Okay, you’re sick of hearing about it, but meditation is amazing for your health. Meditation has been proven to reduce stress, increase happiness, improve cardiovascular and immune health, and even slow aging. That’s all great stuff, so why aren’t we all doing it? Well, it’s fricking hard. Anyone who has ever tried knows how difficult and frustrating meditation can be. Just finding the time alone is hard, but then when you do all you can think about it how hungry you are, that thing you forgot to do, and on top of that your dog won’t stop licking it’s butt. It’s like when someone tells you not to think of the colour red and then literally all you can think of is the colour red. Every time you tell your brain, ‘Okay, stop thinking.’ It replies with, ‘THINK ALL THE THINGS.’ Meditation can become a regular practice by anyone though and there are two things that can help:

All the weed

Realize you’ve already been meditating a lot

It’s a controversial topic and many ‘purist’ meditation folks would argue that smoking weed and meditating is a big no-no, but I’m here to say, in the voice of Rihanna, ‘you do you’. Weed can be used like any other herb, as a supplement. No one is going to scold you for having a cup of herbal tea before you meditate and they shouldn’t do it about smoking some weed either. Meditation is just being in the present moment, and you do that every day—even if it’s brief. Creating a meditation practice is just carving out a time to practice this–and be aware of it –daily.

Why Combine Them?

Smoking weed and meditation have very similar effects on the nervous system (in most cases). They lower the sympathetics (fight or flight), and increase the parasympathetics (rest and digest)–this is exactly why weed is so healing. When our sympathetics are lower, that’s when we are more able to be in the present moment, feel less stress, improve the body’s self-healing, and feel happier. Whether you have been meditating for a long time, or just starting out, adding weed into your ritual can create a profound practice.

The key to having a mediation practice with weed is finding a strain that works for you. Are you smoking in the morning? Then try a sativa like Lamb’s Bread that helps you feel super positive, or Laughing Buddha, which is known to help you feel more serene. If you prefer to meditate before bedtime then an Indica strain might be better. Try Hindi Kush, which is popular among meditators for its hypnotic qualities or Kosher Kush which is known to create a euphoric and peaceful mindset. If the psychoactive affects are not what you’re after, then try a CDB oil which can help you feel more present but not make you feel high.

How To Combine Them

Find a comfortable place to sit. Making a little space where you meditate specifically can be useful in developing a regular practice. This can either be a little alter that you place your favourite things on (think: really cool rock, or a photo of David Bowie) or it can be a chair. Point is: get comfy.

Create your own ritual with smoking weed before a meditation. Some people like to burn some palo santo, or roll a joint with an herbal blend (skull cap, rose, lavender, etc.) that will help you feel relaxed. Even holding a crystal that aids in meditation (clear quartz or amethyst) can help. I personally like to take a moment to thank mother nature for marijuana and bless it. There is no wrong or right way to work smoking into your meditation practice, but make it your own.

Start focusing on your breath. This can be done by just focusing on your lungs filling and emptying or by counting.

You can either continue to focus on your breath or start repeating a mantra (this can be as simple as saying, “I am”, or, “thank you”, or “Let the ruling classes tremble at a Communistic revolution. The proletarians have nothing to lose but their chains. They have a world to win. Workingmen of all countries unite.” Just a simple saying that calms you.

Just keep trying. It won’t happen right away and it won’t be consistent. It’s called a brain exercise or practice for a reason. If you keep getting distracted just keep coming back and over time you will get better at training your brain to be present.