Alright, I’ve seen it passing a couple of times, 420 yoga. And it made me think if it’s even aloud within yoga. I’ve done quite some research now and let’s have a look with what I’ve come up with!
In the end, I’m not going to give my opinion about this style of yoga. I feel that you’ve got to come up with your own conclusion about yoga on marijuana. And whether or not you’d like to participate in it.
Please take note as well that not in every state or country it’s allowed to use marijuana. Therefore, make sure that you perform this style where it is allowed, whether it’s in a class or privately.
Yoga And Drugs In Yogic Philosophy
When we talk about yoga and drugs, we need to look at yoga scriptures, to begin with of course. And for this, we’re going to take a look at the yoga Sutras from Patanjali. Which is basically the bible for our yogis.
The Sutras are quite clear when it comes down to the usage of drugs: it is not allowed.
And with drugs, we mean this in its widest spectrum. So, no alcohol, no marijuana, no cigarettes, etc.
It already starts when Patanjali mentions his Niyamas. Within the concept of Saucha, we see that Purity is one of the goals to achieve within the eight limbs of yoga.
And with Purity Patanjali meant that you’ve got to keep your body and mind healthy.
He didn’t just mention that we should keep ourselves pure by abstaining ourselves from putting toxins in our body. He also mentioned that by doing this, we can keep our minds clean as well. And vice versa. It’s probably not on point for this article, so maybe I’ll talk about this another time.
There’s also another passage in the Yoga Sutras that actually contradicts the latter.
The passage is:
“Psychic and spiritual powers may be inborn, or they may be gained by the use of drugs, or by incantations, or by fervour, or by Meditation.”
Remember that these scripts have been written a couple of thousands of years ago. With powers, he actually meant to achieve spiritual experiences that bring you closer to Samadhi.
Patanjali mentioned drugs as a possible way of reaching divinity, but he also mentioned that this is the lowest of all these possibilities.
However, it also must be said that other Gurus have shared their interpretations of this text.
Sadhguru, for example, mentioned that it’s known that people have had many big experiences while they were on some kind of drugs. They had these experiences, but very often they didn’t learn anything from this experience.
Even though there was this revelation, they didn’t transform themselves. I’m not saying it’s not possible to hold on to this experience when you are on drugs, but very often the momentum just passes.
It’s even worse, because when you actually had this experience, you want it again. Which then again can lead to substance abuse.
And then we have Osho, who always had some contradictory ideas about a lot of things. Although, when he talked about drugs he was quite clear. First of all, within his Ashram he never allowed it. He did state that this was because it was against the law.
But on the other hand, he did say he wasn’t against nor for the usage of drugs. He stated that someone should do whatever he’d like and that drugs may cause a state of enlightenment again. But it’s a shortcut that won’t last.
So, to conclude within the philosophy of yoga, you probably shouldn’t do drugs when you are doing yoga. And again, this is not my opinion, this is what’s actually written in all of the books.
We will look into some other spiritual rituals that might have another idea on the usage of drugs with your spiritual practice.
Drugs Within Spiritual Practices
We’ve all heard about Ayahuasca (and other ritual drugs). A spiritual drug that’s used by many indigenous tribes in Central and South-America.
Within these tribes, it’s seen as a rite of passage. Whenever you are at a roadblock in your life, they would take this drug. And they don’t take it lightly.
In these cultures, drugs are seen as a way of transformation and a learning process. While you are having visions that are going to be quite confrontational, you will learn more about yourself and about the path you should be taking.
The only note I need to mention here is that while you are hallucinating, it might be a bit harder to do yoga. You will be in a different state of mind, and you’ll probably won’t be thinking about yoga anyway.
I did mention Ayahuasca quite a lot at the moment, but there are actually quite a lot of tribes and different ancient cultures that used drugs in this kind of way.
I do have to make a small disclaimer again though. Even these types of drugs might get you addicted. Make sure that you always do these rituals when you are under the guidance of a licensed person.
CBD Oil and Yoga
The past couple of years we’ve seen a massive boom in the sales of CBD oil. All the best of cannabis, without the mind-altering effects. Which is also really suitable while you are doing yoga.
Alright, you do have to get the THC-free oil, of course. Otherwise, you will be getting a little high.
The greatest thing about these oils is that they are going legal in a lot of countries. As there is little to no THC in it at all. You might find little traces in it, but they are really neglectable.
Without going into deep into what this makes so special, let’s have a quick look at how they can help you in your yoga practice.
The first thing that I’d like to mention is that CBD oil is a great anti-inflammatory. This can help you in two ways:
- When you do yoga to tackle your inflammations, CBD oil can be a great aid in your recovery.
- Sore muscles can be a side effect sometimes from doing yoga, with CBD oil you can counter this and get faster recovery from aches.
CBD also helps with concentration. And although you might not see yoga as something to concentrate on, you actually are while you are doing the asanas.
Your focus during the asanas will be stronger and you’ll get more benefit from the introspective learning process of yoga.
Conclusion
Whether you wanna do drugs while practicing yoga is up to you, I merely stated some facts found within some philosophical scriptures. But as I mentioned before, never do yoga or any spiritual practice just on your own. Always practice with a licensed and experienced teacher.
Be safe and take care of yourself.
Nama-stay wonderful!
