Meditation has an excellent reputation for helping people to relax. Coincidentally, so does marijuana. But when paired with marijuana, does meditation have the same effect? Keep reading to find out!
Meditation is an ancient practice of being still and quieting the thoughts in your brain so that you can be more present, less anxious, and more even-tempered in your waking life.
In order to meditate, it is first recommended that you go into a quiet space, sit up straight, rest your palms on your thighs (facing up), and get in tune with your breath. You can also lay down, just try not to fall asleep.
Breathe in for four seconds, hold for four seconds, breathe out for four seconds, and wait to breathe for four seconds. Then repeat. This is called “box breathing” and is a very basic breathing exercise.
As thoughts drift into your mind, rather than following them down a rabbit hole, acknowledge that the thoughts happened, and then let them go.
Typically it is challenging to go for even one minute without having a thought that becomes an internal dialogue.
The goal is to quiet the mind and eventually be able to simply breathe for stretches of time while thinking of nothing. It’s like a reset button for your brain.
There are thousands of free guided meditations and breath work videos on YouTube to help you begin the process.
Smoking or ingesting marijuana sets off a chain reaction in the body and mind. Depending on the contents of the weed, the endocannabinoid system in our brain interacts with the THC/CBD molecules found in the weed and has been known to bring about an air of relaxation.
However! Sometimes the high you may experience may not be a relaxing one. It’s possible to become paranoid when using weed.
A paranoid high is an anxious one. Rather than feeling the effects of a clear mind, paranoia will often act like a magnifying glass, causing people to zero in on awkward moments both past and present. This can send the user spiraling and is one of the major negative side effects of weed.
But when it’s good it’s good! When used in responsible doses, weed can help bring you into the present moment and awaken a childlike sense of wonder within you.
Some people say that smoking weed is like the cliff notes of meditation. You can get a taste of what the goal is by simply getting high. Does this shortcut take away any benefits of meditation? If it helps you get into the zone, then who’s to say it’s wrong.
There are specific marijuana meditations available online for free if you are unsure of how to begin without being guided.
After you have been meditating for a while you will come to realize a sense of peace that washes over you each time you engage in the practice. This tranquility is something that you will carry with you even when you aren’t meditating actively. It’s a gentle arrival, not a hard landing.
When you partake in cannabis, there is a fairly immediate entrance into your new headspace, but it can be channeled into a zen state with a little bit of practice.
Meditation is not about the destination, it’s about the journey…we have all seen that phrase carved onto a wooden pillow at the Cracker Barrel gift shop, so it seems corny. But it’s true!
Being high can be very valuable in terms of introspection. Especially when spending time alone, you are able to check-in with yourself and see exactly what it is that you need without having to worry about other people.
If you attempt to meditate while being high and it doesn’t work out, you can still have restorative time.
Spark up a joint and bust out the yoga mat. Turn on a yoga video to get the mind/body connection going, and then attempt to meditate. Something good will happen.
The process of meditating without weed is a valuable one to explore as well because it involves a strong self-assessment of needs, but also an awareness of what you may be lacking. In other words, metacognition.
Meditating in your sober mind takes concentration and will power. It’s worth working up to, even if the training wheels (weed) need to be used at first.
Everybody is different, but if you are sitting down to meditate at all, that is a great thing. And if you happen to have taken a little toke before doing so, more power to you!
