10 Thoughts on Cannabis to Contemplate during your Meditation Practice

Cannabis has a long spiritual history that has touched a variety of religious practices. Marijuana has been discovered in tombs of the Egyptians, dated thousands of years ago. Hashish pipes have been found among ancient ruins and archaic religious texts have mentioned the sacred herb. It’s an incredible thought that people from every period throughout history have used cannabis in one way or another. Just consider cavemen, hunters, and gatherers all stumbling upon the cannabis plant and tasting its leaves to see if it was a good food source.

We’ve compiled a list of thoughts on cannabis which will help you to incorporate marijuana into your yoga and meditation practice. During your next session, take a moment to meditate on these ideas and thoughts.

1: “Specimens of marijuana nearly 4,000 years old have turned up in an Egyptian site” Contemplate Egyptians cultivating and using the herb in ancient times. Can you imagine Egyptians smoking while they built the pyramids?

“The river of life proceeded to flow from the throne of God, an on either side of the bank there was the tree of life, and the leaf from that tree is for the healing of the nations” (Revelation 22:2). Could cannabis be the tree of life? Have you seen the healing powers of this plant for yourself?

3. “God has granted you the privilege of knowing the secret of these leaves. Thus when you eat it, your dense worries may disappear and your exalted minds may become polished” (Abu Khalid, 632 AD). How is your mind affected by the plant?

4. There are several other names for marijuana, most of which come from India. They are Shiva’s plant, Fountain of Pleasures, Rejoicer, Hero Leaves, Joy, Sacred Grass. Consider each of these names and how they represent the sacred cannabis plant.

Shaman’s worked on the idea that the cannabis plant has emits vibrations just as all living organisms do. They believed that some of these frequencies allowed the user’s mind to be open to new ways of thinking and new ideas. These ideas revolve around oneness, inhibition, communion, acceptance, release, and the effortlessness of existing. It is also believed that if your personal vibrations are higher than the plant’s then you will feel paranoia when partaking. If your personal vibrations are lower than the plant’s then you should feel more harmonious and balanced. Do you notice any special vibes when consuming marijuana?

6. Ganesh Baba’s rules for smoking herb: (1) Find a comfortable seated position and lengthen your spine. Leg position does not matter but the back should be straight. (2) Dedicate your herb to your god. The purpose of this exercise is to be purposeful of your intention and aware of the moment. Ganesh Baba believes that to smoke absent-mindedly is to waste the herb.

7. Rastafaris believe cannabis leads to a deeper faith among those who partake and consider cannabis to be the Tree of Life. They believe that the plant is the key to understanding one’s self, this universe, and God. Bob Marley is quoted as saying “When you smoke the herb, it reveals you to yourself”. How does marijuana impact your faith or understanding of the world?

8. Cannabis was probably one of the ingredients in the Bible’s anointing oil. “Obviously the easy availability and long-established tradition of cannabis in early Judaism – would inevitably have included it in the [Christian] mixtures” (Carl Ruck of Boston University). Could marijuana been one of the key ingredients in biblical anointing oils?

“To the Hindu the hash plant is holy. A guardian lives in the Bhang leaf…To see in a dream the leaves, plant, or water of bhang is lucky…No good thing can come to the man who treads underfoot the holy bhang leaf. A longing for bhang foretells happiness” (Indian Hemp Drugs Commission). Do you consider cannabis to be holy or sacred? What makes you feel this way?

The Tepecano, a Sierra Madre Del Norte tribe, stored cannabis in bowls or jars and then placed cotton balls on top. They believed that rain clouds, symbolized by the cotton balls, were a great blessing. They further believed the marijuana would absorb the goodness (cotton balls) and then would be used as a sacrament or prayer.

Did you like any of these meditation ideas more than the others? We’d love to hear what you thought. Leave us a comment or get at us on Twitter @SureFineLoud

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