WHAT IS MINDFULNESS ANYWAY?
Have you ever experienced this… Driving straight for miles and miles, listening to mellow tunes, and your mind begins to daydream, drifting into the distant road ahead, ... fantasizing about romance, feeling sleepily sun-kissed as you slowly begin to drift into a lazy eyed daze…
Driving’s not the safest moment to mindlessly wander, but it happens.
We catch ourselves, take a deep inhale to send oxygen through our body, roll out the neck a few times, and feel ourselves becoming more clear as we roll down the window for fresh air. Suddenly, we find ourselves aware of the passing landscape once more, - wide eyed and awake again.
Being In The Present Moment, We Truly Take In The Beauty Of The Sky, The Sensation Of The Warm Breeze On Our Arm, Or The Music We Chose For The Journey.
This simple act of taking a few deep breaths, noticing our body and being present to our immediate surroundings is the practice of mindfulness, which is a Buddhist concept from India, but has been practiced in some form by people around the world in all religions.
Mindfulness is beneficial to our health because it can help us manage stress, reduce accidents, and feel more appreciation and joy in our daily lives. Yoga practice is all about mindful awareness, - encouraging students to tune inward to feel more deeply.
Regular practitioners know that yoga isn’t about competing with our neighbor or ourselves, but mindfully moving through asanas (yoga poses) at our own pace and level. Whether it’s your first time or your gazillionth practice, mindfulness of your body, breath, intention, and environment will maximize the mind, body, and spiritual benefits of your yoga practice.
Oftentimes when our insecurities heavily flow into our minds or bodies, we can find judgment of others or ourselves, projecting negative energy as a habit of mind. As yoga teachers, we can add extra pressure on ourselves to guide a flawless practice for our students, or feel critical on days when our bodies aren’t as limber.
Mindful Awareness (Where We See But Don’t Judge These Insecurities And Thoughts), Allows Us To Start Overcoming Our Limiting Beliefs And Habits Of Mind.
When the strain, dose, method of consumption, and vibe are all on-point, cannabis can help us draw our awareness to the present moment.
It can remind us of the special miracle that is life (it has, after-all, been used spiritually around the world for these very purposes).
Cannabis can help us notice smells, tastes, and colors more vividly. Being mindful while consuming the plant can heighten the savory taste of cannabis terpenes, the juicy flavor compounds that provide much of the therapeutic benefit of the plant.
Cannabis enhances mindfulness, and mindfulness enhances cannabis, you dig?
Try This Mindfulness Practice Next Time You Pack A Bowl, Roll A Joint, Or Eat An Edible:
Inhale before you start the process.
Exaggerate your exhale, emptying your belly completely.
Set an intention for the ritual of lovingly-producing your herbally-enhanced enjoyment.
Mindfully begin the process of rolling, packing a bowl, dabbing, or eating.