CBD and yoga are like vacation and sun, or weekend and sleeping in. Each thing is nice on its own, but together they’re really something. So why not connect them? Reaching for some CBD oil and bringing that sense of well-being onto your mat will get you to a new level in your yoga routine. Here you’ll learn about the benefits of combining CBD with yoga.
CBD and yoga – 4 reasons why you should try it
At a glance: |
1. CBD and yoga - reduces stress
Poweryoga, Yin yoga, Prana yoga and Yoga Hatha––we already know and love them! But CBD and yoga––that’s new. Here it’s not about changing the temperature, like in Bikram yoga, or about hanging in cloth, like in Aerial yoga. Here it’s rather about deepening your yoga practice. Yoga itself promotes flexibility, alleviates stress, and leads to greater awareness in everyday life. Yoga combined with CBD could help you to combat stress more sustainably and for longer periods of time.
What happens to the body when you combine CBD and yoga?
The contents of cannabis naturally contribute to overall well-being. They help you get on track and stay balanced. Consumed before yoga, cannabis could bring your practice and meditation to the next level. Yogis worldwide are becoming more and more aware of this.
The true science behind the benefits of CBD and CBD products like oils or gel is connected with the natural substances in terpenes.
Terpenes are found in cannabis and other natural medicinal plants. They’re the main component of essential oils. More precisely, they’re the chemical connections that you find, among others, in conifers, lavender, lemongrass, thyme, cloves, rosemary, basil, pines, and also in cannabis. The best part: terpenes are completely natural and especially well tolerated.
The benefits of these powerful, aromatic essences are not limited to use against health issues. They’re just as powerful in altering your state of mind––in a good way! CBD enriched with terpenes can lead to tension reduction and thus increase the effectivity of a Vinyasa Flow yoga session. Learn more about CBD and terpenes in our Hemp Wiki article.
Simply take a few drops of CBD oil or a few drags on a CBD diffuser pen and wait the respective amount of time until your body has absorbed it.
CBD can also have the same effect on you that meditation usually does. Cannabidiol can bring you a calmer state of mind. Studies show that meditation also releases serotonin (5-HT), a neurochemical substance in the brain that’s responsible for making you feel better and happier. An increase in serotonin can also foster the development of new brain cells and connections that are related to feelings of happiness. If you’re happy and feel good, you’re less stressed.
2. Become one with your mind and body – balance and CBD
The combination of CBD and yoga, also with meditation if you like, can help you better reconnect with your body, without any “high” feeling. No THC needed here.
CBD consumption, for example in the form of CBD capsules, is therefore a natural option for an especially mellow yoga session. It’s particularly helpful if you’re tense, nervous, or suffer from anxiety. CBD can be especially helpful for people who find it hard to chill out, switch off, those who are thinking nonstop and whose mental gears are always turning. How many times have you been in a yoga class and thought, “I’m supposed to be zen! I wish my thoughts would just be silent!”
CBD can turn down the volume of your inner voice. Taking CBD in the form of CBD oil right before yoga class can aid in relaxing the mind just enough so that you can concentrate on your inner being. Your brain relaxes. The latter is usually required for a successful yoga session.
You can’t relate? You’ve already got your stress level under control? You don’t have any pain to complain of? Congrats! Fortunately, you can still benefit from CBD. Whether in a studio, yoga loft, or on youtube, you can deepen your experience on the mat. CBD originates in nature and also reunites you with our original connection to the plant world. Doesn’t matter if its Kundalini yoga, Yin yoga, Prana yoga, or Yoga Hatha––cannabidiol has the potential to take your yoga practice to new heights. Especially when it comes to achieving a relaxed and serene state of mind.
3. CBD could support your regeneration after a strenuous Asana practice
After a strenuous Vinyasa Flow yoga, for example, your body experiences fine muscle tears and small local inflammations in the muscle fibres. That good old soreness. That, in turn, could be reduced through the use of CBD oil, for example, which has regenerative properties. We've developed the CBD Oil for you. Alongside many positive qualities, this spray dosage makes your CBD oil intake easier and, as an added bonus, improves oral hygiene. You can read more about the CBD and Oral Health here.
4. Stay relaxed longer with CBD – CBD and yoga
All eight limbs of yoga, particularly Asana and meditation, are not only calming short-term, but also give the practitioner the tools to get their own body and mind in balance. Whether you’re in a yoga loft or at home, the consumption of CBD before a session can ease your way to reaching a higher state of calm. At the same time, the soothing effect of CBD helps to maintain and prolong the Savasana feeling of happiness so that you’re still in that zone long after you leave the mat. When we feel pleasure and calmness, our brain releases a neurotransmitter called anandamide, which is an endogenous (produced naturally in the body) cannabinoid.
Quick digression: cannabinoids are, in turn, chemical connections which are able to influence the body’s endogenous cannabinoid receptors, the central component of the endocannabinoid system. Read more here: Endocannabinoid system.
Back to anandamide and its benefits. As the name suggests, anandamide can release feelings of gratitude, joy and happiness. The drawback: anandamide unfortunately collapses in on itself easily. Here’s where CBD helps: it can suppress the enzyme that breaks down the anandamide, so that the calming effect of your yoga practice is prolonged.
5. The gist of it
Yoga is already the perfect balance to the stresses of day-to-day life. CBD products can balance out the imbalances in our nervous system. Together, the two can lead to absolute relaxation. You reach a new level of calm and serenity, from which you also benefit for longer. Your mind can switch off better. Your body can regenerate itself faster after the yoga session. Try it out and see for yourself!
