Cannabis and meditation

Society today revolves around one thing: attention.

Each and every moment of your attention is precious, and there are constant distractions that can pull you from enjoying the present moment. Unfortunately, this means that if you aren't intentional about where you direct your attention, you are susceptible to being robotic and letting your life be driven by the material world around you.

We see rolling joints as an art form that is important in preparation for a meditative experience.

How do we more consciously direct our attention?

Meditation is a beautiful solution to such a challenging problem. It allows you to train your mind to flow seamlessly through the day while holding awareness for various distractions without becoming enveloped by them. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How we become distracted

Let's say you are on a drive. Imagine the objects you are passing by, whether they be trees, buildings, people, or other vehicles. You have a glimpse of appreciation for a particularly magnificent tree or building that you drive past. Immediately following this enlightening moment, you remember that you have to do your laundry, and you begin contemplating when you will get it done. Then, your mind moves to think about other tasks you have to complete, such as responding to emails, going to the store, etc. All of a sudden, your mind has been swept up by a long list of tasks, worries, and times separate from the present moment.

The simple, distracting thought of a to-do item yanked your mind from appreciating the present moment and led to a string of thoughts that did not benefit your state of being. The best we can be in life is when we are with ourselves. If we are stuck in the past or focused on the future, we lose access to the greatest power we inherently have: the ability to be here and now and to appreciate it.

Wisdom from Master Oogway -

"The past is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That is why it is called the present."

How does meditation help us?

Meditation is a tool that you can use to stay present, appreciative, and connected to the world around you. It naturally also increases your ability to focus on a task, even if that task is thinking about as little as possible.

How does meditation relate to smoking?

When you smoke, it is an excellent opportunity to tap into your inner self to find that present moment within because your state of mind has changed to be conducive to meditation.

Small reminders can help you examine your inner self while you smoke. For example, these filter tips can spark your mind to observe your inner self and reflect on the state of your being.

In my experience, cannabis has made my mind more fluid. This has its perks and its hindrances. The power of suggestion is increased, so it is easier to become stuck in a spiral of negative, repetitive thought. At the same time, it is easier to open your mind to serenity and find peace in the present moment. I find that my mind is more easily distracted when I have recently smoked, so I tend to use guided meditations when I have smoked. A simple example of a ~5-minute guided meditation:

Guided Mindfulness Meditation for Being Present

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A guided meditation can take your smoke session to a whole new level of self-awareness. If you are confident enough, you may use this time to explore the various sensations in your body; it can be helpful to tie those sensations to your rhythm of breathing. And when a distracting thought comes up, a healthy phrase to repeat to yourself is:

"Let it come, let it be, let it go."

In a later blog post, I will post about a more complex meditation practice that is self-driven and is tailored towards a high state of mind. To build up to that, give this guided meditation a few tries and see if you can get into the practice of meditating for even 5-10 minutes when you wake up (especially if waking and baking!), right before you eat lunch, or when you go to sleep.

Wrap up

As you practice meditation with smoking, you will begin to appreciate the present moment more and more. As you practice, you will begin to notice how, on your walks and drives, when a distracting thought comes up, you will watch it rise without feeding into it and watch it fall away, preventing distractions from running your life.

So give this meditation practice a try next time you smoke. It very well could change your life.