cannabis?

[sameerah]

Does anyone have feedback, experience, or resources on the relationship between cannabis and energy work? Personally, I'm 2 years sober from alcohol (it's what feels best for my body/mind/spirit/energy) but I'm interested to learn more about THC. I use it mostly socially and I know it does have an impact (can be neutral, not negative) on the brain -- for example, its role in suppressing REM sleep. I'm in a stage in my life where I need/want to listen in, align, and be a clear channel so that I can tune in to my authentic intuition (to see past the lenses of trauma and societal programming). Plant medicine is very important to me and I'm sincerely wondering and questioning cannabis' role in all this.

[ErikaAust]

Hi Persimmon!

I don’t have any experience with cannabis but I just wanted to congratulate and send you love for being sober for 2 years that’s a bigggg deal &  freakin awesome! I know what it feels like to be healing from addiction/ OCD. EFT tapping to reprogram my nervous system with spell work and breath work were pivotal for me to heal.

I’m also inexperienced with THC but maybe CBD may be helpful to calm ? Or if you want to use cannabis /THC maybe EFT tapping might be helpful for realigning your relationship with it to the way you want it to be.

Whatever you choose I hope it feels loving for ya! Much love to ya! 💕🐉🔥✨☀️

[Becky]

Hi Persimmon,
No answers, but this is a question I've been considering over the last year or so. I've found cannabis to be very helpful in the past for a variety of reasons, but once I started getting more into kundalini yoga, I found myself wanting to not *rely* on things external to shift my energy (whether it's coffee or weed).

Like you, I was dependent on alcohol in the past; for me, it was to suppress feelings that I didn't understand, but once I started dealing with my shit, I went a year without alcohol and am basically a non-drinker now (I have had one glass of wine in the last year), but because of my history I have a distrust of the idea of "reliance on a substance." I like how BKS Iyengar talks about this -- he says (paraphrasing) that it's like chocolate...you want to be able to eat a small piece of chocolate, with gratitude and enjoyment, and then say "that's enough" and put it away. If you gorge on the chocolate OR put it away and then continue to think/obsess over it, then you are imprisoned. Having a sensitivity that is refined means being able to enjoy the "enough" and *that* is true freedom.

So, my observations on cannabis: If I use cannabis more than maybe 1-2x a week, it will definitely suppress my dreams. I also have a more "scattered" energy with it, which can be helpful for brainstorming, but not for focused learning or meditation. I have, in the past, tended to use it almost like coffee...it lifts me, gets me going, etc. I think it helps me get into my body, move, focus on how I'm feeling. There is also a lightness that comes, but more often I find that I yearn to turn on my *own* chemistry to achieve this vs. turning to an external substance. I have heard Maryam say that weed puts holes in her aura, and while I don't have clarity to know exactly what is going on with my aura that specifically, I wonder if this can happen with me too. I know it can make me more open/vulnerable to someone being snarky or ill-tempered, so I think it's important to be very careful who/what I'm around and doing when I DO use it.

Right now, I'm in the middle of 40 days of a specific spiritual practice and I am being called to ensure my vessel is as clear as possible (and it was this part of your post that resonated most), so I'm staying away from cannabis until at least after the solstice. I do have some CBD/hemp oil that I use occasionally (I made it from hemp I helped grow, and I swear the plants told me that I should consider my relationship with cannabis, which is the primary reason I really started to explore this particular idea more fully).

I grew up Catholic, so the idea of "giving up" something for a time as a disciplined spiritual practice is something I was introduced to as a child, and something I find valuable as an adult. Whether it's cheese, or weed, or watching TV in bed, taking a break from something (1) allows me to notice my patterns of when I want the thing, (2) notice my reactions to the absence, and (3) creates space for something new to emerge, whether it's removal of the thing, or a change in my relationship to it, or increased gratitude for its presence in my life.

So, no definite answers, but you might consider exploring your relationship with it with curiosity. I'll say that, maybe 5 years ago, it was really helpful in many ways -- from supporting a burgeoning yoga practice to giving me something to change my vibration other than alcohol. But where I'm at now, I think it's probably neutral ...or holding me back, TBH, because I've grown. And that's a good thing!

Grace to you as you explore and discern what works for you right now!
-Becky

[babygirl]

hi persimmon–

this has been a question for me for a few years now. my relationship with cannabis has shifted over the years. while it brought benefits in the beginning, most recently i've felt it drags me into contracted vibrational states.

i feel: to incorporate or not incorporate cannabis into one's practice is super personal and can change over time. if you're in a state where it's easily accessible, it may be worth stopping into a dispensary, asking all your questions, and trying for yourself... see where it goes, and don't judge yourself one way or another.

intuition is supreme.

[sameerah]

Hello again and thank you so much to those who've engaged on this thread :)

-Thanks for your offering of tapping and much love to you as well, ErikaAust!

-I really loved your thoughtful input and insight, Becky. It was very helpful to read and I resonate with your observations of cannabis use. I also appreciate the practice of "giving up". Finally, exploring with curiosity is always good advice! I wish you all the best on the remainder of your 40 day spiritual practice.

-I love what you said about shifting, changing, intuition, and withholding judgement, babygirl :)

Finally, just a quick note: I grew up Muslim (and still identify as such, in a more expansive way) in a sober household and have experienced drinking alcohol on and off from my teens through my early 30's. I chose to stop drinking for the reasons I mentioned in my original post. I feel no ill intent, but was a bit surprised to read language drawing assumed parallel experience with healing from addiction or assumption of a past dependency on the substance. I don't identify as an alcoholic and, while I've experienced addictive behavior in general, my personal addictive experience does not include alcohol. Nonetheless, I appreciate and am in solidarity with those who've experienced that struggle. In the most loving way, I encourage close reading and discernment when offering assumptions about individuals' personal experience. Again, I extend my gratitude to everyone who has offered their thoughts on this thread.

[Emmanuel]

Hey persimmon <3 Cannabis is Mother Earths intelligence. So the things acquired are directly related to how you live daily, like a book. If you have high senses and take good care of yourself, you could just use it like any other flower. It has a powerful aura, like a bird. You can see it from far away and it also sees you. You might not need to smoke it. It has many ways. Some have already been using its alternatives. My personal favorite is to just burn it. The smell of it is very relaxing and the intention is already built in to our consciousness.

**I respect my body enough to not subject it to the harsh of smoke inhalation, however, I respect Mother Earth and God's intelligence for creating Cannabis, and I use it appropriately <3**

You could just smell it, you could burn it in a fire. Our brains and hearts and emotions react immediately to smell. I am just giving you some tips.

To give you some background on me, I smoked cannabis for over a decade. It was very helpful and I still have knowledge, wisdom and intuition from that time. However, I also feel that it was overpowering my life, so I had to let it go. But I also feel it calling me again. I am taking it as a clear message that my intuition, my heart and Mother Earth want me to use plant medicine, as opposed to just marijuana. And this is why I am moving more so towards the actions of using it alternatively as opposed to just normal consumption and application.

One thing I do know, everyone loves a good ceremony. And we always take an energy of experience with us afterwards. I think that doing something like a bonfire where we burn herbs in the fire and dance around it and wear crystals while also practicing our other spiritual disciplines can be tremendous on everyone. I have recently been thinking about this and actually making ceramic containers for crystals and burning them in a fire, kind of like a simulation of the Earths inner sun but on the crust. :-D. Or even an inner stimulation?...

You can grow your own. Really get deep into it. Mushrooms are also another great choice. **Its all about how you maneuver your wrist. Like tying your shoes. Its the things we do everyday that lead to those moments we all yearn for.** While on your journey for self connecting with God, the easiest thing you can do is to do it yourself. Be the one that builds it. You create your own dream. Even if you watch another's movie, you will have your own dream. So why not plant your own seed (movie)?

Cannabis has an aura that goes beyond...It can put holes in  those whose purpose goes beyond the way it was used. However, these same ones can benefit from an article written about Cannabis. A  person can benefit from the smell of it when they have never smelled it, this same person can experience different miracles from ingesting, smoking or just being around someone who smokes or smoked. This is why marijuana can be used globally for all of humanity's benefit, even from one person. It is a fruit of the spirit that comes from us when we use it. It is an ally of a sort, a neighbor, if you will, but you must give your neighbor space, or you may end up disliking them.

A ritual of a sort is of particularly good practice when using things of a higher quality. So that your energy can overtake it as opposed  to being overpowered by it. Set an energetic boundary for it so that you do not victimize your integrity.  

I just watched a video that said that our bodies are in complete harmony and unison with Nature and the Universe...and in both of these energies, things come and go.

My best advice to you is to build a strong practice to rely on that is based on discipline. I have read before that kundalini doesn't like the rigidity of discipline, so using something that makes inhibitions drop can be helpful. But it should be done with care. Many musical artists have the power of ritual built into their purpose and passion. They make music after using cannabis and this eliminates the belief that it is harsh to the system. But if you want to maximize the benefit, the best way is to truly feel your inner world. This is how you truly build discernment. And this will unlock many of the hidden benefits of marijuana. Whose  powers we are just now falling in love with. Her energies can be so much more than just a small particle in our orbit. Our energies can be so  much larger if we respect this energy for what it is. Because if you treat a shoe like a car, it will take you far, but if you treat it like an anchor, you wont get much done.

Much Love
<3

[sameerah]

Wow, thank you so much Emmanuel. Sincerely grateful for all you've offered here.
Much love back to you

[MildredMonique]

Hello persimmon!!

I wanted to answer this a week ago but today is a good of time as any. I read Emmanuel's reply and wow, it was so good! I learned and also felt seen.

For me personally, I would not have experienced the level growth and spiritual expansion without ganja/weed/cannibas/etc. Ay first, I was hoping for relaxation and suppressing my anxiety. I learned suppressing anxiety is not healthy. Over time, I grew to setting more pure intentions by praying over and speaking to the plant before ingesting it in anyway smoking, tea, tincture, etc. If I choose to take the ganja in my body, I practice care for my body being sure I have the best food around, taking medicine baths, medicine foots baths, I take longs periods of time in nature (sitting with trees, laying on grass, etc), and other practices that are best for me.

I do know and trust that my intention led me to smoking ganja because it helped my brain conscious brain allow for the expansion of my soul and healing of my ego. I have so much more to learn and grow in. I hope this is helpful it not it's all good. I am glad that you asked this question and I am glad to reply.

Peace to you!

[sameerah]

MildredMonique - I love what you shared about intention, prayer, speaking to the plant, body care, and time in nature. I think expansion and ego healing as potential benefits make a lot of sense. Thank you for sharing. Salaam :)