of any cannabis with meditation.

Does cannabis help? Yes!

Mayo Clinic acknowledges research has found that meditation may help relieve symptoms:

Anxiety

Asthma

Cancer

Chronic Pain

Depression

Heart Disease

High Blood Pressure

Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Sleep Problems

Tension Headaches

 

And, curiously, these are some of the same conditions people treat with cannabis products. You might, infer. That meditation in combination with cannabis would strengthen the effects.

The purists would admit that meditation, done properly and regularly, can lead you to altered states of experience. But, they would also distinguish those experiences from the altered states under the influence of alcohol or mind-altering drugs like LSD. In fact, meditation may be an alternative to the addictive behaviors cultivated by intoxicants, opioids, heroin, and other substances.

On the other hand, Marijuana Break says, “Several religious sects, including Shaivites, Naths and Buddhists, have introduced marijuana into their meditation rituals. They believe the combination brings heightened awareness, as weed slows the mind and helps it enter the correct state of ‘profound stillness’.” It’s a gateway drug that opens opportunity to find the bliss sought by meditators.

As with other spiritual exercises, there may be some confusion in defining the key terms. For instance, it is not the purpose of meditation to evacuate or obliterate the mind. Quite the opposite, as Stephen Gray says in Conscious Lifestyle, “we tend to be driven by narratives operating below the horizon of our awareness. [The Buddhists call this “samsara.’] The confused mind of the unresolved, unhealed ego.” The discipline of meditation pushes aside the physical and mental distractions that keep you from reaching and touching the authentic, awakened self.

The right dosage and select strain may bring the calm and relaxation that allows you to find the compatibility with your beating heart. Too much of the wrong strain presses you to a euphoria and busyness of mind that is alien to your meditation purpose. What you need is the cannabis strain and dosing method right for you. For example, meditation teachers would not recommend smoking marijuana (or anything, for that matter). But, taking cannabis edibles carefully and prudently may contribute positively to your meditation experience.

It may be only one opinion, but meditating while high seems counter-productive. That’s not to dismiss value in meditating under moderate influence. In its best application, cannabis can amplify and clarify experience. Sativa strains, in particular, can diminish distractions, soothe synapses, reduce mental distractions, and facilitate concentration. So, you might consume an edible in advance of your meditation:

  • Dixie Mints or Beverages come in clearly identified doses. You place the mint under the tongue and let it dissolve. Or, you can use the beverage to hydrate before you meditate. Different packages come with different strains, so you probably want to pick the beginner level for a mild and pleasant effect.
  • Coda Truffles are beautiful chocolates. They are so inviting and delicious you risk eating too many. Each truffle in a package of six holds 10mg of cannabis oil.
  • Sow Eden Ginger Snaps each contain 10mg of CBD. They also market a menu of drops and gels.
  • Baked Bees Honey sells a line of fresh, all natural, bottled honey infused with a 1:1 THC: CBD ratio. You can use this honey as you would any other brand, in tea, recipes, and more. It won High Times’ first place award for edibles in 2016. 
  • Pinnacle CBD Honey Sticks are a convenient option. You can stir tea or warm water with these sticks containing 10mg of 100% CBD oil in each stick.

Does cannabis help with meditation?

Well, there are those who practice ganja yoga, and new schools of meditation with cannabis are forming. Controlled and disciplined, the combination can work for some. The forums are filled with suggestions on what works for many trying both. If it works for you, that’s great.

But, if you want to follow the ancients towards the spiritual experience sought through meditation, you should do it more “cleanly.” The masters would prefer you achieve the bliss available without assistance of or resort to stimulants.