Cannabis, Yoga, Music: positive vibes?

Naomi Fowler (leafly.com, 12-13-15); Pat Macpherson, Ashley Wells, Wisdom Quarterly

A sober yoga with legendary Maty Ezraty full of downward dogs (lansingyoga.com)

Use of cannabis to enhance the yoga experience is nothing new, but classes that are tailored to the preferences of cannabis users are splashing into popularity as cannabis slowly enters the mainstream. 

What's next, "yoga and whiskey"?

While the idea of a cannabis-friendly yoga class may not seem necessary for [those] who already [do] this as a regular part of their practice, a paired class is interesting for those who want to be in a room of like-minded practitioners.

[All the better if one wants to do it] in a setting where careful attention is paid to mood and music, with an enthusiasm inspired by those who know that they like to enjoy both cannabis and yoga.

That’s why, if you’re me, you jump at a last-minute invite to attend Seattle’s first cannabis and yoga class so you can experience a unique duo.

 

Goals: flexibility, strength, balance (M)

When I arrived at the class, which came about as a result of a shared vision between yogi Joel from YogaSmith and Ganja Goddess collaborators Sebastian and Amanda, I wasn’t sure how many had been here before or how many were high because no one made a big deal about any of that. All was peaceful and calm.

There wasn’t any fanfare, consumption of any kind, or talk beforehand except someone’s quiet comment that it's fun to practice in a group where you don't really know or care that people are high.

(READ) What's the goal of Raja Yoga?

Right off the bat, I thanked my lucky stars that this was not a hot yoga class. Creating your own heat is something that more traditional yoga teachers and students very much still enjoy doing, and that was certainly the case in the 80 degree, community-built YogaSmith studio in Georgetown, Seattle.

I felt relieved to not be blasted with heat upon entry and figured that practitioners who smoke or use vaporizers must have felt the same way, as those consumption methods sometimes make users thirsty.

 

(chakraboosters.com)

As I started with basic restorative poses, I ohm'ed and focused on a singular heartfelt intention to which to dedicate my practice.

I spent class pursuing the spirit of that intention in the amber glow of a hardwood floored studio illuminated by soft flickering lights.

Once the music kicked in, I found myself believing that the mutual vibration of ohms, hums, soft bells, and string instruments was about to be felt all the way down the block. More