Marijuana and yoga

Yoga Discussion General Yoga
#41

ha- id probably either fall asleep, or wander away to find some cheetos.

most likely the latter.

I could definately see how it would enhance the high to smoke after finishing yoga- Im so relaxed and feel like my body is all melty anyway. I think if i smoked after yoga id be exactly like those anti drug ads where the girl is melted into a puddle and “has been like this ever since she started smoking.” I know its supposed to deter you from the reefer but i find myself jealous of that little puddle of stoned.

Kelly Turner

#42

[quote=Hubert;4774]
Could someone describe the experience given by marijuana ?[/quote]

I smoked quite a bit in college - it was never a huge deal for me. I will not lie, it felt pretty good, but no better than drinking a bottle of champagne or overdosing on painkillers. I never felt the urge of seeking it after college (ie. when it became riskier to acquire) so I quit overnight without problems.

#43

Everyone is different. Some Indian yogis smoke chillums. Some bleieve you do not need external influences to progress in Yoga. How about the effects of eating chocolate before a class. Or a cup of tea.

LOVE

#44

I have used it for years, its only now when I’m trying to quit I realise that I was using it as a crutch and hiding my real self behind it.

I think its ok to have a smoke every now & then, but its so easy (for me at least) to turn from once a week into once, twice or more every day.

Interesting article here.
http://www.alandiashram.org/html/reviews/marijuana_addiction.html

#45

For me, even though marijuana seemed to enhance my experience I have come to believe that in fact it was acting as a veil, which as lovely as it was, was coming between my spirit and the spirit.

#46

Life is lived from the inside out. It?s not necessarily about what we do, but how we do what we do. Whether we drink tea or only water, the quality of our lives is determined by our thoughts, and our consciousness. We don’t need to get caught up in judging behavior. If we are motivated by love and care, then everything we do will want to flow in that direction, whether we smoke marijuana or not. Or at least, that’s how my life has been.
I drink coffee sometimes, and smoke marijuana sometimes, and drink alcohol sometimes… what really matters? If we know how to love, how to forgive, and how to show grace and mercy, then we have hit the core of Life.
I feel that any pleasure experienced in our bodies is potentially a red-flag for addiction, and on the other hand, it is an opportunity to give thanks, to practice forgiveness within relationships, and become “addicted” to the bliss of experiencing Love through our senses. In essence, the food or the sex or the tea or the marijuana represent the tools we can wield or fall prey to. The question is, does it rule you, or do you rule it? Does it amount to good or bad in our lives? And this is where it can get tricky, because it?s easy to look at someone else’s life and criticize and condemn them for their choices. But the truth is, we are all on different levels of awareness and consciousness. What is “good” for someone might be really really “bad” for another. We need to continue respecting and valuing one another?s’ journey.
If smoking weed makes someone eat too much, and they can’t control that action because of the weed, than perhaps it is time for a new way to feel high. If weed acts as a barrier to communication within someone’s most cherished relationships, it might be time to check the value of smoking in their lives. On the other hand, if weed contributes to someone?s’ ability to meditate and relax, than it may not be as detrimental as others’ think. If it acts as a way to bridge the gaps in communication between someone?s’ relationships, then it is good! Addiction is unnecessary when we realize we have many tools at our disposal with which to grow from and work with.

#47

I enjoyed your contribution to this thread. There are many valid points you make in so sharing.

There are however a couple of things I’d like to touch on:

You reference marijuana in this way (and since you draw a parallel to coffee and alcohol I’ll presume you include them in in this paradigm)

If it acts as a way to bridge the gaps in communication between someone’s’ relationships, then it is good!

This, in and of itself is a judgement. It is a branding of good and bad which separates discernment, a very valuable tool for evolution, and judgement, a very valuable tool for dis-ease. The statement is not necessarily so. It MAY be beneficial. It may also be an excuse not to cultivate a more organic (intrinsic) method for bridging the gap and thus it is not en empowerer but a retarder, despite the doers perceived “goodness” of it.

It is, of course possible for marijuana/coffee/alcohol/narcotics to enhance one’s real self exploration. It is however more likely - when used regularly rather then medicinally - to be a deceiver.

However, I’d not judge anyone for opting to use. I’d merely ask if it were truly serving their svadharma or not. It is for them to determine in such a way that the agendi of the pelvic and mental forces are not the determining voices.

If your forgiveness/love/grace can only be manifested through a latte, a joint, or a glass of bordeaux then that would beg the question of its true nature.

Feeling high, as you put it, is often just a way to not feel the feelings begging to be felt. So finding another way to “feel high” can be just another distraction in a world replete with distractions from our true self. In that way marijuana, coffee, valium, television, they’re all just distractions from the bountiful nectar that human existence could provide - assuming we weren’t busy being “otherwise occupied”.

#48

I’ve been smoking for 25 years, and doing yoga for almost the same, on and off. I am still doing both, and I have to say that I love doing asanas stoned. I feel it helps me to slow down time and be there in the moment enjoying the pose and my breath instead of mindlessly moving from pose to pose like a robot (I’m describing only myself here). However, despite that, I do believe the smoking is something negative that I need to give up, that ultimately it is a hindrance to my further development. And I’ve found in the past that when I deepen my practice, my mj usage naturally drops away. Especially when I progress to the point that I’m doing pranayama and meditation, then I lose any interest in doing any drugs, and they seem not only unnecessary, but counterproductive and limiting, and I can see my bahavior as unhealthy and addicted. (Personally I wouldn’t recommend doing these stoned at all btw, only asanas) And like a previous poster Madeleine said, when you smoke it doesn’t just last 2 hours - there are negative lasting effects for days, you’re kind of on a rollercoaster ride with a short initial high and a long drawn out low, and this all just seems contrary to the kind of balance and calm conducive to (and flowing from) a deeper introspective practice.

It’s kind of funny because I always start doing yoga as an outgrowth of smoking pot - meaning I’ll have not done yoga in some time, and I’ll get stoned and think hey, why don’t I do some yoga? And I’ll do it and love it again. That’s where I am right now actually. But as I go further in my new yoga practice, I eventually stop smoking (and I’m probably getting there soon ). Personally, I think that heavy smokers know deep inside that despite whatever benefits, ultimately the smoking is limiting them. I don’t mean to impose this view on anyone, but I think people should give it honest consideraton as applies to their own experience.

best wishes to all, thanks for an interesting thread
j

#49

Johnny,

you’ve offered a very honest look at your stuff. I really appreciate that and can relate to where you are in the process.

Thank you.

#50

Should you find yourself constipated, prunes are a wonderful source of dietary fiber and contain the natural laxative dihydrophenylisatin. If you are all stopped up inside, I doubt few yogis would counsel another to stay away from prunes. However, if we come to rely upon prunes for bowel movement rather than working with the underlying cause of the constipation, then we might actually be hindering ourselves.

Should you find yourself at a spiritual roadblock, marijuana is a wonderful source of insight as it contains the natural compound Tetrahydrocannabinol. If you have hit a plateau, many yogis would counsel another to stay away from marijuana. If we come to rely upon marijuana to experience the spiritual, then we might actually be hindering ourselves.

See what I did there? :wink: What is the difference between marijuana and prunes? Why is one acceptable in moderation but the other is not? Both are naturally occurring, both are shown scientifically to have health benefits, and both can be a hindrance if used improperly.

What IS the difference? Social conditioning. We have been conditioned, through fear, to believe one is bad. Social conditioning is the basis for much of the illusion we live. Until we take off that mask, we are living a lie.

Funny thing is, marijauana helped me see that I was wearing that mask. Taking it off is a whole other story.

#51

I enjoyed your thread that made the comparison between prunes and marijuana. I agree, the only difference between the two is how we use them. They can, like everything else, act as a deterrent or as an enhancement to whatever goal we may have. As you said, constipation is both a physical problem, and it most likely has psychological and spiritual connections as well. What is the best treatment? I would say both - take those prunes with thanksgiving, and spend some time navigating through the canals of the inner world (emotions, thoughts, memories, spiritual connections, etc.) Realizing we are at once physical and non-physical is a way to treat anything in our lives, be it constipation or consistently troubled thoughts.

I dare say, yoga is not the only way, nor is concentrating completely on herbal or food remedies (prunes, highly beneficial foods like acai, or mangosteen, marijuana, teas). In my experience, the way to retreat from addictions and imbalances is by thankfully utilizing all the tools we have at our disposal to bring healing into our lives, and the lives of those around us, realizing they are all gifts to be received, and shared.

Staying open to the multitude of options we have can help us move from obsessive dependence on any one thing, including prunes, yoga, and marijuana (among many others). All things must take their place under the umbrella of self-control, otherwise we become enslaved to that which was meant to serve and help.

The Persian poet, Rumi, found union with the Divine through dance, as do many (including me). There is music therapy, art therapy, massage therapy. I have found a beautiful experience in meditative walking, and having come from a time of constipation as a child, know the healing work of yoga, water, meditation, and marijuana, praise, worship, and dance (oh ya, and prunes!). It’s all here for us, and we are here to receive it, giving back the peace, love, and freedom it was made to afford.

#52

Last I checked, prunes do not block pain receptors in the central nervous system.

#53

Editor of High Times … cool :smiley:

I’ve definitely remember blazing before a yoga class several times. I don’t like to do it thought. Its not most enjoyable but its sure experience. After is the most relaxing time to smoke though.

When your alone doing yoga is a better use of your time than t.v., or sitting etc. Sometimes busting into yoga poses when your drinking a beer or smoking is the best thing to do.

#54

it seems to completely erode the ajna away like a corrosive acid!

!

!

seriously !

#55

Haha might make balancing harder.

#56

[quote=Mirjana;4763]Yoga in practice and marijuana are for me more comparable than compatible. The higer you are more you see.
And the difference for me is that I rely on yoga.[/quote]

Couldn?t have verbalized it better myself. To each there own. :smiley:

#57

I’m pretty sure in marijuana’s case, it’s not that you see more; it’s that you ignore what you aren’t seeing.
Achieving low standards is worse than failing to achieve stringent ones.

#58

I use marijuana from time to time, but never when I’m excersing or doing yoga (or anything that will be diminished by the high, like playing with my kids). One of the effects is a rapid heart rate which will stress the muscle after repeated use.

Plus, the high I get after practice is far more enjoyable on its own.

#59

I wouldn’t say at this point that yoga and marijuana are anyhow comparable or compatible. Just another moment as so many others in life, that you can stay centered or not. We all know best for ourselves. And to be selective what to put in my body is helpful to stay focused.

#60

I would be afraid of injury from falling and excessive giddiness from the drug; the hallucinogenic qualities of cannabis act to alter my consciousness in such a way that i don’t feel fully aware, similar to alcohol. Every new high leads to a new low so to speak. And I also am not in favor of supporting the Mexican Drug Cartels; what your doing unknowingly as you puff away! Less drugs and more wholesomeness is my take.
I just learned recently that marijuana has fungal spores attached to its leaves that can cause harm to someone who has low immunity, such as a cancer patient, scary to have a fungal infection to one’s lungs! Thanks for the question.

PS. I do remember looking at a hippie book recently and it stated that Yoga can help your high last longer when your using pot to get high. But I’d rather be high naturally than using this drug!