Can cannabis enhance your yoga practice?

Yoga is a mind-body practice that combines stretching, poses, breathwork, and meditation. Those who practice yoga report increased flexibility, balance, and relaxation.

For some people, using cannabis before yoga helps enhance feelings of relaxation and physical comfort.

Learn the potential benefits of combining cannabis and yoga, as well as tips for getting the most out of your practice.

What is cannabis yoga?

Cannabis yoga, sometimes called “ganja yoga,” refers to consuming cannabis before or during yoga to:

• Loosen tight muscles
• Enhance relaxation
• Improve mind and body awareness

In states where cannabis is legal, some yoga studios may offer dedicated cannabis yoga sessions, where attendees can use cannabis throughout their practice.

You can also practice cannabis yoga at home with some basic equipment, giving you complete control over your setting.

Benefits

Cannabis may offer some benefits that can help improve your yoga practice, including:

• Reduced pain and stiffness: Cannabis may reduce pain by improving mobility and reducing inflammation. This may make it easier to do certain yoga poses.
• Increased motivation: In a survey, over half of respondents said that using cannabis increased their motivation during exercise.
• More enjoyment: Survey results also suggest that using cannabis before exercise may help make your experience more enjoyable.
• Lower stress and anxiety: According to research, cannabis may lower acute stress and anxiety levels, helping you relax into your yoga practice.
• Increased awareness: Anecdotally, some individuals report feeling more focused and alert after using cannabis. These feelings may help improve your mind-body awareness while practicing yoga.

Safety and considerations

Cannabis is generally considered safe to consume before or during yoga. However, it may cause some side effects, especially when consumed in high doses.

These side effects include:

• Dry mouth
• Drowsiness
• Dizziness
• Headache
• Anxiety or paranoia
• Nausea
• Fast heartbeat

To minimize these side effect risks, start low and go slow. This means opting for a low dose of cannabis and increasing it gradually until you achieve the desired effects.

If you experience any side effects that interfere with your yoga practice, such as dizziness or a fast heartbeat, consider pausing your practice or opting for a restful or restorative pose until the effects pass.

Best types of yoga to pair with weed

Different yoga styles are available and can be tailored to your personal goals, preferences, and capabilities. That said, there’s no one type of yoga that’s most compatible with using cannabis.

Popular types of yoga that may pair well with cannabis include:

• Vinyasa: Vinyasa, or “flow” yoga, is a popular and widely practiced yoga style. It’s often recommended to beginners due to its gentle movements. Vinyasa yoga synchronizes different poses with your breathing patterns to promote physical and mental relaxation.
• Kundalini: “Kundalini” means “life force energy” in Sanskrit. Kundalini yoga combines posing, chanting, and mantras with different breathing styles. It’s considered a more advanced yoga practice due to the more challenging poses and faster pace.
• Ashtanga: Ashtanga yoga practitioners work through a memorized series of poses while focusing their gaze and breath, similar to meditation. Ashtanga yoga is considered an advanced yoga practice due to the challenging nature of some of its poses.
• Hatha: “Hatha” is the Sanskrit word for “sun and moon.” “Hatha yoga” has become a blanket term for any yoga practice that combines gentle poses and movements with breathwork and mindfulness.
• Yin: Yin yoga involves holding poses for long periods of time. The goal is to improve flexibility and release tension in the body. Some people practice yin yoga as part of their workout recovery routine.
• Bikram: Bikram yoga is a type of “hot yoga.” Practitioners engage in 90-minute sessions in a room that’s set to 105°F and 40% humidity. Some believe that Bikram yoga enhances flexibility, strength, and overall health.

Tips for using cannabis during yoga

Consider these tips if you plan to incorporate cannabis into your yoga practice:

• Pick a product type that suits your needs: Inhaled products can take effect in minutes. Edibles can produce powerful effects that last for several hours, but may require 1 to 2 hours to take effect. Topicals can help target sore or stiff muscles.
• Time your dose: Time your cannabis dose so that its effects benefit you during your practice. For inhaled products, consider consuming about 15 minutes before your practice. For tinctures, consume about 30 minutes before. For edibles, consume about 90 minutes before.
• Choose the right strain: Each strain of cannabis can affect you differently. Some can be more relaxing while others can be more stimulating. Pick a strain based on the effects that will best enhance your yoga practice.
• Stay hydrated: It’s important to stay hydrated during all forms of exercise, including yoga. Dry mouth is also a common side effect of cannabis, and drinking water may help to reduce it.

The bottom line: Cannabis may bring some benefits to your yoga practice

Cannabis and yoga have certain benefits in common, like easing stress, increasing awareness, and relieving tight muscles.

For some, using cannabis before or during yoga helps enhance these benefits.

Having a medical cannabis card can give you access to high-quality cannabis products. Schedule an appointment with Leafwell to start the process of getting your medical card.

Resources

• Cannabis for addressing physical pain. https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/ict.2024.29115.bca
• Cellular mechanisms underlying the anxiolytic effect of low doses of peripheral δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol in rats. https://www.nature.com/articles/1301330
• Don’t worry, be happy: Endocannabinoids and cannabis at the intersection of stress and reward. https://www.annualreviews.org/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-pharmtox-010716-104615
• The new runner’s high? Examining relationships between cannabis use and exercise behavior in states with legalized cannabis. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2019.00099/full

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