“Ugh… Please Don’t Make Me Breathe!“
Breathing was something I didn’t really want to do for most of my life. Not that I didn’t want to breath to stay alive, but it was the breathing that most meditation techniques and yoga teachers nudged me to do. For years, I attended these various classes with the hope I would be “fixed,” and inevitably, my least favorite was always the breathing. Focusing on the air going in-and-out of my lungs and having to be very present with it – it was boring.
On hindsight, I see I was overwhelmed by the swirl of my passing thoughts with a chaotic mind that kept nagging that this awareness practice was a waste of time. And since then, I’ve learned that breath is the foundation that leads us to healing – we can use it to gain self-mastery over the thoughts and fears that control our minds. What great news! That means almost every one of us has the capacity – to some degree – to breathe into our bodies and connect more deeply with ourselves, our relationships, and our natural world.
So, while getting serious about starting this journey can feel like a really big leap, there’s a way that may help you start the journey – Cannabis can help us open (or even kick down) that door so we can jump into the healing process.
A Sacred Union: Marrying the Breath with the Plant
Our beloved plant has an ancient and enduring history in many cultures of facilitating higher consciousness. We’re in good company in communing with this plant medicine to access our deep healing resources.
But to be clear, this work isn’t part of the cannabis ‘stoner’ culture – built around taking in as much cannabis as possible to feel sedated* and numb. What I’m talking about is using cannabis for heightened awareness and emotional release. The idea is learning how to intimately get to know yourself, and adding cannabis to the mix can offer a rich opportunity for self-discovery. We need to be disciplined and mature about this – only those serious about learning to commune with the plant and breath at a deep spiritual level will be drawn to this work.
What to Use When?
I highly recommend micro-dosing for communing with the plant. I have prepared a Youtube video to explain this. The combination of breath and a little cannabis (a toke or two or three, depending on potency) is a most sacred and powerful union, especially with the “industrial strength” meditations we use in my work. One supports the other in carrying you to greater heights.
For those of you who have a high tolerance for cannabis, your tolerance level can be reset (one method to accomplish this is explained in Dr. Sulak’s guide for Cannabis Sensitization), and once you’re ready, I suggest trying the micro-dosing approach. A smaller dose is going to nurture you into a state of awareness so you can take the plunge into sensation instead of sedation.
Cannabis strains are important in this matter as well. It’s best to balance it with the bio-rhythms of your day and evening. For instance, if you’re going to start cleaning the house after your meditation you’ll likely want a sativa strain that will elevate your energy. An indica strain, on the other hand, will likely be more relaxing and perhaps a better fit for evening meditations and ensuing sleep (although the sativa/indica debate is wildly controversial).
Having said that, because we are all so biochemically and emotionally different, the same cannabis plant strain can take us down different paths. Experimenting is part of the fun in getting to know your interior self!
Creating Your Container
Including ritual in our practice adds a delicious sacred container that is ours alone. I invite you to create a space wherein you can retreat, feel safe, and claim alone time.
This is where you’ll be able to partake of your cannabis and focus during your regular awareness practice. This space might be nothing more than lighting a candle and sitting in a quiet corner or having a more elaborate meditation table with objects that hold special intimate meaning for you.
Be sure to have water with you, and you’ll also want a journal and a pen with you to document any insights gained during the practice (I do like to have my cell phone voice memo app available – if I’d rather record my thoughts. Just make sure you’ve turned on the “do not disturb” function to avoid interruption).
Once you’re set up, give gratitude for this sacred alone time where your precious breath intertwines with the magic of this spirit medicine. In my Cannabis Elevation Ceremonies, we honor the plant and practice with a blessing, saying,
“The Spirit of this Plant wants you to become a master of your emotions.
The Spirit of this Plant wants what you want, and that is for you to become a master of your emotions.”
Guidance Through This Journey
If this resonates with you, I’m about to teach a transformative 7-week course with the Shift Network, designed to guide you through this exact journey – the next step toward profound healing, inner growth, and intuitive awakening. I hope you’ll join me.
With Love,
Becca
*(Note: sedation and numbing is a very real methodology for escaping difficult emotions. I consider cannabis, when compared to alcohol, prescription meds, etc as the gentlest of “escape” substances because once someone is ready to emerge from their “numbing” cocoon there’s little or no long-lasting detrimental effects with this plant.)
