Marijuana and yoga

Yoga Discussion General Yoga
#121

I have been doing it for last three years. I started smoking after seeing all those info on net. It was also a spiritual experiment for me. I smocked it for almost one year and stopped immediately when I got initiated in to yoga.
Those things we see on net is written by noobs who also got it from googling etc…They are not aspirants they are those guys in to psychedelic culture which I am still in to. Most of these dudes only goes till drugs and has no will to take up yoga (you know thats hard :wink: ) . So they are just finding reasons to smoke ganja.
same with most of sadhus(not all). Many of them became sadhu to just to smoke n chill out. If they dont get ganja they goes for tobacco.

If shiva drank bhang I do not understand for what purpose he drank it. Shiva need to drink bhang to get in to Ecstasy!. Then I think I am better than Shiva. Its such a dull bliss u can get from that drink. Far better is MDMA.

All yoga n tantra we practice came through scriptures and the stories of Gods through Puranas. There is no text I know that says Shiva smoked ganja or drank bhang. And there is no enlightened master I know who advocate Drugs for yogis

I am still not denying that the Drugs can incorporated in spiritual practices. But there must be a system. Osho says that If you have control over the drugs it can be taken as an aid to meditation. We can stop our meditation at will but not the effect of the drugs. But if we can, we are the master not a slave of the chemical.

#122

[QUOTE=Charlotanne;30042] I try to follow the middle way - the way of moderation. [/QUOTE]

Pls dont misunderstand me. I am not trying to talk against any body. I just feel there is something to be clarified as many people use this word “Middle path”

I have seen people who cannot stop eating meat or drinking liquor even they are in to yoga due to their addiction. But when asked they say they do that cos they are in middle path.

I also follow middle path. I understand middle path as follows:
In middle path we stay in the middle without attachment as a witness. we neither over indulge in sensual pleasures nor deny the senses. We neither over eat nor we forcefully starve. In middle path we do things for its purposes. We choose things wisely. We eat food that are conductive for dharma and for maintaining body and health but not for tongue. In the middle path sex is for reproduction. No sacrifices are made for the sake of it. We sacrifice the things which are obstacles in our path.

There are sadhus who have taken a vow that they never touch money with hand. And some have taken a vow that they never eat sweet or wear any cloth or footwear. all these are not middle path.
A man in middle path wear shoe, touch money and eat sweet when it is required but not otherwise

#123

I have been into Yoga and Meditation since more than 5 years and throughout my experience I learnt from my Guru “Unity” that Yoga does not require any addiction or medicine.

#124

Cannabis, like yoga, is a tool. I use only one hit before yoga. I don’t abuse it. It makes my yoga more fun. It brings me into my body in a way where I’m aware of every muscle and every breath. Its amazing. It reduces the pain of old injury flare-ups. Using such small amounts, I dont get the after effects that Madelaine heinemann mentioned.

#125

Very interesting thread - great to read an honest debate with so many open and diverse contributions.

My perspective, which is firmly based on a lot of experience, is this:

  • Everything on this earth has a purpose.
  • To use those things, whether minerals, plants, or animals (includes us humans!) for the purpose in which they were intended - which means to [I]find them useful[/I] - is to honor them; to over-use them (which includes using them when you no longer need them) is to dishonor them.
  • Yoga as a spiritual way of life is about going inwards - meeting oneself, and finding that [B]I AM all that is[/B]. At some point, all external ‘props’ must be dropped for the search to be sincere, and for the meeting to be true.

With love,
Ben

#126

I vote for after, not before. :smiley:

#127

Hey all, I read through 5 pages just now because I have a vested interest in the topic of discussion. I realize that this is a very old post, but I want to throw in my completely opinionated opinion.

As both a cannabis user and yoga practitioner I have a few points:

  1. All things in this world have the potential for abuse. I have abused the internet many times. I also abuse candy and alcohol at times. I do not believe that life should be full of stagnant and rigid rules as many ascetics do. However, if there is no moderation then one will become a slave to whatever it is they are doing, NO MATTER WHAT. There must be mental and spiritual blocks in place to prevent abuse, ie instead of smoking now, I will do yoga now because I smoked yesterday. After doing yoga, I am certainly less compelled to smoke. The desire is just not there, because I am already high anyways. Only the yoga high is beneficial and lasts many hours, even into the following day.

  2. Aside from cannabis, I have taken many other drugs. I have also become dependent on such substances, all to varying degrees. Like many have said, drugs open a door, but only that. You cannot rely on drugs and substances to push you along a spiritual path. I believe they are hindrances when one uses them against their intended purpose. It is for this reason that I no longer allow myself to touch opiate painkillers. Drugs can open our minds, but just as easily can they close them tightly if we are not cautious and vigilant.

  3. At this stage in my life, I realize that the only substances that I wish to take are those which are the least refined in their production. I prefer only unpasteurized beer, pure, wholesome cannabis flowers/resin, and (very) occasionally, hallucinogenic mushrooms of the psilocybin variety. Chemicals in their isolated states are harsh on the body and do not promote life giving energy in the same manner as natural, raw, and unrefined plants. If it requires a chemistry lab to make, you really shouldn’t consume it.

  4. Alcohol and cannabis have little in common. The argument and comparison of the two is nil. Apples and oranges, people.

  5. Also at this stage in my life, I realize that cannabis can no longer be used as a crutch. I was very cloudy before I began to reduce my usage. In regards to seeing auras that are cloudy and ugly, I can speak from personal experience on that. My close friend uses extravagant quantities of cannabis. His life revolves around it and if he can’t smoke then he is unhappy. He remains controlled by the drug, and the more he habituates this pattern then the harder it will be to break. The more you smoke, the less high you get. Less is actually more with cannabis. If I smoke every day then soon I will just be doing it for habit’s sake. That is not using it as intended. It is supposed to be a tool, not a crutch. Life is a highly complex entity that requires the utilization of MANY diverse tools to succeed. Reliance upon a single modality generally sets one up for disaster, kind of like the Irish Potato Famine.

  6. Once you’ve listened to the message, hang up the phone. If we are constantly pursuing a fleeting and temporary feeling, then all the time we will be disappointed. The only constant is change. This is fundamental and must be understood and practiced by the aspirant.

  7. Study the texts, reflect upon your situation, and decide what actions to take. BKS Iyengar states this succinctly in ‘Light on Yoga’ :

“The yogi does not look heavenward to find God, for he knows that He is within, being known as the Antaratma (the Inner Self). He feels the Kingdom of God within and without and finds that heaven lies in Himself”

"The yogi prefers the Good to the pleasant. Others driven by their desires, prefer the pleasant to the good and miss the very purpose of life. The yogi feels joy in what he is. He knows how to stop and, therefore, lives in peace. At first he prefers that which is bitter as poison, but he perseveres in his practice knowing well that in the end it will become as sweet as nectar. Others hankering for the union of their senses with the objects of their desires, prefer that which at first seems sweet as nectar, but do not know that in the end it will be as bitter as poison.

The yogi knows that the path towards satisfaction of the senses by sensual desires is broad, but that it leads to destruction and that there are many who follow it. The path of Yoga is like the sharp edge of a razor, narrow and difficult to tread, and there are few who find it. The yogi knows that the paths of ruin and salvation lie within himself."

In the end, like Iyengar also suggests, it is hoped that one will no longer need the cannabis, just the yoga. But, all will happen in its due course.

sat nam

#128

Bhoom!!! Brother Bhoom!!! :slight_smile:

#129

Does anyone have the full text of the yoga sutras of Patanjali? Or is this all Patanjali wrote on ausadhi?

4.1 The subtler attainments come with birth or are attained through herbs, mantra, austerities or concentration.
(janma osadhi mantra tapah samadhi jah siddhyayah)

#130

Also I propose to continue this discussion assuming cannabis flower use is performed without adding another herb, and it’s used in a non-carcinogenic way:

  1. Through vaporizing (which is both medicinal and psychoactive)
  2. Through raw oral consumption (only medicinal)
  3. Through heated oral consumption (both medicinal and psychoactive)
#131

keep in mind that we are talking about a flower.

lets assume that there are many people on this forum as well as many other yoga forums that are on any one of the 1000s of pharmaceuticals ranging from heart medications to anxiety meds to antidepressants to sleeping meds to cancer meds. Radiation therapy, chemotherapy, addiction, disease.

Modern pharma designs chemicals, all of which throw us out of balance and have toxic properties at the therapeutic doses. A great example of this is…jeez anything…suboxone relates to me as i currently am prescribed. Cannabis seeks to restore balance, health, vitality. These chemicals suck life like a parasite. Cannabis restores life, it is life giving by its very nature. LIFE GIVING> VIBRATION ENHANCING> 100% natural and healthy. I dont see how people can possibly see cannabis as even somewhat detrimental unless it is used too frequently. The real problem with cannabis is that it can make you sleepy and tired and lazy. DONT SMOKE SO MUCH IN THAT CASE! its that simple.

Let’s consider cannabis in its pure, herbal form.

Cannabis is the single most therapeutic plant compound known to man. THE MOST! This is not up for debate, it just is. From antidepressant to pain relief to appetite stimulant, its therapeutic applications are countless, varied, and effective. This plant can change the world, the way we live, and how we respond to life. Cannabis has so many more uses than simply, ahem, “getting high”. medical, industrial, recreational, these uses from one plant are astounding! did you know that there are over 20,000 industrial applications for hemp, things like paper, clothing, rope, canvas, fuel, et cetera ad infinitum? this is not a joke here people, cannabis can save the world. keep in mind also that this resource is 100% renewable, year after year, all the while without needing pesticides of any sort, all the while re-invigorating our soil and preventing soil erosion, constantly supplying the earth with life and vigor. Anyone who sees this plant as a problem is seriously confused about the truth surrounding cannabis hemp. please consider that you may have been deliberately misinformed and constantly manipulated by the powers that be to believe a certain “truth” about cannabis. This “truth” is generally skewed and negative because the people and corporations behind these views have financial interest in keeping the truth out of peoples minds and love herding sheep and keeping people “safe”. the truth may hurt, but it is still the truth.

Can we consider that cannabis can, and is used more as a medicine than as a drug? Cannabis is not a drug. Cannabis is a plant. Drugs are heroin, cocaine, propoxyphene, venlafaxine, isolated compounds that are generally synthesized and completely unnatural. Chemicals in their isolated inorganic forms. Plant compounds reduced to mere chains of carbon compounds.

Cannabis is a WHOLE PLANT. The plant is impossible to replicate in the lab, as we have seen with failed compounds such as Sativex and Marinol. You cant simply isolate one single compound and expect the effects to be the same as the. The holistic nature of this medicine makes it exceptionally safe and non toxic.

How many people have overdosed and died on aspirin? Too many. How many on cannabis? None.

Zero.

NOBODY!

How many products can this amazing fact be attributed today? Very few. People even die from coffee overdoses.

please read “the emperor wears no clothes” by Jack Herer, RIP 2010. Jack was a cannabis crusader and did more for the legalization movement that any other person in the late 20th century. Jack stands as an example to us all, a crusader of truth, a man of beauty and simplicity, a man who loved the plant and all it gave the world.

Sat Nam

#132

Ceramm, what a great post ! I really enjoyed your frank enthusiam. I have pretty much aged out of the desire for pot- I’m probably happy with the flock in our gaurded pasture and all- and I do believe in a live and let live life, as long as it doesn’t demonstrably hurt people; however, what about tobacco and the many plants and flowers ( datura in some parts , for example, poke weed etc.), they can kill. Of course the method of delivery could be the risk factor. Do you say eat your pot and tobacco and prepare the natural products certain ways to bring out the gifts ? It sounds as if you believe in an human-centric planet, where everything is set up just for us. I doubt that. The likelihood that marijuana is 100% beneficial to us would be like winning the lottery chances. I do think there is way too much social stigmatism applied to it though. And again, I really liked your post. Namaste

#133

I have at last read the entire thread. I am a college student and work full time as a bartender. I smoke marijuana when I am on vacation from school and sparingly when I am in the middle o a semester because it effects my study habits.

I have put a lot of thought into the topic of Marijuana and Yoga. The best player on the Dolphins, Ricky Williams was I believe drug tested by the team and found to have marijuana in his system. He is also an avid yogi and has travelled half way across the world to meditate in a cave.

I have used weed to help me meditate before, but I have also smoked it, sat down to meditate only to daydream and get up 5 minutes later and feast on waffles.

I have done easy poses after smoking and it feels more intense but it is not the kind of thing that should turn into a habit.

Meditation is also much more profound when done sober. Save marijuana for another time.

#134

all is guru

#135

Isn’t Yoga intended to eradicate human weakness ie Drug abuse etc?

#136

[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]

beautiful. really well said.

#137

[QUOTE=InnerAthlete;4820]When using the yogic framework as a template on a topic like this it is the Kleshas that guide us (as yogis).

In brief they are
Avidya - ignorance
Asmita - ego
Raga - attachment
Dvesha - aversion
Abhinivesha - fear of death

These are the mental obstacles to our evolution, our enlightenment.
In the case of addiction, whether it is chocolate chip cookies or budweiser the larger question is “what is the nature of my attachment?”. AND what is the nature of my aversion because they tend to lead into each other the way a pendulum swings from one side to the next.

That larger question leads to the larger question of whether the behavior serves one’s dharma or yogic purpose. If, for example, one is here to abuse one’s spouse then it might be very appropriate for that person to drink to excess. Keep in mind this is only an outlandish example to make a point. How does it serve the life mission of YOU? If it does, retain it. If it doesn’t , move along.[/QUOTE]

Hi there, I really dig what you’ve said here, and the generosity with which you’ve shared. I’ll be in Seattle in Jan and hopefully able to check out the studio. Thanks

#138

I saw somebody reading this on the ‘active user panel’ and I have a relevant experience to share, so I shall necrobump this and face whatever consequences. lol

I was a heavy smoker of cannabis for many years and I regularly did yoga ‘under the influence’…it sure made doing postures seem a lot more effortless.

Anyway, I reached that point in my practice whereby I did not know what I was experiencing was due to yoga/meditation, or just me being wasted all the time.

I wanted to feel the benefits of doing yoga the natural way and there finally came a time when I could no longer take any of my spiritual practices seriously…and those who knew that I smoked pot couldn’t either!

My ‘inner guru’ also started to ignore me and I felt like a [I]huge[/I] hypocrite.

Something had to give and unfortunately, yoga did. I went on smoking pot daily for another 10 years and being stoned was my ‘normal’ state. When I didn’t have any marijuana, I started craving it and I was always in a foul mood…far from all of that ‘peace, love & happiness’ stuff eh?

Marijuana abuse also aggravated an underlying mental condition that I was prone to and thus I gave up smoking pot about 4 years ago.

Now, I am just getting back into doing yoga again and my chakras are so full of crap that it’s not funny. My CNS is also still royally screwed and I realise it will take me a lot longer than most to clean all this filth out of my system and get back to where I was before I started smoking the shit.

People like to believe that marijuana is harmless…they can go on believing that because I know better…
People like to believe it arouses kundalini and all that…they can believe that too, but drunkards can also see visions of pink elephants…
If people can equate ‘being peaceful’ to the ‘I don’t give a damn’ mindset, that’s cool too, I guess.

I have found that the only people who defend the use of marijuana are those who smoke it and they only do so to justify their habit.

I used to do that as well. Now, I know better!

#139

Speaking from experience I think that MJ and yoga is like taking two steps back to take one step forward. I wish I wasn’t such a pot head and loved getting stoned so much!

Let yoga be my drug.

boomshanka!

#140

[QUOTE=rechaka;43839]Speaking from experience I think that MJ and yoga is like taking two steps back to take one step forward. I wish I wasn’t such a pot head and loved getting stoned so much!

Let yoga be my drug.

boomshanka![/QUOTE]

Rechaka, when you are ready to give it up, you will. Three days ago, I decided I was tired of feeling muddy, and the smell of bud actually turned my stomach slightly, so I’m going on a 6 months yoga hiatus from cannabis. =) I have sworn my yoga to Lord Shiva, so now I’m under His care for the next 6 months, and it feels really good.
The major thing that did it for me is backwards bending- when there is cannabis in my system and I do an intense backwards bend, I have a really strong tingling/heat in my crown chakra and it doesn’t feel pleasant. I have the distinct impression that it’s my energetic body clearing extra stuff it doesn’t need out… I’ll report back in a few weeks and let you know how I’m doing. :::grins::: I really love getting stoned too, but I figure that when I start again in June, it’ll be that much sweeter.
Namaste and bright blessings!