How to Use CBD with Yoga

Many people love yoga for its mind-engaging moves and deep breath exercises that promote physical and mental well-being. So, with the recent hype on CBD as the best supplement for relaxation, combining it with yoga has the potential to give you great wellness benefits.

CBD products during your yoga routines can help you feel even more relaxed and calm since it can potentially reduce stress and promote your overall well-being. Whether you are new to CBD or yoga, this blog will guide you on how these two complement each other for an enhanced wellness experience.

Understanding CBD and Yoga

CBD, cannabidiol, is one of the hundreds of cannabinoids sourced from hemp. However, CBD is among the non-psychoactive compounds which induce no high effect. Even then CBD compound maintains a highly therapeutic property, making it more popular.

When ingested into the human body, CBD interacts with the endocannabinoid system, which regulates different critical body functions. These include pain control, sleep processing, immune response, and appetite regulation.

Upon interaction with the receptors in the endocannabinoid system, CBD enhances the regulation of various physiological processes, ensuring a peaceful, relaxed and balanced state.

What is Yoga?

Yoga involves performing various physical postures(asanas), controlled breathing exercises (pranayama), and light meditation. These holistic practices are intended to enhance the connection between mind and body to cultivate inner peace and promote relaxation.

Whether practised for stress relief, spiritual growth, or physical fitness, yoga offers a transformative approach through tons of techniques. Its ethical principles allow people of all ages and fitness levels to practice it for individual benefit.

Some of the different yoga techniques you may need to explore include Bikram yoga, which has 26 poses and is perfect for anyone interested in burning up to 600 calories. Anusra yoga is intended to boost inner strength, and ensure your overall flexibility as well as body and mind relaxation.

You can practice Hatha yoga, which is the oldest and involves slower and more relaxed poses, making it the best starting technique for beginners.

Benefits of Combining CBD with Yoga

Combining CBD with yoga offers several wellness benefits that ensure you have an effective practice. Yoga on its own has endless benefits for your overall well-being. Some of these include reduced stress and anxiety, enhanced energy levels, improved sleep quality, better core strength, flexibility, etc.

So here is why you would want to combine CBD with your yoga practices:

Improved Focus and Presence

Yoga needs your ability to stay focused and present in the practice. So, taking CBD enhances your mental clarity and focus, allowing you to fully engage with every pose and connect with your breath. Some yoga techniques have increased muscle movements, so CBD's clarity helps you better understand your body without losing focus on the movements.

Deeper Relaxation

The group settings for yoga, controlled breathing, and various physical poses act as a distraction from anxiety and any stressors. Taking CBD in this state induces its calming properties, promoting an enhanced sense of calmness with inner peace.

This lets you into a relaxed state of mind where you focus on your wellness journey without the burden of self-consciousness related to physical or emotional stress and tension.

Faster Recovery

Some intense yoga techniques may make your muscles sore, especially for first-timers. Taking your CBD-infused drink or using CBD topicals ensures a faster recovery making it easier for you to return to the practice refreshed.

Balanced Energy levels

CBD’s therapeutic potential of promoting balance within the body ensures your energy levels are stabilised throughout the day. When you practice yoga with CBD supplementation at strategic times, especially in the morning, you are able to set a positive tone for the day. This means a steady source of energy and an enhanced sense of well-being to carry you through your daily activities with greater ease.

Quality Sleep and Better Rest

CBD has the potential to support healthy sleep patterns after interaction with the endocannabinoid system. This means you can take advantage of its regulation of sleep-wake cycles and incorporate it into your yoga and meditation for an enhanced bedtime routine.

CBD Products for Yoga

The wellness market has different CBD products that you can incorporate into your yoga routine. These include:

CBD Topicals

CBD-infused lotions, creams, and balms are the best for localised relief. You can use them before or after your routine yoga practice. Just apply to the area of tension or discomfort on the skin for a comfortable and painless yoga session.

CBD Oils

Most people prefer CBD oils for their ease of use and versatility. You can add a few drops of CBD-infused oil to your beverage or smoothie before or after the sessions. Alternatively, considering its fast effects when applied sublingually, you can take one or two drops under your tongue for faster absorption.

CBD Vapes

Vaping CBD is another alternative for fast absorption by bypassing the digestive system. The process involves inhaling vaporised CBD oil through a disposable vape pen or any device of your choice for immediate relief during the yoga session.

Compared to most CBD products experience, vaping gives you a pleasant sensory experience with various flavours. You can choose fruity, natural, herbal, or customised flavours that align with your taste preferences.

Despite the quick-acting effects, vaping may not deliver prolonged effects to last the entire yoga session. So, this may need you to re-dose if you need long-lasting enhanced effects.

CBD Capsules

Capsules are much more convenient and can be taken anytime, even during the yoga session. Thecapsules for your meditation practices are often premeasured CBD powder that is encapsulated and ready to take with water when you want.

CBD Edibles

CBD edibles such as CBD gummies may also offer convenience with your CBD intake, depending on your preferences. However, chewing the gummies during the session may distract your focus, so you probably want to take them minutes before the yoga practice.

The gummies also offer spacious flavoured treats just like your favourite candy.

How to Choose the Right CBD for Yoga Practices

Choosing CBD for your practice and meditation involves considering different factors to ensure the product meets your needs.

Here are some tips to follow for an effective yoga practice:

Consider the Type of CBD

CBD is available in full and broad spectrum as well as CBD Isolate options. The full spectrum contains all cannabinoids, terpenes and the legal 0.2%THC. Broad spectrum has all ranges of cannabinoids in it with terpenes for the best sensory experience but without THC.

CBD isolate is a purified CBD form with no other cannabinoids. So, choose the type that best aligns with your expectations. For instance, for the entourage effect, full spectrum CBD is the best option, and for pure CBD effects, go for CBD isolate.

Decide on a Comfortable Consumption Method

Common options for CBD consumption include skin application for CBD topicals, oral ingestion for capsules or gummies, and sublingual administration for CBD oil. You can also choose to inhale vaporised CBD oils. Pick an option that feels comfortable for you without causing distractions during your yoga session.

Be Careful with the Potency and Dosage

CBD products have varying dosages depending on their potency. Ideally, if using the product for the first time, you want to start with lower doses and concentrations. This should help you understand the products' reaction in your body, after which you can adjust the doses to your growing wellness needs.

Go for Quality and Purity

Ensure you have a CBD product without heavy metals and any contaminants blended in the formulation. To ensure the utmost quality, buy CBD products from reputable brands and ensure each product has a certificate of analysis. The certificate is evidence of third-party tests in independent labs to confirm the product's purity.

Check the Ingredient List

If you are aware of your body’s sensitivity to certain diets, ensure the CBD product you pick has no ingredients that may react with your body. If unsure about any allergens or artificial additives, consult a healthcare provider for clarification.

When incorporating CBD into your yoga practices, you want to consider the best timing, whether after or before, depending on your goals. You also need to be sure about how you want the CBD to support you for an enhanced yoga experience. Moreover, it is also important that you monitor your body’s response and readjust the CBD intake accordingly for effective results.