International Day of Yoga – five ways CBD can enhance your practice

We need no excuse to celebrate the value of yoga, but adding CBD to your practice could enhance the benefits for body and mind.

The International Day of Yoga has been celebrated annually on 21 June since 2015, following its inception in the United Nations General Assembly in 2014.

In recent years, yoga has become increasingly popular with the wellness tribe, who have cottoned onto its myriad of benefits for body and mind.

But the roots of the ancient practice can be traced back to Northern India over 5,000 years ago, where some say it originated from the Indus-Sarasvati civilisation.

Others have noted references to yoga between 500 BCE and 200 BCE, when the philological ideas of Hinduism and Buddhism were beginning to take shape.

While for serious practitioners yoga is a way of life – not just a work-out – it’s understandable that more of us are exploring the benefits of a vinyasa flow, given the relentless stressors of modern-day life. 

Focusing on strength, flexibility and breathing to boost mental and physical health, not only is yoga great for soothing the mind in the short term, it also teaches participants how to address their anxiety in the longer term too. 

But while the main reason many of us partake in yoga is to ease anxiety, it can be difficult to shake thoughts and feelings enough to allow us to fully commit to the practice. 

This is where CBD comes in. 

Yoga and cannabis have a long history. Cannabis is a sacred plant in India and has been smoked by Saddhus (wandering holy men) in conjunction with yoga practices for centuries.

Here are five benefits to adding a dose of CBD to your daily practice.

Reduce anxiety and heighten relaxation

Studies have found that CBD can reduce our anxiety levels and promote relaxation, as a result enhancing our yoga practice.

In a study from 2010, for example, subjects with social anxiety disorder were given CBD and tested using statistical parametric mapping (a method used to record brain activity). They showed lowered anxiety levels as well as significant activity in the brain areas associated with emotions and motivation. 

Many people find that CBD helps them to switch off and relax at the end of the day, when better to give it a try than before a nourishing yoga session. 

Help improve focus and concentration

Yoga is all about promoting awareness of the present moment, but it can be hard to focus when your mind is feeling overwhelmed with thoughts racing at 100mph.

By using CBD to decrease some of those anxious feelings, users will find it easier to clear their mind of negative thoughts, and to focus solely on the present moment.

While it is often touted as a sleep aid, at the right dose, CBD can improve energy levels and concentration and many find it helps ease brain fog, so you are able to tune in and focus on the flow. 

Ease pain and inflammation 

If you’ve always wanted to try yoga but struggled due to a pre-existing condition, CBD could be part of the solution to getting your practice underway.

With its pain relieving properties, CBD can allow sufferers to fully partake in a yoga practice and begin to reap the benefits the exercise can bring for their condition. 

But whether you’re a yoga novice or a long-time practitioner, it’s not uncommon to suffer from aches and pains after a session. 

Sore muscles after working out are often referred to as delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). This can happen if you change your routine, start a new exercise programme or increase the intensity of your workout.

CBD is a potent anti-inflammatory that can help ease these symptoms to get you back on the mat.

Allow for deeper postures

When our muscles are relaxed, it’s much easier to find those trickier poses we often aspire to.

Using topical CBD products or patches to target particularly troublesome areas of the body, may help you to find deeper postures and make your practice more enjoyable overall. 

A 2016 animal study looked at the effect of the remedy, finding that topical gel reduced joint swelling with no significant side effects.

Topicals can also contain other soothing ingredients such as lavender or chamomile which could help to heal the muscles faster and encourage relaxation and good vibes on the mat. 

Prolong feelings of ‘bliss’

CBD can also help to prolong the feelings of bliss obtained during Savasana. 

When we feel good, our brain produces a neurotransmitter called Anandamide, which is broken down quickly in the body and so doesn’t offer a perpetual state of bliss. 

CBD, however, has been found to suppress the enzymes that break down Anandamide, therefore creating longer lasting effects.

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