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How I Support My Yoga Practice With Full-Spectrum Hemp Oil
I find practicing yoga to be beneficial on many different levels and after a decade of doing yoga, I welcome new ways to expand and improve my experience. When I learned about some of the properties of full-spectrum hemp oil I knew that I needed to try it. The result? I’ve found hemp oil to be a great way to support and increase the benefits of my practice, whatever the reason I’m on the mat that day.
You don’t have to be a long time practitioner to see the benefits either. If you’re just starting out your practice or you only find yourself doing yoga occasionally, you may see the benefits of introducing hemp oil even more! As a yoga newbie, you may find that introducing hemp oil into your practice makes it that much easier to recover and relieve newly sore muscles, or that it helps you calm your mind and go more deeply into restorative and yin practices.
Here are a few ways I’ve integrated hemp oil into my daily yoga practice:
Strength and Flexibility: Power Yoga & Hemp Oil
Yoga is a great way to build strength and flexibility, in fact, preliminary has research shown that it may improve lung capacity and aerobic fitness! This was why I originally began practicing yoga. After injuring my knees from running I was in search of a new form of exercise, and I needed something that allowed me to build strength and feel active while also keeping me safe from further injury.
When I first started I found myself confronting fears that came up during challenging poses as well as frustration around my lack of flexibility. Over time this came to be one of the additional benefits that I love about yoga – the physical aspects of it play into mental strengthening and wellness as well. So while I especially enjoy the relaxing benefits of hemp oil for restorative classes, I’ve found it to be equally great during more intensive, physical classes. Similar to my experience during slower more contemplative practices, I’ve found that hemp oil supports me in maintaining focus and feeling good in my practice even as I’m confronting challenges or struggling to stay present.
Stress Relief: Yoga & Hemp Oil
If you’re anything like me, you’ll find it more challenging to stay still and calm during slow-moving classes like Yin Yoga than it is to do fast-moving, strength building classes. It’s during these slow-moving, restorative classes that I find taking a dose of hemp oil half an hour before class to be especially beneficial. I find it easier to focus my mind and relinquish control for an hour, helping me achieve a calmer mind and body than I normally do. (These days my main concern is not getting too relaxed and drifting off to sleep!)
Recovery: Hemp Oil
Hemp oil is great for me when it comes to recovery from yoga. As mentioned above, I find taking hemp oil before or after a class helps me remain relaxed and focused which means I’m far less likely to strain myself and pull a muscle during my class. Additionally, full-spectrum hemp oil is packed with phytonutrients and cannabinoids which I like to take to help with any potential inflammation that might occur after a hot yoga class or an especially physically challenging class.
If I find myself particularly sore after a yoga class I’ll also use a salve to pinpoint specific muscles that often tighten up after class, especially if we’ve done a new pose or I’ve been using muscles I don’t normally use. Another great way to use hemp oil for recovery is to put some hemp oil in a hot bath along with other beneficial essential oils (or if I’m feeling crafty I’ll use this recipe to make some great hemp oil/CBD bath bombs!)
Choosing The Right Hemp Oil For Your Practice: Quality
When choosing what hemp oil to use for your practice there are a few things to consider. First and foremost for me was finding the highest quality hemp oil. That meant choosing one that was grown sustainably and third-party tested. It would feel incongruent to support my yoga practice – one meant to bring balance to my life and ease to my body – with a product that didn’t keep the planet in mind.
Additionally, there are a lot of hemp products out there that have been grown & processed without care which can result in low-quality hemp oil that at best doesn’t provide all the benefits I’m looking for and could potentially contain harmful chemicals or heavy metals. Again, not what I want to be introducing into my body while in pursuit of wellness!
Choosing The Right Hemp Oil For Your Practice: Full-Spectrum Is Best
My second focus was on making sure the hemp oil I was using was a full-spectrum hemp oil, as opposed to a CBD isolate. The benefits of hemp oil are so much more than the much-hyped cannabinoid CBD that is so often the focus of hemp products. Full-spectrum hemp oil made from the whole plant is rich in phytonutrients like flavenoids (the very same nutrients that make fruits and vegetables so good for you!) and over 100 different phytocannabinoids that work in harmony with each other to amplify the effects of each individual cannabinoid in a phenomena known as ‘True Entourage EffectTM.’
Choosing The Right Hemp Oil For Your Practice: Capsule, Tincture, or Salve?
Conclusion
These days, yoga and hemp oil go hand in hand for me. Sometimes my primary reason for practicing is exercise, sometimes it’s stress relief, other times it is a social activity, or simply a relaxing way to spend a Sunday afternoon. I always ask my body what it’s in the mood for, and which type of hemp oil product feels best for me in the moment.
As you move into integrating hemp oil into your practice (or your occasional yoga class, or as you start off a practice) you’ll find that there’s just the right combination for you – I like to take hemp oil before class but you may find that it’s better taken after class, or perhaps it’s more beneficial to you as a topical treatment instead of taken internally.
Just like yoga itself, it’s up to you to make it your own and to find the right way to achieve the greatest benefits. So ask your body what’s right for it, and make sure to check out all the different types of hemp oil products that Synchronicity offers – tinctures, capsules, roll-ons, or salves.
