Marijuana and Meditation

An old Zen proverb says, “Every day, you should sit and meditate for 20 minutes. If you’re in a hurry, you should meditate for an hour.” Easier said than done, right? Meditation isn’t just about “sitting still.” The true purpose of meditation is to completely clear your mind of all distracting thoughts—work, daily worries, negativity, sadness, and even positive emotions should give way to emptiness and focus.

Not everyone can simply clear their mind of the daily hustle and bustle. For those who find it difficult to reach nirvana, marijuana can be a helpful aid. It’s no secret that in small doses, cannabis allows a person to focus all their attention on a single object, which can be extremely helpful for people who struggle to let go of thoughts that interfere with meditation. In this article, we’ll look at a few simple meditation techniques that pair well with a marijuana joint. By following these, you can quickly become an expert in the art of being present in the moment.

How Does Meditation Benefit Your Health?

Negative thinking and anxious feelings like unexplained stress and panic affect millions of people worldwide, clouding their lives with unnecessary worry. However, these patterns are learned habits, not innate conditions. This means that a person can unlearn negativity and constant stress, just as they can break other bad habits like nail-biting or lounging in front of the TV. While these personality traits may not seem especially harmful, it’s important to remember that without therapy, these symptoms can eventually develop into serious nervous disorders like clinical depression or nervous breakdowns—not to mention the ability of stress and negative emotions to shorten a person’s lifespan.

The cure for these issues isn’t found in pills or potions. To achieve inner peace, a person must find a way to break the cycle of negative thinking in their mind, which can only be done through concentration and patience. This is where marijuana can help: its active ingredients, especially THC and CBD, stimulate feelings of pleasure and relaxation.

It’s important to note that you don’t need a large amount of cannabis for this purpose, as high doses can have the opposite effect and increase anxiety. Before experimenting with cannabis meditation, you should determine your personal threshold for cannabis intoxication. Choose a strain and dose that produces a deep, cerebral effect and use it in small amounts.

Also, different types and strains of cannabis are better suited for different meditation poses and techniques. You’ll notice that some strains are better for breathing meditation, while others are more helpful for contemplative meditation. In any case, the key is the strength and effect of the cannabis: ideally, it should have a more cerebral than physical effect and not contain a high proportion of psychoactive cannabinoids.

Combining Cannabis with Contemplative Meditation

The purpose of Trataka, or contemplative meditation, is to train the mind’s clarity and its ability to focus on a single point in space—the object you “contemplate” during the exercise. When your mind is fully focused on observing one point, there’s no room left for distracting thoughts or sensations. Learning this skill helps you find the path to complete calm and freedom from unnecessary worries.

In principle, any object or point in space can serve as the focus for contemplation. For beginners, we recommend using something tangible, like the dancing flame of a candle or a mandala image.

For this exercise, a deep and calming strain like the indica-dominant hybrid Double Dream works best. This strain offers a balanced combination of relaxing and stimulating effects, keeping both mind and body calm without causing fatigue.

• Step 1: Choose your focus object and sit facing it at a comfortable distance, sitting cross-legged on a cushion.
• Step 2: Focus your attention on the object, giving yourself a few minutes to concentrate. Carefully observe the movement of the candle flame or study the patterns and colors of the mandala.
• Step 3: After a few minutes, simply look at the object without trying to concentrate intentionally. Just gaze at it and don’t look away. Relax, begin to clear your mind of distracting thoughts, and start breathing slowly and smoothly, gradually increasing the pause between inhaling and exhaling.
• Step 4: Once your mind is clear, keep your attention on the object until the exercise is complete.

Combining Cannabis with Breathing Meditation

Deep breathing is a key element of all meditation practices. By controlling our breath, we not only gain control over our thoughts but also our emotions, including those that most disrupt our inner balance. Proper practice of deep, slow breathing can calm even the most restless minds.

For these exercises, it’s best to use a pure sativa with a very clear and positive cerebral effect to help clear your mind of negativity more quickly. We recommend trying the Chocolope strain.

• Step 1: Sit comfortably on a cushion, straighten your back, and lift your chest. Close your eyes and relax your shoulders. Let the tension gradually leave your muscles.
• Step 2: Pay close attention to your breathing rhythm in this relaxed state. Take a deep breath through your nose, filling your lungs with air.
• Step 3: After inhaling, wait two seconds, then slowly exhale. Pause for a couple of seconds, then take another deep breath.
• Step 4: Continue the breathing exercises, focusing your attention on your breathing rhythm. Clear your mind of all thoughts, following the rhythm of your breaths and continuing to relax your body.

Combining Cannabis with Body Scan Meditation

If you can’t relax and sit still even after smoking marijuana, this technique is perfect for you. In this case, you’ll focus your attention on different parts of your body. Basically, you just need to relax and start feeling a limb or organ. Your mind will be focused only on one part of your body, which helps clear it of distracting thoughts.

To block out outside feelings and thoughts, it’s best to use an indica strain like Master Kush, which has a strong and long-lasting body “stone” effect. Other strains with a similar indica body effect are also great for this technique.

• Step 1: Lie down on a comfortable surface, such as a mattress, yoga mat, or futon. It’s best to lie on your back with your arms at your sides, palms facing up. Relax your hands, leaving your fingers slightly bent. Do the same with your legs. Allow yourself to “sink” into the bed a little.
• Step 2: Close your eyes, relax your mind, and mentally choose any part of your body to “scan” during the meditation. For example, start with your hands or feet: focus on them, feel their shape, relax them, and sense the blood flow at your fingertips. Then move up to your stomach, then your heart, and so on until you reach your face. After scanning all your organs, focus on your whole body at once, as if combining all the parts into a single whole.
• Step 3: Relax a bit and clear your thoughts. Take a break, breathing deeply and slowly with your chest. Feel your whole body again, letting the feeling of relaxation spread throughout.