CBD + Yoga
Many people practice yoga and consume CBD for the same benefits – to ease physical pain, to calm anxiety, to boost mood, to promote sleep and to improve the spiritual mind-body connection.
In fact, yoga and cannabis have been intertwined since ancient times. In India, the birthplace of yoga, the cannabis or “ganja” plant is revered for its numerous holistic properties. CBD’s calming and gently focusing effects draw us into our bodies, deepening our connection to our yoga practice. When combined, CBD and yoga are harmonious, synergistic, and amplify each other’s restorative properties.
Read on for five ways to incorporate CBD into your yoga practice, both on and off the mat.
Yoga & Cannabis Calm Stress
CBD has been used for thousands of years to soothe anxiety and boost mood. How does it work exactly?
CBD interacts with your body’s nervous and endocannabinoid systems to stimulate the production of hormones that aid in mood regulation, making you feel calm, relaxed and happy. Kind of like how you feel after a really good yoga class! CBD is a natural fit for a restorative, gentle yoga class because it helps calm your mind and banish stress.
Try sipping a cup of Brothers Mellow Mint Hemp CBD Tea before class, or once you’re on the mat, apply a few dabs of Unwind CBD Essential Oil Roller to your temples and wrists before sinking into child’s pose.*
Boost Bliss
CBD can also help prolong feelings of bliss felt during savasana, even after you leave the mat (tbh, for us, corpse pose after a long class is somehow the most restoring, relaxing part of our days – and we want more).
When we’re feeling good, our brain naturally produces and releases a neurotransmitter called Anandamide. This molecule is actually known as the “bliss molecule,” and it’s named for the Sanskrit word “Ananda” meaning “bliss.” All neurotransmitters are fragile. After a short time, they break down in the body.
Research has shown that CBD actually suppresses the enzyme that breaks down anandamide, thus prolonging the feelings of peace and bliss. In other words, that blissful feeling you get from your flow session can be enhanced even more by incorporating CBD into your practice.*
Focus On Your Poses
If you’ve ever been in the middle of a yoga class or a guided meditation and thought, “I’m supposed to be Zen! I need to silence my thoughts and get to enlightenment!” CBD might just be the answer for you. If you’re prone to a wandering mind, CBD can help calm and settle your thoughts.
Before your next vinyasa or flow-style class, brew a cup of Chai Awakening Hemp CBD Tea. With invigorating spices like ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and nutmeg, each cup is energizing, awakening and tantalizingly exotic. For added focus on the mat, try a few dabs of Focus CBD Essential Oil applied to your temples, wrists, and the nape of your neck. These (or your own chai or essential concoctions) can help focus your mind in a non-drowsy way. Center on your breathing, the feeling in your hands and feet, and sharpen your mind on those energies.
Connect Your Body & Spirit
CBD heightens and enhances physical sensations in the body, making it a great addition to any yoga or meditation practice. CBD’s calming effects help promote deeper, slower and more intentional breaths, which increases your connection to your practice.
Before your yoga class or meditation session, fix a mug of our new blend, Cosmic Cleanse Hemp CBD Tea. It’s formulated with rooibos tea, soothing licorice root, healing marshmallow root and other sacred herbs to center and ground you, mind body and soul. While meditating, apply some Insight CBD Essential Oil to your third eye to elevate your spiritual, mental and psychic energies.*
Recover Faster
Both CBD and yoga are effective treatments for many physical ailments, from inflammation to chronic joint and muscle pain. Yoga is also an excellent gentle exercise to aid in rehabilitation from surgery or injury. CBD has been used for thousands of years to treat pain and physical discomfort. It works by reducing inflammation, and intercepting the transmission of pain signals by muffling pain receptors in the brain. Because CBD soothes pain and reduces inflammation, it’s an easy pick for easing discomfort and relieving those post-asana sore muscles.
For fast relief, we recommend a roll-on topical application like our Pain Away CBD Essential Oil Roller. Formulated with copaiba, marjoram, sweet basil, frankincense, arnica and 100mg of hemp-derived CBD for quick and effective pain relief where you need it most.*
*The Apothecary LLC are not doctors and we do not provide medical advice. None of the information on this site, including information in any press release or blog post, constitutes legal or medical advice by us.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author, and not necessarily to the author’s employer, organization, committee or other group or individual.
Jesse Richardson is the co-founder of The Brothers Apothecary. He's an avid tea drinker and the primary creator behind The Brothers' products. An undergraduate of UCLA for Political Science, Jesse currently studies Medicinal Plants at Cornell University and The International School of Herbal Arts & Sciences.
