Meditation Monday

Make Your Own: DIY Cannabis Meditation Candle

The use of aromatherapy dates back centuries to monasteries and temples across the globe so it’s no surprise that the scented candle industry continues to thrive. Aside from the aromatherapy connection to scented candles they can also have some other benefits. Candlelight most closely resembles sunlight in the way that it makes the shadows and angles in the room more gentle. As a result of the pleasing light we are able to focus better and find a deeper concentration than before igniting the flame.

A candle will nourish the environment and can even alter a surly mood and with the right aromas added in. Certain fragrances promote various emotions and trains of thought so intentionally scenting candles can be an empowering experience. Cannabis is an aroma that can help someone reach deeper meditative thought and promotes relaxation even in the most stressful environment. Many religious cultures used cannabis as incense before it was discovered as a psychoactive inhalant and cannabis scented incense can even be found in almost every head shop. Just in time for holiday season we are excited to break down how to make our own cannabis scented soy candle.

You Will Need:

  • 1 lb. Soy Candle Wax
  • Hemp Wick
  • 14 oz. Mason Jar
  • Hot Glue Gun
  • 1 Piece Card Stock
  • A Double Boiler
  • Food Thermometer
  • Oven Mitts
  • 1 oz. Hemp Seed Oil

Step 1: Use the double boiler (a glass bowl on top of a saucepan with boiling water also works) to melt the candle wax on medium-low heat. While watching the wax take the hot glue gun and adhere the wick to the very center of the bottom of the glass jar. Be sure to measure an excess of hemp wick to be trimmed later.

 

Step 2: While still keeping an eye on the melting wax cut the cardstock to be larger than the jar but with about ⅕ of the card removed to reveal a pouring area in the top of the candle. Cut a hole in the middle of the card stock to suspend the hemp wick completely perpendicular to the bottom of the jar. This prepares the candle receptacle for pouring.

 

Step 3: Once all of the wax is melted let it cool to 120-140°F before adding 1 oz. of hemp seed oil. This is also the time to add coloring for anyone interested. To speed up the cooling process pour the wax into a room temperature glass container.

 

Step 4: Pour the wax into the jar leaving about 1 cm of space from the top of the jar to the wax. Allow to cool completely and trim the wick to ½’’.

Feel free to decorate the jar and give out as gifts this holiday season, a welcome gift, or even for bridesmaids gifts. Cannabis scented candles can help make a yoga practice go that much deeper, enhance a meditation practice, help us release stress after a super long day, and even help a masseuse get out more tension. Hemp oil is available and legal across the country just as long as it remains lower than a specific percentage of THC (the psychoactive compound in the plant). It should be easy to find in almost any state and if not, online. Have you ever used incense or candles to enhance a specific mood?


Drink More Water, Less Stress

The human body is made up of anywhere from 50-75% water, with the average person ranging usually sitting somewhere between 50-65% made of water. Dehydration happens when our water intake isn’t equal to our water output, and since our bodies use water for so many important jobs dehydration can completely stop our productivity. It has been said that the average person works through about 2-3 liters of water per day, which measures out to about 8 glasses. This statistic is where the recommended water intake comes from but for some of the more superficial benefits more than that would be ideal.

Aside from making us feel balanced and prepared for our day having an adequate amount of water also has these primordial effects on basic health.

When our bodies have enough water they use it to:

  • Regulate internal body temperature.
  • Building block of cells.
  • Metabolize carbohydrates and proteins, aid in digesting and swallowing food.
  • Lubricate joints.
  • Acts as a shock absorber by insulating the brain, organs spinal cord and fetus (if there’s one in there).
  • Flush waste and toxins from the body.

These crucial functions in the body make water essential to life, but it can have some superficial benefits as well. These beauty and psychological benefits include making skin more clear and lustrous and helping to control calorie intake by replacing more highly caloric beverages. One of the most relevant benefits of getting enough water in our systems daily is the connection between stress and water intake. There is a well documented connection between dehydration and stress that causes many scientists to concur that the stress that a water deficit can have on our organs translates to higher stress levels all around. Director of performance nutrition at Athletes’ Performance Amanda Carlson, RD stated that “being just half a liter dehydrated can increase your cortisol levels. Cortisol is one of those stress hormones… When you don’t give your body the fluids it needs, you’re putting stress on it, and it’s going to respond to that.”

With at least 75% of the citizens in the United States not drinking enough water, we have to ask ourselves what the culprit might be. Many Americans turn to caffeinated beverages, sodas and sports drinks when they’re feeling thirsty. The issue with this response to the body’s call for more water is that these popular thirst quenchers will only further dehydrate us due to the toxic additions of caffeine, sugar and some other harmful chemicals. To get the right amount of water daily we’ve just got to ovary up and drink the clear stuff. Some people say that they absolutely ‘hate the taste of water’, for them I’d suggest adding fresh fruits and/or vegetables to your water to add a bit of flavor. Some good places to start are mint strawberry water or lemon cucumber water, just be sure not to leave the fresh foods in water for too long because the flavor will turn sour eventually. Similarly, fruits and vegetables are made up of a lot of water, so adding more of these colorful little buggers to our diet can help us keep our water levels balanced.

Cannabis and Water Intake

With common occurrences like cotton mouth in the marijuana community it’s obvious that having water around while medicating is a good idea. Even more crucial than drinking water and smoking is drinking water while eating edibles. In order to give us those beloved effects edibles are using our body’s nutrients, which can make us feel tired and stressed. Have a bottle of water and a nutritious snack nearby in case things begin to make a turn for the worst.

 

Personally, to ensure that I get enough water I keep my Nalgene water bottle nearby at all times. I am to drink four full bottles per day but usually get somewhere around two or three. Do you have any tips for getting enough water? What is your favorite fruit water recipe? We’d love to hear in the comments below.


Inspirations from Rebecca Campbell with a Guided Meditation

This month Rebecca Campbell released her second book entitled Rise Sister Rise which works as a manual on how to unpack the wisdom from within ourselves. With this book, Campbell hopes to awaken the power that women have stifled as they climb up higher and higher in our patriarchal society. As she says in her Rise Sister Rise Youtube video, “It’s time to awaken a new era of sisterhood on the planet. One where we draw our worth from deep within instead of looking to the outside world to decide it for us… The only way to heal the world around us is if we first heal ourselves.” One of the reasons that Campbell’s books, videos, meditations and workshops are so popular is because she can so easily take ancient concepts and make them relatable to almost anyone from any generation. This is what makes Rebecca Campbell so special, her voice resonates across society despite age, race or creed.

Above all else Campbell is a lightworker, which has inspired the content of her first book Light is the New Black. This book is a “down to earth relatable mix of one girl’s journey, channeled messages from the universe, really practical tools and also metaphysical marketing in this new digital age.” She takes her experience from her own awakening combined with the work experience she accrued at a top digital marketing firm. The motivational author reached her 30th birthday and her entire life began crashing down. Her long term relationship ended, her best friend died very suddenly and her job ceased being fulfilling seemingly overnight. In this time of turmoil she became awake to the light that existed within her; this light gave her the power to overcome this trauma and her goal is to help other women awaken to this same fabulous concept. If we can all become our true selves in light then, as Campbell believes, we can also create more valuable and positive relationships with those around us.

Releasing Inner Light

This concept of light work takes a deep understanding both of the facets of what we consider self and a deconstruction of the ego that often disguises itself as such. It is much easier to do the work that Campbell is talking about after regularly practicing meditation. If we’re brand new to meditation then a guided meditation is definitely the way to go. Guided meditations can come in many forms and they are generally audio files or directions given by an elder. I decided to share a meditation today that was shared with me by a powerful elder Randy David Jeffers who has since passed on.
Randy and his partner Patrick F. Ferry owned and operated a shop called The Sword & The Rose right in the nestled away Cole Valley district of San Francisco city. It was in this little shop nestled in the back of the garden that Jeffers shared with me a meditation that helped me understand how to begin opening myself to reveal my inner light. This goddess meditation utilizes the chakra system which advances in rainbow order so the Root Chakra is red, Sacral Chakra is yellow, following rainbow colors all the way up to the Crown Chakra which is purple. Chakras are meant to be circular (wheel) gateways for Kundalini energy which is essentially the light energy of the Earth. I’m including this meditation because it is a fabulous way to first begin opening ourselves up to the subtle feminine energies of the Earth that fuel a lightworker. Read more about meditations and light work at Rebecca Campbell’s website if this post speaks to you or if you’ve felt these energies 

Guided Goddess Meditation

Find a quiet space outside where the wind blowing through the trees is the most prominent sound there is to hear, if inside is the only option it’s fine but try to find a place outdoors as it’s a more effective way to stimulate the energies of the Earth. Sit down in the grass and get into a comfortable cross-legged position, it’s important that the Root Chakra (located right at the perineum) is touching the ground. Place the hands gently on the legs and let them guide themselves into a mudra of their choosing, if this is all new to us then just place the thumb and forefinger together ever so gently.

Without too much force let the top and bottom eyelids meet in the middle and start to become aware of any warm or tingly sensations in the hands or arms. Try to harness that warmth in the Root Chakra and feel it spinning (Chakra means wheel) clockwise, feel more energy moving up from the Earth and spinning the Root Chakra even more strongly and with more ‘light’. Once this rotation feels solid, continue with each chakra and white light (I like to use a sparkly white light but to each their own). Once we reach the Crown Chakra and feel that energy moving we launch all of that beautiful Chakra charged light up to the goddess. She rains that back down upon the Earth, charging the world with it. This is a clearing and inspirational meditation and I’d love if you tried it. It has helped me find my voice, visualize my life path and just clear out any bad energy I’ve soaked up on my life journey.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_7AZ5RtnQ4

Practicing meditations like this paired with cannabis can be powerful if we are knowledgeable about our dose and the clarity of our minds. For some people cannabis can make our thoughts wander but for others it can be a powerful tool in quieting the mind. Meditation will help us open up more deeply to Rebecca Campbell’s invitation to take hold of our light magic. The inspirational speaker and author offers guidance and life coaching for those that feel they need more help than articles and videos. Her new book should help more women than ever believe in themselves enough to bring even more light to our constantly dimming society.
Do you use cannabis in a meditation practice? I like to smoke a really heavy Indica while sitting in my meditation space, it helps me to quiet my mind. What is your favorite way to meditate? We can’t wait to hear about it in the comments.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7GVU-S7LgM