It makes sense that CBD yoga is now a thing. If holding awkward positions, body weight strengthening, sweating and stretching is intended to loosen muscles and mental tension, then adding cannabidiol into the mix makes sense. But, with no psychoactive effects, it can be challenging to isolate whether it’s the cannabidiol or the yoga routine that is allowing tension and stress to leave your body. To find out if adding CBD into your yoga routine is worthwhile, we need to drill down into the details. You know, really think about how we are feeling while active CBD circulates through our bodies during a yoga routine.
You see more and more yoga studios offering classes with a CBD theme, especially in West Coast states and now in some East Coast states too. They will play gentle music with the rhythms of a sitar or sarod. Incense may be burning in the room or maybe they will use some modernized technology to add aromatherapy into the mix. At the beginning of the class the yoga instructor will ask that anyone interested in using CBD hold their hand out palm up, or something like that. You take the CBD, class begins and then you will either get a great workout in, identify that CBD is having some sort of profound effect, or wonder if you are not mentally strong enough to avoid the placebo effect.
Hemp Oil and Ancient Yoga
Yoga originates from ancient India and the Hindu religion. The 4 Samhita Vedas are considered to be the foundation of Hinduism and yoga philosophies. They are written in Sanskrit and considered some of the most prized scriptures of the Indian culture.
Rig-Veda
Sama-Veda
Yajur-Veda
Atharva-Veda
Yoga seems to have originated from the Rig-Veda samhita and the cannabis plant is 1 of the 5 essential plants mentioned in the Vedas. Today, you can find pictures of Lord Shiva, a Hindu god often depicted with 4 arms one of which that often holds a smoking chillum, representing yogis. In the Vedas, Lord Rudra is mentioned and many people believe that the 2 gods are one in the same. Hemp and yoga may have always been intended to go together. It’s up to you though to decide if CBD helps you optimize your yoga workouts.
Comparing and Contrasting
Let’s break this down scientifically. For that, we need to have some controls. What I mean is that you would need to take some CBD edible or oil without doing a workout. You need to find out if CBD for stress and relaxation actually works for you. Then you need to try yoga without CBD, if you haven’t before. You can do it at home by watching a yoga routine on YouTube or something. Or, you can do a Google search for yoga classes near you. The point is to experience both CBD and yoga independent of one another, otherwise how will you ever know if the cannabidiol is making a difference during the routine?
Taking CBD with no Yoga
There are all sorts of CBD products out there. You can buy CBD gummies, CBD oils, CBD topicals, CBD vaporizers and more. You also need to discover the right CBD dosage for you and decide for yourself if the benefits of CBD seem real. Does CBD help you sleep? Does it help you focus more? Simply experience a quality CBD product, which you can find CBD for sale that comes with a third party lab’s certificate of analysis. Never buy CBD without finding that lab report first. Maybe you want to journal how you feel in order to document it well. Do something to closely inspect any effects of CBD you may feel. Otherwise, you will not even know where to begin in deciding if CBD during your yoga routine is worth it. You won’t even be able to identify if is doing anything for you.
Doing Yoga with no CBD
If you have never taken a yoga class before, then go take a yoga class sans any CBD. Put your all into the class too. Hold the poses for as long as you can, go through the transitions of vinyasa, stretch those muscles, listen to your yoga instructor and really try and let them hypnotize you. The end of the class typically involves savasana, a pose of relaxation where you lay limp on your mat with your eyes closed and the instructor typically speaks in this calming tone telling you to picture yourself floating in air. They will tell you to let all of your troubles wash away. You can really get into it or think it is some spiritual mumbo jumbo. Here is a fact, you have to take yoga seriously. There is no point in doing it no matter how ridiculous some of it might seem unless you embrace all of it. You might as well do the lion breaths and om-ing. Afterwards, you can take stock of yourself and decide if yoga is right for you. You will also know how you feel during and after a yoga routine without any active CBD in your system.
Doing Yoga with CBD
So, now you have done your homework. You know how CBD makes you feel without using it during a workout. You know how yoga makes you feel without any CBD. Now, it’s time to take some CBD with your yoga class. You know the right CBD dosage for you, you know your optimal tempo for yoga and you are taking it seriously. You need to remember that depending on the delivery method you choose for your dose of CBD, it may take a while before its effects can be felt. Most yoga studios will offer a hemp oil full of CBD to take sublingually, meaning you hold it under your tongue for 20 seconds or so before swishing it around your mouth and swallowing it. The sublingual delivery method is one of the quickest means of delivering CBD to your system. I touched upon the different delivery methods and the time they can take to be effective in the Taking CBD with No Yoga section above.
Now, as class begins, you need to at least take a little time to periodically think about whether this yoga class is different from the other classes you have taken. Your yoga instructor might identify that you seem distracted, listen to them and refocus your mind on your poses, but still occasionally consider what might be different. Do you feel even less tense? Did your muscles relax even quicker and more so than they did before? Are you able to find that calm center more easily? Is the ultimate objective of renewing, refreshing, invigorating and the release of tension achieved more easily with CBD? Really think about it and we would love to hear from you about your experiences with CBD during yoga. If you have any tips, we would love to hear them.