Just when we thought we’d heard it all, folks in the UK and the US have taken it up a notch to reach yoga nirvana, with CBD Yoga. They have combined cannabidiol (CBD) and yoga to give your downward dog that little leg up with ‘relaxation’.
“Cannabidiol is a non-psychoactive compound extracted from industrial hemp specifically bred to have controlled tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) levels in it,” says Simi Sugathan, risk assessment scientist and founder, Safety Monitor Research Foundation, Bengaluru. Kerala-based Dr Sayed Tahir Hassan explains, “Selling of CBD oil extracted from the leaves of hemp is legal in our country. Usage of CBD helps to delay the destruction of the endocannabinoid cells that makes the endocannabinoid system in the human body. This system is responsible for maintaining different body functions like appetite, reward function and sleep. It also helps to reduce anxiety and gives us a relaxed feel.” Dr Hassan is a member of the Society of Cannabis Clinicians, California and has been studying about CBD for the past four years.
Vinesh Chandrakant, co-owner of CBD Store India that sells CBD oil for the past one year, says, “Most people buy our products for neurological or mental illness. We sell only to those with medical prescriptions.”
For CBD Yoga, cannabidiol products are either ingested or applied on the body. Cheri Smith in California, who touts herself as ‘The CBD Yoga Teacher’, says she has been practising yoga from 1999. She also claims to have studied the cannabis plant and CBD before taking up CBD Yoga one-and-a-half years ago. For CBD Yoga, Cheri puts a few drops of CBD oil under her tongue a few minutes before her practice. “I wait for it to absorb for 30 seconds and this makes me feel relaxed in the next two to three minutes. I also use CBD lotion on sore muscles or achy joints before the yoga practice,” she says. “The amount of product to be used differs from person to person and depends on their weight, metabolism and severity of symptoms. I suggest to them the quantity that can be used,” she explains.
“Yoga itself is good to relax and decrease stress. Combining it with CBD enhances this effect. CBD Yoga induces relaxation and helps reduce blood pressure, reduce anxiety, thus promoting the overall health and wellness of a person,” she claims.
In this column, we demystify the buzzwords in wellness
