What are Hypnagogic Naps?

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated November 2021. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

Hypnagogic naps are a prime example of the power of theta brainwaves.

A hypnagogic nap is one where you fall asleep and then through some loud stimulation immediately wake back up.

The classic method is to fall asleep in a chair with a steel ball in one hand and a wide metal pan placed below it. When the transition from wakefulness to stage 1 sleep occurs, the hand relaxes and the ball hits the pan, making a loud sound which wakes the user up.

The red dashed line at about the five minute mark is when a hypnagogic nap occurs. Hypnagogic naps provide a jolt of energy but the amount is insufficient if actual rest is needed. Hypnagogic naps are best performed as part of an experiment and exploration into the many states of consciousness.

Creatives such as Edgar Allan Poe and Salvador Dali used hypnagogic naps in their creative pursuits.

Transition from sleep into wakefulness is known as hypnopompic. Hypnagogic and hypnopompic are transitional "threshold consciousness" phases where hallucinations, lucid thought, sparks of genius, and lucid dreaming can occur.

Using binaural beats can make achieving a hypnagogic nap easier. Theta 4-8 Hz brainwaves are most dominant during a wake to sleep transition, so playing 5.55 Hz binaural beats primes brainwaves of that frequency. Use the video below for short hypnagogic naps or for longer theta binaural beat brainwave therapy.

How to Perform a Hypnagogic Nap

Below are the instructions on how to setup a hynagogic nap via the classic method (ball in hand).

1. Take a comfortable seated position and lay your arms over the top of the armrests. In one hand, place a heavy object like a stone or a metal ball. Turn on binaural beats if using. 42 Hz binaural beats is recommended instead of the 5.55 Hz track if trying to achieve lucid states and generate radical ideas.

2. Relax, close your eyes, and begin taking long deep breaths.

3. Sink deeper into relaxation by focusing on the breath and the thoughtlessness beyond. Deeper….deeper…

4. POW! The ball has dropped and you’re back!

Another easier way to perform a hynagogic nap is to set a timer for 15 minutes. Though you might not wakeup at the instant you transition to sleep, if a timer is set for 10-15 minutes before dozing off, it’ll start ringing while you’re still in stage 1 of sleep, providing the same benefits as the classic method. I prefer using a 15 minute timer because I find holding onto an object stops me from being able to fall asleep easily.

Entering into the nap calm and rested and a hypnagogic nap cycle takes about 5-10 minutes in total. If agitated and not at ease it can take 10+ minutes to eventually relax enough to then transition to sleep.

The best time to perform hypnagogic naps is on a quiet day free of stress. Mid-afternoon is a good time as there is a natural drowsy lull that sometimes occurs yet wakefulness is still dominant.

---

The Importance of Sleep

Sleeping is incredibly important for best mental health, lifespan, health, injury…every system in the body suffers if sleep is compromised. Hynagogic naps are one way to quickly rest and boost energy levels but they are not a replacement for regular deep sleep. Everything can be going great but if sleep has been poor then it needs to be the primary wellness focus.

How to choose Cannabis

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated November 2021. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

With reality warping chemicals, it is very important to consider the energetics and how they affect the experience. Cannabis is one of the most popular psychedelics people use worldwide to raise their level of consciousness.

Cannabis is a gentle quick-growing plant which produces cannabinoids like THC and CBD. Cannabis plants can grow to 2 meters tall or greater, and have good root systems which are electrically coupled with the Earth. Cannabis flowers into buds, which is where the majority of the cannabinoids are concentrated. Cannabinoids interface with the endocannabinoid system in the human body. The endocannabinoid system runs parallel to the nervous system, and it is through this shared overlapping footprint that THC, CBD, THCV, and other cannabinoids have their time dilation and psychedelic effects on the human experience.

When choosing a cannabis flower to use, either through an edible or dry vaporized, you must then consider the energetics the plant experienced during its growth. Was the cannabis grown indoors or outdoors? With pesticides or without pesticides. Were fertilizers used? Was the plant told it was loved?

With these considerations in mind, biodynamic cannabis is the best choice for all reasons. Biodynamic farming methods are based outdoors, use zero pesticides, and use natural land-derived fertilizers like compost. The people growing the cannabis on the biodynamic farm are also more likely to be spiritually evolved and freer of stress. The closer the alignment of the cannabis growers to source-energy, the better the users cannabis experience will be. When using cannabis at a noticeable dose, reality will warp in the direction of the energetic imprint the overall environment imparted on the cannabis plant during it’s growth. Plants remember and have behavior. Chemicals and changes in the physical environment also imprint the cannabis plant with information.

The consciousness of the grower and the environment in that location will be the consciousness experienced by the user. Cannabis flower being grown biodynamically from a highly evolved spiritual person could lead to a spiritual awakening when used. On the other end of the spectrum, cannabis grown in darkness with heavy chemicals attended to by stressed and/or fearful workers will confer upon the user a radically different experience. More broadly, the energetics of an environment will affect the consciousness of everything in that environment.

With laws around the world changing as they are, cannabis is increasingly becoming available. If unable to grow cannabis yourself in your own energetic environment, then the user must be fully conscious when choosing which cannabis they purchase. Using bud grown in a low frequency environment will lead to a lower frequency vibrational state being experienced, with higher frequency being desirable. The benefit of outdoor growing is that the energetic imprint of mother Earth’s consciousness can have the biggest effect on the energetics of the cannabis. The Earth is superconscious compared to a human being, and the more wild yet abundant in resources (water, light, nutrients, etc) a growing environment has, the bigger the imprint Earth will have on the growth of the cannabis. In fact this is true for any organism.

---

2021 Cannabis Crop (1 male 3 females) about 1 month before harvest

This is my best result growing cannabis thus far. I created a mini hügelkultur in the bottom of this large pot, starting with a layer of decomposed stump in the very bottom, then dandelion leaves, native mushrooms found in the nearby creek environment, then wood chips and topped with a composted 100% natural potting soil. This cannabis is being grown 100% biodynamically, with no fertilizers or pesticides being used. This was an extremely low maintenance grow, as I was away for the summer, and I was impressed by how well they all did considering all they were given were water. Using the hügelkultur methods and preloading the containers with natural resources was a big help in creating a self-sufficient ecosystem for the cannabis and other organisms to thrive in.

This guide can be applied to food, water, air, and other resources we all depend on. When stuck in a stagnant low energetic state, examine the environment, food, water, air, and people you surround yourself with to better understand what factors are dragging you down and then strategize how to change the energetics you consume and surround yourself with.

How to Establish Schumann Brainwave REsonance

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated November 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter! All YouTube videos are of my production.

The Schumann resonances are global electromagnetic fields in the 7-45+ Hz frequency range, overlapping human brainwaves in frequency and photonic power. The magnetic field strength of the Schumann resonances and brainwaves is the same at around 1-10 pT.

The human brain produces Schumann resonances though thoughts and cognition. Neurons of the hippocampi in particular, the part of the brain (located on both sides) responsible for memory, learning, focus, and new brain cells, pulse at an approximate 8 Hz frequency. Under unique circumstances, the brain can pulse in widespread electric synchronicity, enabling energy and information transfer between all parts of the brain simultaneously, reorganizing consciousness in the process. High-frequency widespread brainwave synchronicity is like a symphony, it requires a conductor, and the metronome the body uses is the heartbeat and the 7.8 Hz Schumann resonance.

Energy and information is stored in electromagnetic waves, and both energy and information are valuable to life. A sudden idea gives you great success! Physical and mental energy enables you to accomplish your desired objectives every day.

The Earth environment creates electromagnetic waves at Schumann frequencies (7.8, 14, 20, 25-26, 33, 39, 45 Hz) due to lightning strikes (all frequencies), earthquakes and seismic stress (10-30 Hz), and solar interactions with the ionosphere (all frequencies). The magnetic field of the Schumann resonances is carried easily through the atmosphere without much attenuation, whereas the electric field of the Schumann resonances is carried easily through the Earth’s surface as telluric currents without much attenuation. To best connect with the Schumann resonances are need to interact with the electric field component and the magnetic field component.

Human biology enables connection to the Earth’s magnetic field component of the Schumann resonances.

Air isn’t a great conductor of electricity so you won’t receive an energy boost from synchronizing your brainwaves to the Schumann resonances, but the magnetic field is well equipped to facilitate information transfer. Ferromagnetic cellular organelles in the brain known as magnetosomes have high magnetic orientation capabilities, and by vibrating with the frequency of the Schumann resonances, endogenous electric currents in the brain are stimulated via Faraday’s Law. These eddy currents may be of a low intensity, but when then synchronize to the Earth’s electric field of the Schumann resonances via earthing, it provides a strong enough timing signal free of charge that the brain can then devote its energy to endogenously creating the higher frequency waves of the Schumann resonances.

If the process can be repeated through skill most easily acquired through deep meditation, then those higher frequency signals can begin to trigger in the brain through the exogenous input and the brain can again step up the frequency of its endogenous energy consuming brainwaves. The higher the final frequencies achieved, the more information can be transfered and reorganized across the entire brain and nervous system

Faraday’s Law: An electric field is produced by a changing magnetic field

This is the base science of how the human brain and Earth’s Schumann resonances can enter into deep electromagnetic synchronicity with each other, opening up the Human-Gaia connection, a vast source of life wisdom. The fill in your understanding of this theory, watch my video below:

Now if you have the time and want to begin developing this skill of establish brainwave resonance with the Earth, I have a five minute wellness experiment for you as well as tools and resources below.

First, tune into your breath…observe it. How do you feel? Take note of your current mood.

Keep your focus on your breath and simply observe your existence. If you wish you can take notes of your experiences.

If you’re not already, find a quiet location free from electrosmog, like a park. Find your breath and slowly settle the mind down. Lie down or sit in lotus and listen to 7.83Hz Schumann Resonance binaural beats on low, just at the edge of audio detection. For best results use a pair of headphones. Binaural beats create brainwaves in the auditory nerve at the chosen beat frequency, and are useful in priming brainwave synchronicity at frequencies of your choosing, in this case the foundational and most power mode of the Schumann resonances.

When you achieve a deep meditative state and your imaginative centers are alight, you may find yourself having breakthroughs, insights, and epiphanies. Likewise, whatever you think or visualize now is broadcast into the Schumann resonances and vibrates around the world at the speed of light, circumnavigating the globe about 8 times per second. In connection to the Earth’s natural energy fields, you can begin to explore your energetic connections with others, places, and yourself. With a very slow heart rhythm, you can connect to the sub 1 Hz frequencies of the planet and be closer to the experience of the implicate order, the place beyond space and time where all possibilities exist. To learn more there research David Bohm and the holographic theory of consciousness.

What are the Schumann Resonances?

The Schumann resonances are ultra-low frequency 7.83Hz electromagnetic wave produced naturally by the Earth's electrical discharges in the atmosphere and by seismic stress. Because of their ultra-low frequency and long wavelength, it is able to pass through almost all materials, including the hard rock geology of the Earth, and exists worldwide.

Electromagnetic Power Density Plot of an undisclosed location. Y Axis = Amplitude, X Axis = Frequency.

Notice the high-amplitude spike at 50Hz; this is due to a 50Hz power grid.

All evolution on our planet which includes human evolution has occurred in the electromagnetic interference pattern of the Schumann resonances at 7.8 Hz, 14 Hz, 20 Hz, 25-26 Hz, 33 Hz, 39 Hz, and 45Hz. The video below is my beginner’s guide to the Schumann resonances.

Theta and Alpha Brainwaves

The frequency of the strongest (foundational) Schumann Resonance is 7.83Hz, which is the same frequency of theta and alpha brainwaves we produce being at the junction. Theta brainwaves are observed when in a relaxed, creative state of mind and also during lucid dreaming. Alpha brainwaves are observed when in a more alert and calm focused creative state of mind (1).

Brainwaves are very much a chicken and the egg scenario. The activities someone is doing, and the mood they are in, will determine what brainwaves are predominantly being generated. On the flip side, the mental state of mind and mood can be altered by selecting for certain brainwaves. One way to exert some control over this process is with binaural beats.

What are Binaural Beats?

A binaural beat consists of two waveforms at different frequencies that when propagating together combine into a lower frequency and high amplitude waveform. This is also known as a beat frequency and displays simples concepts of physics (i.e stacking waveforms) in action.

Binaural beats have the capability of entraining brainwaves (2), which makes them an excellent tool to use if desiring a enter into a certain brainwave pattern. 7.83Hz binaural beats played under parasympathetic conditions will promote relaxation, calm, reduce stress, enhance creativity, and improve general mood and well-being.

Binaural beats are most effective with headphones or a large speaker, but can also be played from a laptop, phone, or tablet effectively.

Learn the science of how binaural beats work with the following video: Binaural Beats - How They Work

Binaural Beats, Brainwaves, and the Schumann Resonance

The Schumann Resonance is electromagnetic radiation. The frequency of the sound waves from the video above are the same 7.83Hz, but they are not electromagnetic radiation. What the Schumann 7.83Hz binaural beats do though is entrain the brain to naturally begin producing Theta/Alpha brainwaves around or at the frequency of 7.83 Hz.

Modern electromagnetic manipulation from the electrical grid, radio stations, cell towers, WiFi routers, and other technologies have polluted the natural EMF spectrum which has lowered the signal-to-noise ration of the Schumann Resonances. In the context of health and wellness and the human bioelectrical system a noisier and less stable electromagnetic radiation background is disadvantageous.

Electromagnetic resonance between the human body and the world at large is not fantasy but scientific fact due to the physics of electromagnetism. Electromagnetic background radiation can be responsible for common health ailments like high blood pressure and anxiety (3,4).

---

Okay here’s where we end the experiment!

First, tune into your breath. Just observe it, don’t change its rhythm.

Now take note of how you feel, your mood, and your recent thoughts.

How does it compare to the start of the experiment?

There can be many different outcomes from this small experiment, so please share your observations in the comments below in order to create a larger dataset. Include any relevant details that help others understand your experience better.

To continue the “experiment” of observing how you feel and your mental changes during Schumann Resonance binaural beats, combine the effect with a nature immersion guided meditation with the video above. Schumann Resonance mode two 14Hz binaural beats are combined with the pleasing white noise of different waterfalls from Oregon, USA for a calming and empowering meditation all in less than five minutes!

Naturally Produce the Schumann Resonance

Binaural beats at a frequency of 7.83Hz are a tool you can use to best position yourself to naturally produce brainwaves at a frequency of 7.83Hz. Since the Schumann Resonance is a relatively strong electromagnetic wave that exists nearly everywhere, 7.83Hz binaural beats will help you to enter into electromagnetic resonance with the Earth-generated Schumann Resonance, promoting clarity and calm while creating a stronger spiritual connection with Mother Earth. For a more complete explanation as to what the Schumann Resonance, watch The Schumann Resonance | what is it? video or scroll up to where it’s embedded at the top.

For a long-term holistic effect that will improve your well-being and assist you with your spiritual growth, I suggest you leave the 7.83Hz binaural beat video quietly on loop on a dedicated device tucked away in the corner of your house somewhere.

To make reaching the Schumann Resonance brainwave state of mind easier, I suggest drinking green tea, which naturally helps to increase Alpha brainwaves. A cup of green tea in the morning creates a far more joyful and productive day than a cup of coffee, plus your gut health improves with it and you’ll lose body fat. That’s too good of a combination not to try.

For a greater understanding of this topic, both scientifically and spiritually, I highly recommend you read the books:

• The Holographic Universe by Michael Talbot

• Stalking the Wild Pendulum: On the Mechanics of Consciousness by Itzhak Bentov.

Disclosure: The links above are Affiliate links which do not affect your purchase price. The referral I receive helps to support the creation of new conscious media through my YouTube channel and my website Wild Free Organic. These two books have transformed my life, I highly recommend you read them thoroughly and prepare to have your world shaken in the best of ways!

---

References:

1. Raymond J, Varney C, Parkinson LA, Gruzelier JH. The effects of alpha/theta neurofeedback on personality and mood. Cognitive Brain Research. 2005;23(2-3):287-292.

2. Huang TL, Charyton C. A comprehensive review of the psychological effects of brainwave entrainment. Altern Ther Health Med. 2008;14(5):38-50.

3. Mitsutake G, Otsuka K, Hayakawa M, Sekiguchi M, Cornélissen G, Halberg F. Does Schumann resonance affect our blood pressure? Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy. 2005;59:S10-S14.

4. Ray R. Isochronic Tones in the Schumann Resonance Frequency for the Treatment of Anxiety: A Descriptive Exploratory Study. Saybrook University. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 2017. 10618726.

Experience From a Three Month THC Break

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated August 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

From the dates of August 20th, 2020 to November 14th, 2020 I took a break from all cannabis containing THC, a psychoactive cannabinoid. During this time I did consume small amounts (5-15 mg) of CBD here or there via gummies, and there was one CBD pre-roll I enjoyed, but I did not experience the effects of any psychoactive THC during this time. Having used THC regularly for the past few years, and then abstaining completely for 3 months, was a very enlightening experience.

Before I share what I learned from taking a 3 month THC tolerance break, I will share what I learned after four years of cannabis usage.

Four Years of Cannabis Experience

I first started experimenting with plant medicine around the age of 25. Before this I had never used cannabis or any other plant medicine because of the knowledge of how the brain is still developing until the age of 25. The brain still exhibits plasticity and the ability to change beyond 25, but most of the large structural changes are made from -9 months to 25 years of age.

At first I only consumed cannabis infrequently when with friends, and we burned our bud. Within a few months, I decided to pursue my understanding of cannabis further by purchasing a small oil vaporizer, which gives pre-measured doses of 2.5 mg and then shuts off. The quality wasn’t good like cannabis flower, but the ability to measure how different amounts like 2.5, 5, 10, and 15 mg made me feel was interesting and useful for a new user like myself.

Once that ran out, I began to consume cannabis more regularly. Knowing the benefits of vaporization over combustion I purchased some vaporizers from Healthy Rips, starting with the Fierce and then followed by the Fury Edge, both products I highly recommend. At times, I was consuming cannabis daily, sometimes many times a day, though never with huge amounts. I only used flower with my vaporizers, and dry herb vaporizers are so efficient at cannabinoid extraction that even with sometimes daily usage I never used more than 1 gram a week. I only purchased top shelf flower (the quality of which varies more than you’d expect), and as I learned the benefits of CBD I began to almost exclusively vaporize THC:CBD blends, from 4:1 to 1:4.

Exploring cannabis plant medicine and learning how to use it was a game changer for me for many reasons, and there were also some drawbacks.

Cannabis for Gut Health

When I first started using cannabis, I had serious gut health problems that I was actively working on healing. I had IBS, leaky gut, many food intolerances (with gluten being the worst), and a fructose intolerance. The anti-inflammatory effects of cannabis helped to soothe my gut issues and improved my digestion. Cannabis didn’t heal my gut…I was able to do that with a combination of mindfulness, dietary changes, fasting, and digestive supplements, but it did help to reduce uncomfortable symptoms and this allowed me to better address the bigger issues at hand (damaged intestinal tight junctions, pathogenic microbiome, inadequate vegetable intake).

Cannabis and Alcohol

Cannabis dramatically reduced my consumption of alcohol. Cannabis is stimulating and energizing for me, and I enjoy these effects much more than the depressing effects of alcohol. For social engagements, I began to use alcohol much less, instead using cannabis via dry vaporization. Removing alcohol from my life except in very rare circumstances has improved my mental health and has also dramatically helped with my gut health.

Cannabis opens the Third Eye

Cannabis opened my third eye and what was once a very slow spiritual progression began to increase exponentially. Pairing cannabis with meditation and yoga broadened my awareness, helped me to look inwards and discover my self. When used responsibly and with intention, cannabis can raise your consciousness.

Cannabis and Shadow Work

Cannabis opens spiritual “doors”, not only upwards but also downwards, and when I was using cannabis the most heavily, a light was shined on some inner work I need to do. This is often referred to as shadow work. Emotional trauma, dark truths about yourself, pain, fear, anxiety…all of this and more is hidden in our shadow selves. To become whole and fully aware of yourself, good and bad, and therefore to have more conscious awareness of your actions through life, it is important to explore both the light and dark inside. Shadow work cannot be ignored forever, and for the best healing results it needs to be done in a safe supportive environment.

Cannabis, specifically THC, can expose the shadow to the light, and if unaware or unprepared for this, it can be overwhelming, causing its own trauma and suffering. If I could go back in time I would caution my younger self to be aware of these effects and to use cannabis more responsibly and only in safe supportive environments.

Cannabis and Lung Health

For lung health, smoking cannabis flower is much worse than vaporizing it, but the inhalation of hot air below combustion temperatures (440 F) still can impact the health and function of the lungs. When consuming cannabis 4+ times a week, I coughed more and I had increased mucus production in the nasals. Vaporizing cannabis was therapeutic in that it was often the only time (before I started meditating frequently) I would take long deep breaths and enjoy that corresponding sense of calm, but vaporizing cannabis flower isn’t a zero impact event. It’s very important to have a regular breathing practice independent of any tobacco or cannabis usage.

Cannabis and Depression/Anxiety

Depending on your internal belief system, cannabis can make you more prone to be depressed or anxious. Because of its effects on time, using cannabis brings stronger awareness to the past and/or the future if the mind wanders there, and thinking about the future can be an anxious endeavor. Using cannabis daily definitely increased my anxiety, but it also made me more aware that I had anxiety, whereas before I was unaware of my anxiety and how I subconsciously changed my actions in order to avoid situations that made me anxious.

How cannabis is grown has an impact on the physical, mental, or emotional effects you experience. Outdoor, sun grown, biodynamic bud will tune you to a pleasing frequency as the plant itself experienced a pleasing life. Consume cannabis from a plant that had a stressful life under artificial lights, pesticides, and disconnected from the Earth, and your high may be stressful too.

Cannabis and Earth/Plant/Animal Connection

Using cannabis expands your awareness into the greater sphere of consciousness. Using cannabis over the past few years has made me more aware of the Earth and the fellow creatures we inhabit our beautiful planet with. All of us share and depend on the same resources. I now better understand the needs of plants, animals, and other humans and have grown much more empathetic.

---

In 2022 I stepped away from cannabis quite notably and have cut back my usage dramatically. Now I use CBD cream for the occasional pain and inflammation sore spot, or I enjoy some THC cannabis if i’m guided to it and it is of a high quality. I wrote my thoughts on why I’ve created more space in my relationship with the plant which I know many habitual users of cannabis will find useful.

My Experience with a Three Month THC Break

I decided to take a long duration THC tolerance break for a few reasons. First, I was traveling to a state where cannabis is legal only medically, so instead of getting a medical card I saw the move as an opportunity to clear my system. I took a long step back from THC cannabis so I could more clearly see how it was effecting me physiologically, psychologically, emotionally, and spiritually. I was also curious to see how fast cannabis cleared my system.

About a week after I stopped using cannabis, I took a five level THC pee test that showed that all THC had cleared from my system, which I was very surprised by. Since then I have taken other THC pee tests at various points during cannabis usage and after stopping usage and have noticed the following:

1. I clear cannabis from my system quickly, for others this may not be true

2. Vaporizing cannabis allows it to clear your system quicker as it’s not inhaled along with tars produced by smoke

Five faint lines meant I was below the detectable THC limit of 15ng/ml within a week of stopped usage. A previous test during regular cannabis usage placed me in the 50-100 ng/ml range.

For the first few weeks into the t-break, I noticed that while cannabis isn’t addictive like nicotine or sugar (and I didn’t experience any withdrawal symptoms), there was a longing for the state of mind it used to put me into. I had clearly created a groove in my brain by cannabis that I liked, and while these urges were never strong, there were there. Occasionally seeing cannabis related content didn’t help, though after a few weeks it didn’t trigger me any which way. This “longing” effect lasted 4-6 weeks, and for this reason a t-break shorter than a month won’t experience as strongly the benefits I am about to describe.

About six weeks in, I felt that I reached a point of complete desensitization to THC. I no longer missed cannabis in the way that I did prior, and I felt more strongly rooted in the present. I had a CBD pre-roll at the halfway point which contained no THC, and overall the pre-roll was a fun and calming experience, though a little hard on the lungs. It didn’t affect my t-break in any way I could tell.

The biggest benefit to going through a long THC break was that it improved my ability to be present and in the moment. While drifting into future possibilities can be fun and enlightening, and THC consumption makes this easier for me, no longer did these future possibilities create a sense of anxiety. My mind was less distracted and worried and I was better able to clear my mind and fully utilize all my senses to be more receptive to what is happening around me. Overall I’m happier! Consistent cannabis usage for me created a sense of tunnel vision, and while this can be used to increase focus, enter into a flow state, and get a lot of work done, it clouds your peripheral vision. There are many many things I missed when I used cannabis more regularly than if I had been in a more balanced state.

After not using THC for nearly 3 months, I discovered I am much more confident and no longer have any anxiety. I began meditating almost daily during this time, so the effects of this are partially due to my meditation practice. My period of cannabis sobriety made me more aware of the importance of eye contact and the confidence behind it, and now I enjoy direct and long lasting eye contact with others as it lets us understand each other’s mental and emotional state better. I can form stronger connections with people faster than before.

If struggling to break usage of THC or cannabis in general, then using a dry vaporizer to vaporize other herbs can ease the transition. The habit of smoking or vaporizing isn’t broken but cannabis is no longer used. Herbs good for vaporizing independent of cannabis include peppermint, chamomile, green tea, among many others.

Reintroducing Cannabis

After 3 months of not using any cannabis containing THC, I dry vaporized about 0.2 grams of a 2:1 CBD:THC blend using the Fury 2 by Healthy Rips. I vaporized this small bowl of cannabis flower twice, once at 365 F and again at 385 F. The first bowl I didn’t feel the effects of, and after the second higher temperature run I experienced a subtle psychoactive effect.

I was watching Hamilton (which is absolutely excellent), and I found I was better able to empathize with the characters and understand their struggles as if I was actually there. Using cannabis took me out of my present surroundings and immersed me into the late 1700’s. I also found myself relating that history and those experiences to the future and I was exploring the parallels of life across the ages. It was fun!

Overall I found my reintroduction to THC to be thought-provoking and enjoyable. It did cause me to completely lose track of time and I lost a lot of my awareness for the present, which can be good or bad depending on the situation. I don’t think this is purely a drawback as sometimes it is good to disconnect; it all depends on the frequency of usage. I also think that if used less frequently, the ratio of CBD:THC can be increased while still experiencing a similar psychoactive effect. This should cause less negative interactions.

The Fury 2 is Healthy Rips entry level herb vaporizer. It can heat herb from 320 to 430 F using convection and conduction technology. It has a stainless steel chamber and glass vapor path.

Overall I am very glad to have done an extended THC break, I found the whole process to be very illuminating and I have a much clearer understanding of how cannabis effects me physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Going forward, I am going to be much more intentional with my cannabis usage, saving it for purposeful explorations of spirituality, time spent in nature, or for healing activities like cannabis yoga. While I won’t impose upon myself a strict schedule of when I can use and can’t use cannabis, I don’t see myself using cannabis daily going forward. I want each experience to be maximally potent while also not being frequent enough for any long term effects such as brain chemistry changes or general haziness to develop.

A THC-break is just one way of incorporating discipline into ones life. Practicing abstinence builds emotional maturity, whether you are temporarily abstaining from alcohol, sex, cannabis, sugar, technology, or much more.

If you are currently a heavy user of cannabis, or you’ve never taken a long t-break after you first began using cannabis, I highly recommend you take a long THC fast, record your experiences, and reflect on what you learn from it all. Remember cannabis is a powerful plant medicine best used responsibly and not by anyone under the age of 25.

---

Medical Disclaimer: All information, content, and material of this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider.

Disclosure: Wild Free Organic is a member of various affiliate programs and if a purchase is made through one of our affiliate links a small commission is received. This does not affect your purchase price. Visit our disclosure page for more information.

---

More Articles on Cannabis

Cannabis for Raising Consciousness

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated August 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

The cannabis herb (also known as hemp, weed, marijuana, ganja) has been used across the world for spiritual elevation for thousands of years. Just as evidence exists for tool usage and hunting to have increased brain size, there is ample evidence to suggest that psychedelic herbs and mushrooms used over the course of evolution of the Homo genus helped to increase our ancestors consciousness. It is very likely cannabis co-evolved with Homo sapiens, helping to transform our brains into the neural powerhouses they are today.

Elevating consciousness and spiritual evolution go hand in hand, as spiritual growth paves the way for truth to be discovered, and absolute truth is what allows for higher states of consciousness to be achieved. Cannabis is a mild psychedelic that can be used to elevate consciousness and bring awareness to states of reality, ideas, and truths that otherwise are obscured by the constant distractions and wants of modern society.

Note - The human brain still developing up to the age of +/- 25. I would highly caution against using any consciousness altering substances like cannabis until then. Regular cannabis usage at any age alters brain recruitment and gray matter density in ways that have yet to be understood. Cannabis should be used responsibly.

Meditation can also be used to achieve these higher states of consciousness, no psychedelics required. The advantage of responsible cannabis usage to achieve higher states of consciousness is that it can take you there quickly and then softly float you back down, creating a reference point for your meditation practice in the process.

“What you don’t know exists won’t prompt you to discover it. ”

Personally, without cannabis I am unsure I would have ever begun my spiritual journey towards self-realization. Conscious cannabis usage opened up the door to spirituality and I’m glad I walked through. As I have grown spiritually, I have used cannabis less but more mindfully.

---

Use Cannabis with Intention

Elevating consciousness means raising awareness, increasing focus, and having intentions. Cannabis used “just to get high” and to escape from reality is not how you use cannabis for raising consciousness. The quality of the cannabis you use, how you use it, and the intentions you set are all very important when using cannabis for spiritual development. The goal is elevating consciousness is to better perceive truth, and using cannabis in a way that clouds and dulls the mind works against that ambition. If cannabis is being used for reaching higher states of consciousness, it must be done so cleanly and at the minimum effective dose. It is recommended for these reasons that only biodynamic cannabis is used, either through dry vaporization of flower or ingestion. Smoking or usage of any distillates is not recommended.

When using cannabis for a spiritual activity like meditation, yoga, intimacy, or a walk/hike through nature, set your intentions before consumption. Ask yourself what you would like the cannabis aid to help you accomplish or realize. Be emotionally calm and in a relaxed state of mind. Have your mantras or meditation practice prepared. Then, after consumption, use your breath and state of mind to manifest that which you seek. Raising consciousness is a journey that requires patience, so if expectation aren’t met, more cannabis isn’t the answer, nor will it help you achieve your aspirations faster. If it has been a while since you have last consumed, it will take just a little bit of cannabis to adequately activate the endocannabinoid system and raise your consciousness.

---

How to Use Cannabis for Elevating Consciousness

Cannabis has been used for spiritual purposes for thousands of years, and before the advent of modern technology, this was either through smoking of the cannabis plant or ingestion. Now with vaporizer technology, cannabis flower can be heated precisely anywhere below the minimum combustion temperature of 230°C (445°F). Compounds found in cannabis that vaporize into a gas at various temperatures below combustion include water, terpenes, and cannabinoids like THC and CBD. Smoking cannabis can release 100+ dangerous compounds whereas vaporization only vaporizes water, terpenes, and cannabinoids out of the plant material. Combustion temperatures also destroy the cannabinoids and much more plant material is required for the same effect. Waste not, want not! It is for these reasons that I do not recommend smoking cannabis.

Healthy Rips manufactures excellent vaporizers which maintain a plastic-free air path. The Fury Edge is portable, has excellent battery life, and produces great vapor and flavor.

Vaporizing cannabis will be the fastest in effect because the cannabinoids are absorbed quickly by bloodstream via lungs, and creates more of a head high. For a longer duration but flatter effect that effects the body and mind equally, cannabis can also be consumed. Cannabinoids will still need to be heated in order to activate into their bioavailable forms (THCa to THC, CBDa to CBD), and this is most often accomplished by creating a cannabis infused oil over light heat. Cannabis that is ingested takes a minimum of 1 hour to first be felt, so be very patient and cautious when consuming cannabis this way. 2.5 or 5 mg is a good starting dose which can be increased by the same amount if the effects aren’t felt after an hour.

A protocol I like to follow which puts me into a great clear head space while increasing my connection to my body is to consume cannabis just at the minimum dose, and then an hour later to vaporize an equivalent amount to create a full body and mind experience. Using cannabis at a 1:1 ratio of THC:CBD is recommended. Unless you’re large in size, 5-10 mg of cannabinoids should be enough to enter into that state of clear higher consciousness. If you need to take more than that and you’re a regular cannabis user, consider taking a break, resetting your tolerance and reevaluate your relationship with cannabis in the process. Every cannabis tolerance break I have taken has been a growth experience and has helped me.

---

Cannabis Quality Matters

The way cannabis is grown will impact how it affects you upon use. Cannabis grown outside with rich soil and lovingly cared for will be much different in its effects than cannabis grown indoors with synthetic chemicals under artificial lights. Cannabis grown holistically is much different than cannabis grown for maximum THC extraction.

The cannabis plant houses hundreds of unique phytochemicals like cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids, amino acids, esters, and many more. When cannabis is grown biodynamically, these chemicals all synthesize and balance in the right ratios for maximum entourage effect. The “whole is greater than the sum” entourage effect is disrupted when the plant is grown under artificial conditions. Cannabis is a plant that requires an ecosystem like any other, and when cannabis is grown monoculture with limited nutrients and only under certain wavelengths of light, the plant won’t develop properly. Biodynamic growing methods ensure cannabis is grown to it’s highest holistic potential.

Cannabis Grown with Love: Biodynamic

• Outdoors

• Full spectrum sunlight

• Natural seasonal day/night cycle

• Rich nourishing soil composted naturally from the land’s organics

• Spring water, rain

• Grown polyculture

• Natural pest control methods are used

• Grown with enrichment in mind and in practice

Cannabis Grown for Greed: Conventional

• Indoors

• Narrow-spectrum high frequency lights

• Artificial light and dark cycles which are changed to induce vegetative or flowering growth

• Inert soil that nutrient cocktails are added to regularly to sustain growth

• Tap water

• Grown monoculture

• Pesticides are used

• Grown with extraction in mind and in practice

The energy of the cannabis you use will be the energy that you experience. Cannabis grown under stressful conditions for maximum extraction is not cannabis that you want to consume at all, let alone as an aid to spiritual development. Likewise, when cannabinoids like THC are singularly extracted from cannabis and used, the entourage effect won’t happen at all. Cannabis used this way is solely an intoxicant, and creates a negative experience.

---

The Responsible Spiritual Usage of Cannabis

If you live in a locality where cannabis is legal and you are interested in discovering yourself and exploring your spirituality, then cannabis might be a plant medicine worth experimenting with responsibly. Everyone is as different on the inside as they are on the outside, and your experience using cannabis for spiritual development and to reach higher states of consciousness is uniquely your own. Cannabis plant medicine might be a great spiritual tool to use, or it might have zero effect. The quality of the cannabis and how it is delivered to the body matter greatly, so until you’ve ingested or vaporized biodynamically grown cannabis, reserve your judgement.

Cannabis usage is not spiritual development, it is merely a tool which can be used. Breathing, meditation, and practicing mindfulness are the main tools at the disposal for the spiritual seeker, use them regularly, and maybe occasionally use cannabis to reach new heights.

---

Medical Disclaimer: All information, content, and material of this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider.

Disclosure: Wild Free Organic is a member of various affiliate programs and if a purchase is made through one of our affiliate links a small commission is received. This does not affect your purchase price. Visit our disclosure page for more information.

Rewire the Brain with Meditation

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated November 2021. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

Meditation is a mental and sensory practice that improves awareness, focus, and mindfulness. During meditation a technique is applied (and there are many) which trains focus, in the process resetting neural activity and with consistent practice rewires the brain so it’s easier to have a balanced, emotionally calm, and mentally clear state of mind.

Meditation has been practiced for time untold, and its popularity has steadily grown as we’ve learned more about its benefits scientifically. Just like exercising regularly and eating a nutritious diet for best health, meditation is a foundational wellness practice that should be a part of everyone’s lifestyle.

There are many ways to train the brain, and meditation is the safest way to rewire neural structures of the brain, optimize neurotransmitter ratios, and train parasympathetic (rest and digest) pathways. Having a regular meditation practice, even if it’s as short as five minutes a day, will improve all aspects of life, from stress management to exercise to sleep quality.

Meditation has been scientifically shown to change how the brain functions with as little as 7 hours of combined practice. Mediation increase neuroplasticity and the beneficial changes to brain structure and activation patterns caused by meditation are semi-permanent.

The Science of Meditation

When entering into a deep meditative state unencumbered of thoughts and distractions, one might reflect later that the mind felt much less active, but science have shown otherwise. A reduction in distraction and thoughts doesn’t mean a reduction in brain activity, instead brainwave patterns have changed.

What has been shown in the lab is that monks who have meditated for tens of thousands of hours have fundamentally different brain activity than someone who hasn’t put in the work. When connected to an EEG, master meditators demonstrate elevated gamma brainwaves, and when they enter into focused meditation, their gamma wavelengths increase further in amplitude (strength) by 600-800% in seconds (1).

Gamma brainwaves are normally only observed for a split second during periods of immense realization, such as at the end of solving a complex problem, or they can be observed during realistic states of imagination. For example, if imaging all aspects and senses associated with biting into an apple, small gamma waves will be briefly created as a result of this visualization exercise. Gamma brainwaves are very high frequency and the physics of higher frequency brainwaves connects different groups of neurons and regions of the brain together, enabling them to fire simultaneously for maximum cognitive output.

Extremely practiced yogis can sustain these gamma wave patterns in the brain indefinitely, but it takes time to reach such an elevated level on consciousness. Basic desirable changes in brain activity and neuroplasticity are observed even after a short period of meditation. Neuroplasticity is when the brain reorganizes its neural network in response to new experience and information. There are different mechanisms that influence neuroplasticity, such as the growth of new connections to the creation of new neurons. The human brain is not a static organ, it has ability to adapt and change (2). Neuroplasticity is more commonly observed in children, teenagers, and young adults whose brains are still developing, but neuroplasticity can be increased at any age if the right conditions are in place, such as with a meditation practice, learning a new language, or the acquisition of a complex skill.

The prefrontal cortex, hippocampal, and right anterior insula regions of the brain associated with attention, enteroception, and sensory processing are thicker in those who meditate regularly (3, 4). In as short as 7 hours of meditation, brain plasticity occurs and changes in brain activity can be observed. 7 hours of meditation over the course of a month is 15 minutes of meditation everyday, and a 15 minute time commitment which results in increased happiness and reduced stress is an attractive proposition an easy habit to create by anyone.

---

Wellness Benefits of Meditation

Using meditation as a self-care wellness tool is still a relatively uncommon practice in the United States. Approximately 5-10 million adults practice meditation consistently in the US, and common reasons meditation was part of their wellness practice was for preventative wellness, stress management, and for greater emotion well-being (5).

Besides the immediate calming effects that can felt during and lingering after meditation, meditation has also shown to reduce burnout, improve emotional wellness, and reduce stress over longer periods of time. Meditation has even been shown to lengthen telomeres in young individuals (6). Telomeres are the protective caps on the ends of chromosomes that keep them from fraying, and there is a clear trend between lifespan and telomere length (7).

As shown with telomeres, yoga and meditative practices have a measurable effect at the molecular level via gene expression (8), and it is through these mechanisms and certainly more still undiscovered that mindfulness practices reduce risk from inflammation-based diseases (9). Meditation is a powerful intervention tool that reduces anxiety levels. Anxiety often results from suppressed negative emotions, and mindfulness practices improve expressing and releasing negative emotions in a healthy manner. Because of its nullifying effects on stress and anxiety, meditation is an amazing wellness practice for mental health.

One inflammatory disease with strong ties to anxiety is heart disease, and preliminary evidence suggest that meditation can reduce risk and improve health outcomes for those with heart disease (10). Meditation and mindfulness practices go beyond just reducing stress, anxiety, and bodily inflammation, they also increase positive mental traits such as trust, cooperation, and empathy. Meditating widens perspective and increase empathy (11). Meditation increases cooperation and harmony among people, supporting a sort of collective mind (12).

Better understand outward reality by reflecting inwards

The positive effects of meditation are powerful and far reaching. From increased emotional maturity to better physical health, meditation can transform your health and wellness and help you be the best version of yourself with regular practice.

Methods of Meditation

There is an intrinsic difference between sitting in place and having a storm of thoughts cloud your mind, and sitting in peace with a calm mind clear of disturbance. Meditation is simply the practice of bringing awareness to one specific thing. How you approach your meditation practice is important. It should be done with intent and purpose. Find a regular time everyday to meditate, such as during a morning routine. Or perhaps a longer meditation is done weekly, the key is to create a meditation practice that is long lasting and not given up after only a few tries. Below are four different styles of meditation used by beginners and masters alike.

Breathing Meditation

Breathing meditation is probably the simplest form for meditation, and all it involves is paying attention to your breath. Breathing meditation can be done anywhere and for any length of time. Bringing conscious awareness to your breath for even just thirty seconds is highly calming, and for longer periods of time breathing meditation is an easy path into deeper states of consciousness.

Sensory Awareness Meditation

Sensory awareness meditation is the practice of tuning into one or a combination of the five senses.. Typically meditation is with eyes closed, so the senses tuned into are hearing, touch, smell, and potentially taste. Sensory meditation is similar to breathing meditation in that is very easy to do anywhere.

First, close the eyes and focus on any sound present. Simply observe and enlarge your sensory envelop, taking in sounds further away or sounds more quiet that you might have first missed. Any thoughts that arise simply let them pass and without reaction. Keeping a heightened sense of hearing, now pay attention to the body and your contact with the ground. Feel your hands and feel, the temperature of the air, can you feel sunlight or wind? Engage the olfactory system, noticing any smells or tastes. This is all done very naturally and smoothly, without effort over the course of 5+ minutes. If you can hold your awareness over all your senses simultaneously, congratulations, you’ve reached a higher state of consciousness!

Open Monitoring Meditation

With open monitoring meditation, you clear the mind and tune your awareness to what happens afterwards, passively monitoring the content of experience from moment-to-moment. Open monitoring meditation is very powerful because it can be used as a diagnostic tool to recognize the unique nature of your cognitive and emotional patterns. You might be surprised by the thoughts that manifest tempting you to react or dismiss them. With open monitoring meditation suspend all judgement, treat yourself with unconditional love, remain unattached, and filter out all non-harmonious energy and thoughts simply through awareness.

Focused Attention Meditation

When meditating, you can also focus your attention on a chosen object in a sustained fashion. Focused attention meditation is very powerful because it can be used in many different ways. It can be used to improve your emotional well-being very quickly, for example you could focus on the mantra “I am happy, I am healthy, I am whole” and with time those neural connections are grooved, the subconscious mind is filled with positive thoughts, and health plus happiness manifests.

If attention is given to areas such as empathy, compassion, or joy, those areas of the brain are activated and new neural grooves are formed, improving your ability to experience all of these things. Focused attention meditation is a powerful method for manifestation.  

Develop third eye gaze

When meditating, best practice is to focus on the spot between your eyebrows known as the “third eye”. This is the location of anja chakra, and behind that location rests the pineal gland. The pineal gland is a small endocrine gland located near the center of the brain, and it produces melatonin and other chemicals such as DMT*.

To train focus on the third eye, you can imagine a small flame flickering in that space, and any thoughts, emotions, ideas, and feelings you experience can be fed and consumed by the flame. Don’t interact with distractions, maintain mental tranquility and focus exclusively on the flame in the void. You can also imagine this as a ball of light (sometimes known as a tinge), a jewel, something simple to hold in your minds eye for as long as wanted.

*By age 17, the pineal gland in 40% of Americans is calcified (13), impairing gland function and melatonin production (14). Melatonin production is one of the master regulators of the circadian rhythm. The pineal gland is responsible for many of the observed beneficial effects of meditation.

Binaural Beats Aid in Meditation

A useful meditation tool are binaural beats. Binaural beats are a type of auditory stimulation that expose each ear to a different frequency of sound. After propagating through the structures of the ears these two slightly out of phase sounds are digitalized into electromagnetic waves that combine into a lower frequency brainwave. The frequency of the brainwave that is entrained by binaural beats is the difference between the two frequencies played. For example the right ear is exposed to a 110 Hz sound wave and the left ear a 100 Hz sound wave. The brainwaves that are amplified in the brain after 5+ minutes of listening will be 10 Hz in frequency (110 - 100).

For more information read through my Binaural Beats Complete Guide where there are also free resources available. A starting recommendation would be to meditate using a 7.83 Hz Schumann Resonance binaural beat using the video below.

Begin a Meditation Practice

Meditation is a powerful wellness and therapeutic technique that can transform your life in more ways than one. A meditation practice of 15 minutes everyday quickly adds up to noticeable improvements in mood and verifiable changes to the brain. Reduce stress and anxiety while simultaneously improving outlook on life with a regular meditation practice.

To slip into a meditative state easier, drinking a cup of green tea can help. Green tea contains an amino acid known as L-theanine which increases alpha brainwave activity, alpha brainwaves being observed when in a calm focused state of mind. Cannabis can also be used to enter into deep states of meditation, as can psilocybin found in magic mushrooms. Another way to make meditation easier is to practice after hard physical exercise or yoga as the body is tired and the mind will be more complacent and less distracted.

I hope you give meditation a shot, after thirty days of daily meditation practice you’ll be amazed by how you feel and the clarity of mind your regularly experience.

---

References:

1. Lutz A, Brefczynski-lewis J, Johnstone T, Davidson RJ. Regulation of the neural circuitry of emotion by compassion meditation: effects of meditative expertise. PLoS ONE. 2008;3(3):e1897.

2. Davidson RJ, Lutz A. Buddha's Brain: Neuroplasticity and Meditation. IEEE Signal Process Mag. 2008;25(1):176-174.

3. Lazar SW, Kerr CE, Wasserman RH, et al. Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness. Neuroreport. 2005;16(17):1893-7.

4. Luders E, Toga AW, Lepore N, Gaser C. The underlying anatomical correlates of long-term meditation: larger hippocampal and frontal volumes of gray matter. Neuroimage. 2009;45(3):672-8.

5. Burke, A., Lam, C.N., Stussman, B. et al. Prevalence and patterns of use of mantra, mindfulness and spiritual meditation among adults in the United States. BMC Complement Altern Med 17, 316 (2017). 

6. Thimmapuram J, Pargament R, Sibliss K, Grim R, Risques R, Toorens E. Effect of heartfulness meditation on burnout, emotional wellness, and telomere length in health care professionals. J Community Hosp Intern Med Perspect. 2017;7(1):21-27.

7. Heidinger BJ, Blount JD, Boner W, Griffiths K, Metcalfe NB, Monaghan P. Telomere length in early life predicts lifespan. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2012;109(5):1743-8.

8. Saatcioglu F. Regulation of gene expression by yoga, meditation and related practices: a review of recent studies. Asian J Psychiatr. 2013;6(1):74-7.

9. Buric I, Farias M, Jong J, Mee C, Brazil IA. What Is the Molecular Signature of Mind-Body Interventions? A Systematic Review of Gene Expression Changes Induced by Meditation and Related Practices. Front Immunol. 2017;8:670.

10. Tacón, Anna M. PhD; McComb, Jacalyn PhD; Caldera, Yvonne PhD; Randolph, Patrick PhD Mindfulness Meditation, Anxiety Reduction, and Heart Disease: A Pilot Study, Family & Community Health: January 2003 - Volume 26 - Issue 1 - p 25-33

11. Erratum: Borderud SP, Li Y, Burkhalter JE, Sheffer CE and Ostroff JS. Electronic cigarette use among patients with cancer: Characteristics of electronic cigarette users and their smoking cessation outcomes. Cancer. doi: 10.1002/ cncr.28811. Cancer. 2015;121(5):800.

12. Giovanni Di Bartolomeo, Stefano Papa and Saverio Bellomo. Yoga beyond wellness: Meditation, trust and cooperation. Department of Communication, Working Paper No 95, 2012.

13. Zimmerman RA, Bilaniuk LT. Age-related incidence of pineal calcification detected by computed tomography. Radiology. 1982;142(3):659-62.

14. Tan DX, Xu B, Zhou X, Reiter RJ. Pineal Calcification, Melatonin Production, Aging, Associated Health Consequences and Rejuvenation of the Pineal Gland. Molecules. 2018;23(2)

A Holistic Approach to Mental Illness

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated November 2021. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

Worldwide one billion or more people suffer from various mental illnesses. These mental disorders are mental or behavioral patterns that cause impairment or significant distress of personal functioning. Even though these disorders all exist within the mind, mental illness can severely impact interaction with the world and even prove deadly.

Depression and other mental illnesses are nothing to scoff at, and due to their nature they require immediately treatment.

Depending on the situation, natural solutions are often the best alternative.

Mental illnesses can range from mild to deadly, and they can form a pattern of progression.

Some common mental illnesses are:

• Depression*

• Anxiety

• Autism

• Attention deficit disorder (ADD)

• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

• Eating and Sleep Disorders

• Dementia

• Alzhiemers

• Migraines

• Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

• Schizophrenia

*Nearly one-half of those diagnosed with depression are also diagnosed with an anxiety disorder.

---

Combating Mental Illness

To combat mental disorders, thousands have dedicated their lives to learn, diagnose, and treat the above illnesses and more. Current recommended treatments include psychiatry, brain stimulation training, and medication. Psychiatry, the rewiring of the brain via dialogue with a specialist is expensive, as is brain stimulation (a field still in its infancy). As a result, many people with mental illness are steered towards medications like SSRIs as the primary means to deal with their mental illness.

The approach for how to deal with mental illness by the medical system has done a lot of good, helping and healing many people of serious mental conditions, but their recommendations and research are outdated. The pharmaceutical industry has turned mental illness into a money maker, and if more costly human to human methods like psychiatry aren’t covered by insurance, then doctors prescribe drugs.

Meanwhile from the medical community, very little attention is given to simple preventative measures and healing techniques well-known to improve mental wellness. To begin understanding how mental illness can be treated holistically, we need to understand the conditions that give rise to mental illness, starting from the outside inwards.

---

Brain-Gut Inflammation

Extensive research has shown that brain inflammation is connected to virtually all types of mental illness. Mood disorders such as depression (1) and anxiety (2), as well as more serious conditions like autism (3), dementia (4), alzheimer’s disease (5), and schizophrenia (6) have all been linked to inflammation of the brain or various parts of the body. Inflammation is not the ultimate root cause of these mental health issues, but understanding how to combat inflammation can provide relief and allow more holistic wellness measures heal the underlying trauma.

As discussed in our article on the importance of drinking water, everything that you are is built from what you’ve ate, drank, and breathed in over the course of your life. These are your starting conditions from which all else is determined, and as such your diet is supremely important in determining your level of health. You are what you eat, and an inflammatory state of the body or mind ultimately goes back to the quality of the food you eat, the water you drink, and the air you breathe.

After eating or drinking, your body needs to digest the food and actually assimilate it into the body. Your entire digestive system is actually outside your body. It might be contained inside your flesh and blood, but the entire digestive system is lined with cells and mucus whose primary purpose is to keep foreign invaders out and good nutrients coming in. Inside your digestive system lives your microbiome, a colony of 100 trillion microorganisms that outnumber your human cells ten to one. Just like your health, you can have a healthy or diseases microbiome. When the microbiome is highly pathogenic, the immune system has to work on overtime keeping the body free or opportunistic pathogenic bacteria. A stressed immune system causes inflammation as an acute protective measure, and inflammation can also be created in the gut when undigested foods leak through compromised tight-junctions of the intestines and into the blood stream. These food particles also require cleanup by the immune system.

The gut is the main center for the immune system, and when the digestive system is unhealthy and diseased, the effects are felt throughout the body, most notably as chronic inflammation. This is for healing mental illnesses because if the gut is the main source of inflammation in the body, then healing the gut will have a strong impact on reducing conditions like depression, insomnia, and autism. This connection is further strengthened by the knowledge of the gut-brain connection. The microbiome is able to create and secrete neurotransmitters which directly affect behavior and brain function.

I have written about the gut extensively in my other articles, read these for a more complete understanding of how the digestive system and how it affects your health and wellness.

• Use Fasting to Reset Digestive System

• Heal Tight Junctions of the Gut

• Control Food Cravings

• Break a Sugar Addiction

The most effective method to heal the digestive is with fasting because it deprives the microbiome of food, selecting for symbiotic microbes while providing the gut a chance to heal and strengthen.

To begin the healing process for mental disorders, a close examination of the health of the gut is needed.

---

Spend Time in Nature

The emotions common to depression, anxiety, and other mental illnesses are those of fear, sadness, anger, hate, hopelessness, and despair. If you don’t change your environment to see the bigger picture, it is easy to get twisted around by these emotions and the whole situations can feel insurmountable. It is for this reason that spending time in nature can be such a boon for you or a loved one’s mental health.

Being in nature opens up the senses and overwhelms you with emotions of awe, happiness, inspiration, serenity, and calmness. Surrounded by the wonder of nature, it becomes easier to see the bigger picture of life and to feel the healing energy of the Earth.

If you’re physically able, going for a hike is a way to experience nature while also providing concrete goals which when achieved provides a sense of satisfaction. Away from the noise and distractions of human society, with the elements around you, it’s difficult to be consumed by your worries and troubling thoughts. If physically unable, even just exposing yourself to green space and color can improve your mood and outlook on life. Spending time with Mother Earth is a helpful compliment to a mental illness treatment plan. Nature improves mindfulness, quiets the mind, and offers the opportunity to connect to the core of yourself.

Often just coming into contact with deeply buried emotional trauma and recognizing while letting it pass is enough to heal from it.

---

Emotional Trauma

The trigger for a lot of mental illness to begin or grow is emotional trauma. This emotional trauma can happen suddenly, like with the passing of a beloved friend or family member, or it can be buried deep from past traumatic experiences.

It is by unpacking and discussing emotional trauma in a safe supportive space that makes psychiatry so effective in treating mental illness. If having psychiatry with a trained professional is too cost prohibitive, there are many ways to replicate the effect.

• Share and unpack your emotional burdens with a friend or family member after establish a safe space free of judgement or criticism.

• Create a safe supportive environment on your own and write your thoughts, emotions, and feelings into a journal. Don’t hold back. At the end you can either keep the written words to reflect upon, or finish the ceremony by symbolically releasing yourself from the trauma by lighting the pages on fire.

• If you attend school or if your work has a program, speak to a counselor and make a consistent schedule of it. It takes time to deconstruct emotions, it won’t happen all at once.

• Speak to a counselor using an online-only service like betterhelp.

• Join a spiritual community for emotional support and guidance.

Discussing your emotions and feelings with others or God can release your emotional trauma which might sit at the core of your mental illness. Taken with steps to improve health and connect with nature, mental health can be healed holistically.

---

Sulforaphane instead of Medication

While there are many positive stories of drugs like Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) helping people regain control of their life, there are also many horror stories from the side-effects of mental illness drugs. Sometimes the side effects like liver damage, weight gain, and insomnia are worse than the starting condition. Knowing the connection between inflammation and mental illness, a natural anti-inflammatory can be used to combat the effects of depression, anxiety, autism, and other disorders. Sulforaphane is one such anti-inflammatory chemical.

Sulforaphane is a sulfur-rich naturally occurring compound found in cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, and kale which has many known health benefits (7). Sulforaphane is a defense chemical produced when it is crunched and chewed up, and its chemistry useful to plants is also useful for human health. Sulforaphane is able to cross the blood-brain barrier, and once there it can exert its effects on glutamate (a neurotransmitter) and glutathione (an antioxidant) chemistry via gene activation. It’s for this reason that sulforaphane is able to have profoundly healing effects on various mental disorders. Sulforaphane also has potent anti-inflammatory effects throughout the body.

Sulforaphane supplementation has been shown to help with humans for schizophrenia (8) and autism (9), and initial mouse models show sulforaphane has powerful beneficial effects on depression (10), anxiety (11), and alzheimer’s disease (12). Sulforaphane appears to be especially important for healthy brain development in juvenile and adolescents (13).

For depression, no human studies have been completed yet, but initial results with mice are very promising (14). Expect human studies testing sulforaphane against depression to release their results in 2021 (15).

For normal dosages of 50-100 mg, sulforaphane has no known side-effects, and anecdotally it has been reported to have similar efficacy as SSRIs in treating depression and it .

---

Sources of Sulforaphane

The holistic wellness mental illness treatment plan is below, but first it is important to learn more about sulforaphane and how it works. Consuming sulforaphane naturally in the diet is superior to taking a supplement, and increasing sulforaphane intake through good dietary habits is a lasting strategy for success.

Cabbage and broccoli sprouts are the best sources of sulforaphane.

Sulforaphane is created when glucoraphanin comes into contact with myrosinase, a family of enzymes that play a role in the defense response of plants, hence why sulforaphane is only activated when vegetables are chewed or chopped. Cooking degrades and destroys sulforaphane production, so raw and chopped vegetables have the highest levels of sulforaphane. Green cabbage is one of the best known sources of Sulforaphane at 0.5 mg per gram, and it appears red cruciferous vegetables contain much less sulforaphane than common sources like broccoli sprouts.

Broccoli is a very common vegetable with high levels of sulforaphane, and the state of broccoli and it’s level of cooking determine its sulforaphane content. Cooking at temperatures above 70 °C can greatly reduce the amount of sulforaphane, so here we’ll look at the amount of sulforaphane found in various forms of raw broccoli.

• Broccoli Seeds - 3.5 mg/g

• Broccoli Sprouts 1 mg/g

• Broccoli Florets 0.01 mg/g

• Broccoli Stalks 0.005 mg/g

  Sulforaphane content found in seeds and sprouts (16). Sulforaphane content found in florets and stalks (17).

Note - Cooking broccoli will destroy the myrosinase needed to convert glucoraphanin into sulforaphane, but adding mustard seeds conveniently reintroduces myrosinase back into the reaction. Brown mustard seed added to cooked broccoli increases the bioavailibility of sulforaphane by 4x (18).

The best way to get any nutrient overall is through a whole unprocessed diet with ample vegetables. All macronutrients, micronutrients, and other chemicals such as phytonutrients all work together in balance as found naturally in food to promote optimal health. This is true for Sulforaphane.

A couple cups of chopped cabbage will provide about 100 mg of sulforaphane (19). Broccoli and brussel sprouts are further behind at 20 and 10 mg of sulforaphane respectively per cup chopped.

Sulforaphane-rich broccoli sprouts!

Broccoli sprouts and seeds are very dense sources of sulforaphane. This is because sulforaphane is a protective compound and is more highly concentrated in younger versions of plant growth. Along the same lines, Sulforaphane content is actually increased when cruciferous vegetables are subjected to heat and pressure stress. A healthy microbiome is also able to convert glucoraphanin into sulforaphane (20), the extent depending on the makeup of your gut.

When broccoli sprouts are heated to between 60-70°C, sulforaphane is increased by about 3.5x (21). Heat too high and the enzyme myrosinase is destroyed, stopping the reaction which creates sulforaphane from occurring. To easily heat broccoli sprouts to 70°C add a cup of boiling water to half a cup of room-temperature water. The resulting water will be about 75°C, and when added to the glass jar containing the sprouts, the final temperature will settle around 70°C.

---

Holistic Wellness Mental Depression Action Plan

If you or a loved one is suffering from mental illness of any sort, it is important you begin addressing the issue as soon as possible and don’t let it fester and grow. Being mindful of the emotions wrapped up with mental illness, a holistic wellness plan is one of the safest ways you can begin to treat mental conditions like depression, autism, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and more.

1. Eat a diet rich in sulforaphane to tamp down on inflammation of the mind, body, and gut. Eating 7-9 servings of fruits and vegetables every day, mostly raw, will help heal the gut, ensure ample micronutrients are consumed, and will reduce chronic inflammation. Starting off, eating 7-9 servings of fruits and vegetables can seem like an impossible task, so at the minimum eat 1 cup of light sauteed cabbage everyday and take 50 mg of sulforaphane via a supplement like BroccoMax by Jarrow Formulas. Each pill contains 30 mg of sulforaphane, so take two daily, one in the morning and one at night for lasting all day anti-inflammatory effects. If you eat the cabbage and take the sulforaphane pills everyday you’ll get 110 mg of sulforaphane daily, which should dramatically improve the symptoms of mental illness.

2. Heal your digestive system and regain control over a diseased microbiome. The simplest method to reset your microbiome is with fasting, and in-between fasting you will want to heal epithelial tight junctions in order to reduce the inflammation from the microbiome die-off reactions. To heal tight junctions you’ll need zinc either from zinc rich foods like oysters or from a Zinc Balance supplement like the one from Jarrow. Flavenoids also heal the gut so drink a cup of green tea or eat some fermented soy every now and then.

3. Spend time in nature experiencing the emotions of awe, inspiration, and serenity. Use nature as a playground for experimentation where you can set goals and achieve them. Go for a hike or make a commitment to meditate for a certain length of time. Start a garden and care for some plants, which only need sunlight, water, food, and love to grow, which is all you need too! By spending time with Mother Earth you will become more mindful and you’ll experience the powerful healing effects of grounding.

4. Go for a walk and get your body moving. Walking is one of the easiest things you can do, being bipedal we evolved to be good at it, and if you can get yourself out the door then I can guarentee you’ll feel better at the end of the walk. Walking goes hand in hand with point #3 above.

5. Unpack your trauma with the help of professionals or loved ones. Better yet face these emotional traumas in the healing presence of nature. Look inward, touch the deep parts of your being, recognize the emotions, and let them pass like a wave in a non-reactive manner. The past is the past, you have to let yourself become liberated. You can do anything you want to do, it all depends on what your innate desires are, and what you wish to manifest.

---

Liberate Yourself from Mental Illness

Mental illness is like a deep hole that you’ve been dropped in, and the light at the top seems so far away. It can feel hopeless and impossible to climb out of mental illness, but anything is possible. Mental illness starts in the mind, and it can be conquered in the mind. Mindset is everything, and the action plan above will help cultivate a new healthy lifestyle while also shifting your mindset to be default positive and happy.

A healthy diet full of whole unprocessed foods and vegetables is one of the best preventative health measures, and sulforaphane supplementation will give you a leg up. If you’re struggling with depression, anxiety, insomnia, or other mental disorders, make the strongest effort possible to exercise and eat right. Get eight hours of sleep every night. Enlist the help of friends and family to achieve your goals. The simplest changes have the biggest wellness impacts!

And if you’re ever having troubling or suicidal thoughts please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, available 24 hours a day. 1-800-273-8255

Updated November 2020

---

References:

1. Felger JC. Role of Inflammation in Depression and Treatment Implications. Handb Exp Pharmacol. 2019;250:255-286.

2. Luliia Onofriichuk, Et al. Thyroid inflammation linked to anxiety disorders. European Society of Endocrinology.

3. Gevezova M, Sarafian V, Anderson G, Maes M. Inflammation and Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Autism Spectrum Disorder. CNS Neurol Disord Drug Targets. 2020;

4. Walker KA, Windham BG, Power MC, et al. The association of mid-to late-life systemic inflammation with white matter structure in older adults: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study. Neurobiol Aging. 2018;68:26-33.

5. Hur, J., Frost, G.R., Wu, X. et al. The innate immunity protein IFITM3 modulates γ-secretase in Alzheimer’s disease. Nature (2020).

6. Kirkpatrick B, Miller BJ. Inflammation and schizophrenia. Schizophr Bull. 2013;39(6):1174-9.

7. Kim JK, Park SU. Current potential health benefits of sulforaphane. EXCLI J. 2016;15:571-577.

8. Johns Hopkins Medicine. "Broccoli sprout compound may restore brain chemistry imbalance linked to schizophrenia." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 8 May 2019. 

9. Singh K, Connors SL, Macklin EA, et al. Sulforaphane treatment of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2014;111(43):15550-5.

10. Zhang JC, Yao W, Dong C, et al. Prophylactic effects of sulforaphane on depression-like behavior and dendritic changes in mice after inflammation. J Nutr Biochem. 2017;39:134-144.

11. Ferreira-chamorro P, Redondo A, Riego G, Leánez S, Pol O. Sulforaphane Inhibited the Nociceptive Responses, Anxiety- and Depressive-Like Behaviors Associated With Neuropathic Pain and Improved the Anti-allodynic Effects of Morphine in Mice. Front Pharmacol. 2018;9:1332.

12. Hou TT, Yang HY, Wang W, Wu QQ, Tian YR, Jia JP. Sulforaphane Inhibits the Generation of Amyloid-β Oligomer and Promotes Spatial Learning and Memory in Alzheimer's Disease (PS1V97L) Transgenic Mice. J Alzheimers Dis. 2018;62(4):1803-1813.

13. Shirai Y, Fujita Y, Hashimoto R, et al. Dietary Intake of Sulforaphane-Rich Broccoli Sprout Extracts during Juvenile and Adolescence Can Prevent Phencyclidine-Induced Cognitive Deficits at Adulthood. PLoS ONE. 2015;10(6):e0127244.

14. Wu S, Gao Q, Zhao P, et al. Sulforaphane produces antidepressant- and anxiolytic-like effects in adult mice. Behav Brain Res. 2016;301:55-62.

15. Renrong Wu. A 12-weeks Study to Evaluate Sulforaphane in the Treatment of Depression. Central South University. Clinicaltrials.gov

16. Jaime Lopez-Cervantes, Et al. Biochemical composition of broccoli seeds and sprouts at different stages of seedling development. International Journey of Food Science & Technology. Volume 48, Issue 11. 10 June 2013.

17. H. Liang, Et al. Determination of sulforaphane in broccoli and cabbage by high-performance liquid chromatography. Journal of Food Composition and Analysis. Volume 19, Issue 5. August 2006, pages 473-476.

18. Okunade O, Niranjan K, Ghawi SK, Kuhnle G, Methven L. Supplementation of the Diet by Exogenous Myrosinase via Mustard Seeds to Increase the Bioavailability of Sulforaphane in Healthy Human Subjects after the Consumption of Cooked Broccoli. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2018;62(18):e1700980.

19. Mohamed Farag, Et al. Sulforaphane composition, cytotoxic and antioxidant activity of crucifer vegetables. Journal of Advanced Research, Volume 1, Issue 1, January 2010, Pages 65-70.

20. Sivapalan T, Melchini A, Saha S, et al. Bioavailability of Glucoraphanin and Sulforaphane from High-Glucoraphanin Broccoli. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2018;62(18):e1700911.

21. Dr. Rhonda Patrick. How To Increase Sulforaphane in Broccoli Sprouts by ~3.5-fold. Found My Fitness.

Three Ways to Inhale Cannabis

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated November 2021. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

Until the advent of vaporizers, there was only one way to inhale cannabis flower for recreational and/or therapeutic effects, through combustion. Inhaling smoke from burning plant matter can be dangerous (more on that below), though with smoking cannabis the risk of developing lung cancer appears to be the same as if you didn’t smoke. Once vaporizers were developed, there existed three methods for inhaling cannabinoids.

Vaporizers are a type of device which heat up a small chamber, just like an oven except much smaller, to a temperature of the users choice. Vaporizers are limited in their top temperature range, unable to reach the temperatures required for combustion of plant matter. In the context of cannabis, vaporizers heat plant material without igniting it. At different temperatures below combustion, terpenes and cannabinoids vaporize out of the flower and phase change into their gaseous state. Typically vaporization is used for cannabis, but other herbs such as chamomile, lavender, and even tobacco can be also be vaporized.

That process is true for what could be called a dry vaporizer. There are also oil vaporizers, which we will refer to as wet vaporizers.

There exist big differences in the health and psychoactive effects of cannabis that is inhaled from either a combusted, wet vaporized, or dry vaporized source.

---

Dry Vaporization

Dry vapes heat up materials like herbs or cannabis flower to the point where various compounds in those herbs sublimate out into an inhalable vapor. Examples of compounds that vaporize at various temperatures from cannabis material would include water (100°C, 212°F), terpenes like A-Pinene (155°C), and cannabinoids like THC (tetrahydrocannabinol, 157°C) and CBD (cannabidiol, 170°C).

While the plant matter loaded into a vaporizer might change in color and texture, dry vaporizing does not combust any plant matter, as the minimum combustion temperature of 230°C (445°F) is never reached.

One of the big advantages of dry vaporization is almost all the cannabinoids and terpenes are preserved. When cannabis or other herbs are combusted, the high temperatures destroy most of the cannabinoids and terpenes, while also creating smoke, tar, benzene, carbon monoxide and other known toxic compounds (1)

When cannabis is dry vaporized, 95% of the total mass of the vapor consists of cannabinoids, with the other 5% consisting primarily of water vapor and terpenes.

As far as we currently know, the only risk to dry herb vaporization is the inhalation of hot air. Typical vaporizers, like the Fury Edge by Healthy Rips allow the user to adjust the temperature from 320°F - 430°F (160°C to 220°C). If you are concerned about the risk inhaling heated vapor, there are several ways to cool down cannabis vapor significantly by using glass accessories or water bubblers.

Note - Don’t use a dry herb vaporizer that doesn’t have a 100% food grade isolated stainless steel & glass only vapor path. Heating and inhaling plastic fumes is not good for your health.

---

Wet Vaporization

Wet vapes heat up oils to the point where the oil vaporizes, turning into a gas, ready for inhalation into the lungs. Wet vapes typically are sold in smaller pen form factors in which oil cartridges can be easily attached or swapped for use. Wet vapes can heat oils from 270°C to 420°C (520°F to 790°F), well within the combustion range.

For those concerned about the risk of severe lung disease, the risk appears to stem from improperly manufactured cannabis or tobacco oil cartridges which are cut with vitamin E acetate. It’s been found that some off-the-street cartridges cut costs by adding less cannabinoids, resulting in a recognizably less viscous oil, so then vitamin E acetate is added to increase the viscosity of the oil to make the end product appear higher quality.

Cannabis oils typically have two different solvents they use to suspend cannabinoids and terpenes in, propylene glycol and liquid carbon dioxide. Propylene glycol is a byproduct of both the petroleum and biofuel industries. If the propylene glycol is derived from biofuels, then it will be contaminated with herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides. These chemicals, the most well known being glyphosate, pose a serious health threat when inhaled, and might be partially responsible for rapid lung disease we see with oil vaporizer use.

If you decide to purchase cannabis oil, either in larger quantities for a high-quality vaporizer or in a cartridge format, make sure to only purchase cannabis oils which use CO2 for the solvent and not propylene glycol, as propylene glycol carries a larger health risk. CO2 can still be derived from contaminated sources.

Keep in mind that intensive refining is needed to create cannabis oil from cannabis plant matter. Cannabis is known for the wide range of therapeutic compounds the plant creates, and a blend of distilled cannabis compounds cannot match the therapeutic potential of the cannabis plant itself. Wet vaping purposely and misguidedly skips out on what is known as the Entourage Effect (2) in order to cut cost and provide a cheaper product to the end user.

Wild Free Organic only recommends dry vaporization for all health and recreational uses of cannabis. Oil vaporization, either of cannabis or tobacco, presents a serious health risk.

---

Combustion

Combustion is when plant matter is ignited and burned in order to produce smoke. Smoke is a combination of compounds, from water vapor to organic pollutants and carbon monoxide. The combustion of cannabis versus vaporization has been researched by many, and while vaporization appears to be safe, combustion of cannabis creates and releases over 100+ different compounds, with only ~12% of the total mass of the smoke consisting of cannabinoids. Studies and anecdotal evidence show that dry herb vaporization eliminates the delivery of toxic byproducts associated with the use of smoked cannabis.

Vaporization also gets you more high, and we know Jimi here would have appreciated that! Since cannabinoids are not destroyed during vaporization unlike combustion, you can feel the entourage effect from the cannabinoids and terpenes from less cannabis material than you would need if smoked (3).

The high from combusted cannabis is different though, due to the fact that many of the toxic compounds found in smoke also can exert psychoactive effects such as drowsiness.

---

Choose Cannabis Vaporization instead of Combustion

There are reduced respiratory effects for cannabis users who choose vaporization over combustion (4), and this is very important to consider for your long term health and wellness. Dry herb vaporization is the healthiest way we know of other than oral consumption (which is different than inhalation mechanistically) to enjoy the therapeutic and/or recreational effects of cannabis.

Whether you’re new to cannabis or a regular user, a dry-herb vaporizer like the Fury Edge is a great cannabis and yes, even health investment. There is a common misconception that cannabis usage is unhealthy, but it is a merely a tool like any other that can be used for good or bad. I encourage the responsible usage of cannabis.

Cannabis usage for me, through the practice of cannabis yoga, enabled me to discover and connect to my body in ways I didn’t know were possible. Cannabis usage brought to me conscious awareness of the endocannabnoid and bioelectrical system which we all possess.

Dry vaporization is a 180-degree experience compared to traditional smoking. Here are twelve advantages of dry vaporization of cannabis over smoking:

1. No Coughing - Without the smoke, cannabis vapor is easily inhaled and at lower temperatures is highly unlikely to cause a fit of coughing. Only lung bursting hits might cause you to cough.

2. No Mess - Grind up some herb and load up the vaporizer chamber or dosing cap and that’s it. No worrying about ash or disgusting bong water. Overtime cannabinoid resin is created in the chamber or glass pathway, and this is easily cleaned with rubbing alcohol. Dosing caps like you can use with the Fury Edge make cleanup very easy.

3. No Munchies - Cannabis vaporization is much less likely to cause the infamous “munchies”. THC-V, a cannabinoid that vaporizes at high temperatures has an appetite suppressive effect. A strain that contains a lot of THC-V is Durban Poison.

4. Smoother High - Dry vaporization lifts you up and floats you back down, whereas smoking cannabis drops you into a mental valley that needs to be climbed back up. With dry vaporization you can enjoy the sensation but continue to function as normal.

5. No smell - Vaporization produces steam, not smoke. Any scent from the vaporizer is negligible so there is no worrying about anything smelling like cannabis, or you yourself smelling dank.

6. Zero Drowsiness - Vaporization of cannabis flower isn’t dulling and doesn’t cause drowsiness like smoking will. In fact your brain activity might accelerate, so be wary of vaping too late in the evening.

7. No waste - When vaporizing cannabis flower, nearly all the cannabinoids are extracted from the bud and none are destroyed by the heat of combustion. With vaping a lot goes a long way.

8. Inexpensive - There is an upfront cost to a quality dry-herb vaporizer like the Fury Edge, but since cannabis usage compared to smoking is 1/4 to 1/5 as much for the same effect, expect to save lots of money in the long run. Use less bud and get more out of it.

9. Normal Function - Vaporization provide a nice buzz, and connects you to your body more intuitively, but normal activities and though patterns are still the same as ever. Unless someone is very discerning, or you make it obvious, no one will suspect you might be high.

10. Reduced Paranoia - With smoking cannabis it is much more common to be left having feelings of paranoia, fear, or anxiety. With dry vaporization these negative feelings are typically replaced with the feeling of euphoria. Be aware that heavy long-term usage might still cause some symptoms of anxiety.

11. Better Relaxation - After vaping some flower, it’s easier to kick back, unwind, and let go of things. Cannabis vaporization is great way to relax and enter a parasympathetic (rest and digest) state.

12. Stop When you Want - With dry vaporization is is fairly easy to end a high when wanted. Drink more water, take a shower, or eating some food all do the trick. With smoking, the high ends when fat cells soak the THC up, which can take a while.

There are still limits to vaporization and what is safe. You should not do any activities which place you in a greater state of danger or operate heavy machinery. Use common sense and be sensible, safe, and sober when it is the responsible thing to do. For individuals under the age of 25, wait until your brain fully develops before any experimentation with cannabis, it’s not worth the risk of long-term brain alterations.

As a first time user, it’s normal to be scared of the potential psychoactive effects of cannabis. With vaporization, the process is smooth and not scary. Start with a small amount of 1:1 (THC/CBD) flower or 1:1 blend and only vaporize to the lower temperatures. Trust yourself and your body.

---

Cannabis Vaporization Guide

First Time: Start with a cannabis-infused tea! Cannabis teas, or a small 1:1 edible are a very gentle way to first experience the effects of cannabis while also maintaining a good connection to your sober mental state. I personally use Kikoko teas, which have great flavor and have various levels of cannabis infusion. Their Sympa-Tea is a great cannabis product for your very first time use containing 20 mg of CBD and 3 mg THC per serving, and their Positivi-Tea is a bit stronger and more uplifting at 10 mg THC and 5 mg CBD.

Second Time: To feel the effects of cannabis stronger and faster, I recommend dry vaporization next, starting with a 50/50 mix of CBD and THC cannabis. Start vaporizing at 345°F and halfway through your session (most vapes have a session timer) increase the temperature to 365°F to vaporize out more and different cannabinoids.

Third Time: After experiencing the effects of cannabis dry-herb vaporization at lower temperatures, I recommend trying a THC dominant strain and increasing the temperature of your vaporizer beyond 365°F. I find the temperatures of 380, 405, and 420°F all provide nice differences in feel and effect.

For Experienced Users: 1 hour before vaporization, apply CBD lotion on your forehead, nape of your neck, and navel. Ingest a 5-10 mg cannabis brownie. After an hour, vaporize a small amount of cannabis flower, do not rush into this. Since cannabinoids have been applied topically, ingested, and vaporized, the effect can be quite strong. It was when I used cannabis in this method that I experienced a transformative connection and understanding of the bodies bioelectrical system. I could feel the electricity!

---

About the Potential Side Effects

If at any point you experience paranoia or other unpleasant effects, ground yourself with a meditating posture and breath deeply to find calm. Eating a light meal, a luke-warm shower, or sleeping can also help.

The potential negative side effects of cannabis are much more common with combustion. Additionally the use of THC exclusive strains without CBD to balance can exacerbate negative symptoms such as paranoia and dizziness. Some people are also predisposed to not being able to handle higher amounts of cannabinoids. You can heavily reduce or eliminate the potential negative side effects of cannabis through dry vaporization over combustion (no toxic compounds, no carbon monoxide inhalation, etc) and also by mixing CBD dominant strains into your mix. CBD helps to balance out the endocannabinoid system and promotes calming relaxing effects. I personally use mix CBD with THC strains almost every time I use cannabis.

Disclaimer - If you’re under the age of 25 do not consume cannabis in any way. Since cannabis interacts with the brain and body so thoroughly, use of this herb can cause deviant psychological and physiological changes at young ages (5). Wait until roughly the age of 25 when your brain structure is probably fully developed before considering using cannabis. There have been studies showing long term usage of cannabis can change patterns of brain activity at all ages, be responsible with your usage. The science here is still unclear so an abundance of caution is recommended, and daily use is discouraged.

Updated September 2020

---

References

1. Loflin M, Earleywine M. No smoke, no fire: What the initial literature suggests regarding vapourized cannabis and respiratory risk. Can J Respir Ther. 2015;51(1):7-9.

2. Russo EB. The Case for the Entourage Effect and Conventional Breeding of Clinical Cannabis: No "Strain," No Gain. Front Plant Sci. 2018;9:1969.

3. Spindle TR, Cone EJ, Schlienz NJ, et al. Acute Effects of Smoked and Vaporized Cannabis in Healthy Adults Who Infrequently Use Cannabis: A Crossover Trial. JAMA Netw Open. 2018;1(7):e184841.

4. Earleywine M, Barnwell SS. Decreased respiratory symptoms in cannabis users who vaporize. Harm Reduct J. 2007;4:11.

5. Wilson W, Mathew R, Turkington T, Hawk T, Coleman RE, Provenzale J. Brain morphological changes and early marijuana use: a magnetic resonance and positron emission tomography study. J Addict Dis. 2000;19(1):1-22.

Five Mindfulness Practices

Article by Jason Brown - Updated November 2021. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

Follow along and consider this your first mindfulness exercise.

Take a deep breath, breathe out, and relax. Quiet your mind; feel your senses.

Mindfulness meditation has been proven to provide enormous psychological benefits for both individuals as well as the larger communities who participate in it. Through mindfulness, you can learn to become fully present with the moment and accept all of your thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations. Eliminating resistance to all of the elements that create your experience of life can bring about a sense of inner peace and improve your overall well-being.

While this may sound like a very worthwhile goal, it can be tough figuring out how to start on this journey of developing mindfulness. If you are seeking to start practicing mindfullness, or even just breathe new life into your existing practice, here are the five steps needed to help you create a meaningful routine:

---

Set your Intention

Once you’ve decided that you want to practice mindfulness in your day to day, it’s important to define why you’re doing it and what you hope to get out of it. This will help give you an objective to focus on as well as provide you with some motivation to stick with it. This doesn’t have to be anything overly complex and for some, it might just be to learn to live in the moment a little bit more. For others, maybe life has been overwhelming lately and you really need help finding your inner peace. Whatever the reason, setting an intention for your practice of mindfulness will help you get the most out of it by defining a goal you can work towards.

Mindfulness has become somewhat of a buzz word and a sort of “trendy” thing to try out, but this does not necessarily have to degrade the actual value it can provide in your life. By creating an intention that is meaningful to you, you can develop an authentic and powerful practice that has the potential to be a transformative force in your life. 

---

Create realistic expectations

Many people equate mindfulness to the idea of spiritual enlightenment or reaching some sort of Buddha-like state. While mindfulness may be the first step on the path towards enlightenment for some people, it does not necessarily have to represent embarking on a grandiose, spiritual journey of that scale for all. There are benefits to practicing mindfulness in any stage of the game.

That being said, it’s not realistic to expect that 10 minutes of mindfulness meditation a week will turn you into a sage overnight.

However, it may in fact help you find a little more equilibrium in your life. You may have also heard of stories of monks reaching nirvana by sitting and meditating under a tree for some period of time. It might be true that a number of individuals experienced something like this, but these stories can easily be misinterpreted to view mindfulness or meditation as nothing more than a tool to help achieve some specific state of being. Mindfulness is not a means to an end, but rather it is a practice that provides you with value for as long as you are engaged with it. It’s not some pill you swallow or thing you try once that changes your perception of the world forever, but rather mindfulness is like a muscle that you develop through regular use and exercise.

---

Be Consistent & Disciplined

If you want to turn your intention into a reality, it’s going to take some consistent effort. It’s important to commit yourself to a regular mindfulness routine that will help you to internalize your practice. For some people, this might mean making time at the beginning or end of every day to sit and meditate. For others, it might mean spending 20-30 minutes a day reading some enriching material. It could even be a routine of sitting quietly with no distractions to enjoy a peaceful breakfast before starting your day. Whatever you choose to commit yourself to, the important piece is that you stay consistent with it. Like with most objectives, discipline matters. As previously mentioned, mindfulness can only add value to your life for as long as you continue to practice it, so it’s essential that you create a routine that you can stick with over time. 

---

Create Accountability 

When starting any new habit, it’s important to create a system of accountability in order to keep yourself on track. This is particularly true with something like mindfulness where the effects can initially be very subtle or hard to measure. Therefore, creating a system that will push you to stick it out during the initial phases of developing the habit will help you reach the benefits that long-term commitment can bring to your life. One way you could do this is by setting a goal to practice mindfulness meditation for 10 minutes a day and then keep track of how many days in a row you’re able to stay with it. See if you can keep the streak going for one week, then two weeks, and then a month. Next thing you know, it will have become integrated into your normal, daily routine. Another way you can approach accountability is to find a friend who is willing to take this mindfulness journey with you. Check in with one another on at least a weekly basis to see how each of you has been able to follow through with your practice. Not only can this keep you accountable, it is also motivating to connect with someone embarking on the same journey as yourself.

“Eliminating resistance to all of the elements that create your experience of life can bring about a sense of inner peace and improve your overall well-being”

— Jason Brown

---

Incorporate Mindfulness into your Daily Life

Practicing mindfulness can be as easy as simply living in the moment and being mindful of your breath

For practicing mindfulness to have significant effect for you, it's important not to fall into the trap of viewing your practice as separate from the rest of your daily life. There are many ways to mindfully meditate, and while you may have certain times of the day or certain activities you commit yourself to for developing mindfulness, the idea is that you will progressively start to become more mindful throughout your overall life.

It’s easy to view meditation as isolated from everything else you do during the day, but imagine what it would be like if you approached all experiences with the same openness and deliberateness that you bring to your meditation. You might slowly start to realize that being more mindful has helped take the edge off of some of the situations, responsibilities, or tasks that normally cause you stress, all unconsciously. Try imagining the 10 or so minutes you set aside each day for deliberate mindfulness as the “recharging” moments that carry you through the stressful parts of your day.

---

Practice makes Perfect

Mindfulness is intended to bring lightness, relaxation, and peace to your life. It’s not entirely necessary to view these 5 steps as firm rules for your practice These five suggestions can kickstart your practice to turn an idea into a sustainable routine. There is definitely a science to the power of mindfulness meditation, but there is also an art of how to incorporate it into your life and get the most out of it. Above all else, take the liberty to be creative and experiment with finding a routine that can help bring more peace and joy to your life. 

Five Wellness Habits to Follow

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated November 2021. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

Depending on your current lifestyle, life can move fast, with responsibilities and stress pilling up. When this happens, unhealthy habits are created and used as coping mechanisms which only serve to make things worse. Once habits are formed, it can be hard to get out of those unhealthy routines. Humans are creatures of habit - and that isn't necessarily a bad thing! If mindfulness throughout the creation of a new habit, we can let our unconscious actions better serve our health and wellness.

To make sure that the changes you want to make become healthy habits that don’t cut into your free time or morph into an added stress, start with the basics. The goal is to make life less stressful, and to aid you in the journey here are five easy-to-follow habits to speed your growth into a healthier you!

---

Drink More Water

Everyone knows the importance of drinking water for optimal health, but 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated. Dehydration causes fatigue, lead to heat exhaustion, or even cause death in extreme cases. When you keep your body in a state of chronic dehydration, all the major systems of the body are stressed to critical levels. If you were hoping to find a magic wellness potion that will change your life forever, water is the closest thing you've got! Below is a small slice of how water intake impacts your health:

• Drinking enough water improves mood, aids concentration, and promotes a clarity of mind.

• The detoxification system of the body, led by the kidneys and liver, uses water to filter and flush out toxins through sweat, urine, and feces.

• Water is absolutely vital for skin health, and remember the skin is the largest organ of the body!

• Water aids in digestion, improving and stabilizing intestinal motility.

• Adequate water intake can balance blood pressure to healthy levels by lowering or raising it.

“Water is the foundation of all life as we know it”

If you’ve never made a habit to drink pure water consistently and in adequate volume, then you’ve been missing out of a whole new level of health and wellness. To remedy that, make it a habit to drink water at certain times of day. For instance, have 16 - 32 oz of filtered water everyday right when you wake up. Pairing water intake to events like waking up, finishing work, or before a meal is a good way to ensure you drink the recommended 1 gallon (4 liters) of water per day. There are many ways to make sure you're staying hydrated throughout the day, brainstorm what works for your current lifestyle, so even if you're busy, you’re well hydrated and your fluid intake isn’t a stress factor.

---

Incorporate Movement into your Life

If you don't have time everyday to exercise or go for a long walk, that doesn't mean you can't move! By squeezing in some movement in-between your regular activities, you can improve your energy levels while laying the foundation for a more structured exercise routine.

If you already work, small bouts of movement done consistently throughout your day will accelerate your fitness goals.

Burn some calories, make small health improvements, and all without a trip to the gym. That’s a win-win and a textbook example of a healthy habit.

To start incorporating more movement into your everyday life, choose exercises you can do quickly and without any equipment. Connect those simple exercises to activities you do often, and eventually that daily task acts as a movement trigger, becoming a habit.

Movement Habits to Follow

• Before or after you use the restroom, do 15 squats.

• If you're reading a long email or article, hold your arms up high above your head as you're reading and stretch a bit. Don’t be surprised by how quickly your shoulders start to work!

• If you watch TV, use the natural breaks to exercise! If you're watching cable, perform sit-ups during the commercial breaks. If you're watching a streaming service like Netflix, do a 1-minute plank or push-ups a couple short of failure in-between episodes.

• While heating up food, do some stretching! Quad and hamstring stretches are particularly accessible and can be done anywhere.

• Perform a wall sit while brushing your teeth! The guideline for oral health is to brush your teeth for 2 minutes; work your way towards holding the wall sit for the entire duration.

• If you're walking up stairs, do 15 calf raises from a step when you get to the top of the flight. The step lets you get a full range of motion, and really gets the calves burning. Practice your balance on the bottom step.

For a more structured exercise routine calisthenics is highly recommended as zero equipment is required, and calisthenics can be performed by all ages. Calisthenics is easy to scale to the individual; if you don’t know how to start, follow a simple calisthenics routine.

---

Plan Your Meals

Meal-prepping is a game changer, not only for your finances, but also for your diet and time management.

If you have a hectic schedule, once or twice a week, plan out your lunch and dinners for that period of time. Knowing exactly what to shop for while you're at the grocery store keeps your trips short and effective, and keeps you from wasting money on impulse food purchases, which might be more unhealthy or go unused. Cooking ahead of time and having a prepared lunch means you'll consistently be eating healthier, nor will you misuse money or time ordering out. Planning ahead on what to eat for dinner saves you time, money, and increases your schedule flexibility. If a time crunch arises, a healthy meal has been prepared and is ready to go.

For some, meal prepping is the end destination. Personally I like cooking my meals fresh everyday, but meal prepping was certainly a very valuable step on the way towards fully intuitive healthy eating. make sure when meal prepping that you store your food in glass containers to avoid exposing yourself to endocrine disruptors like phthalates, BPA/BPS/BPF.

Eat More Vegetables

As you're preparing your meals, make it a habit to include a serving or two of vegetables with every container. You've already made the decision to eat healthier, and eating more vegetables is universally recognized as one of the best ways to accomplish that goal. 7-9 servings of fruits and vegetables per day should be your target, and it's easy to accomplish that since if meals are pre-made and ready to go. As an added benefit, changing the vegetable side dish to a meal helps keep every lunch and dinner interesting, so you can prepare your carbs and protein in bulk and then add fresh vegetables with every meal. To prepare veggies fresh really quickly and healthily, use an air fryer. Lightly cooking broccoli, cauliflower, or squash in an airfryer only takes 5-10 minutes and doesn’t require the use of any oils.

Pack Healthy Snacks

It's okay to get hungry between meals, and if energy levels hit a slump, having a healthy snack on hand can support your health and wellness goals by keeping you aware from tempting junk food. Fruits like an orange or apple contain satiating fiber, or a granola mix with nuts and seeds can help improve your fat metabolism.

---

Practice Mindfulness

Taking a few moments for yourself every day, breathing, and practicing mindfulness is a great way to reduce stress, prevent burnout, and lead to a healthier happier life.

When and how you want to use your time is up to you, but make a habit of spending some me time to yourself at least once a day. Spending time in nature and grounding is of the best things you can do everyday for your mental health, and can reduce feelings of anxiety, loneliness, and depression.

In the morning, this "Me time" could be taking a few extra moments after waking up to stretch, do your daily hygiene, and prepare a delicious breakfast. At work, it could mean pausing from an assignment to step outside and take ten deep breaths of fresh air. Later in the evening a walk of any length clears and calms the mind while also incorporating more movement into your daily routine.

All these recommendations seem like common sense, but when caught in the rat race it takes a conscientious effort to make time for yourself and make wellness a priority in your life. Once mindfulness habits are set, you’ll be amazed by how much less stress you have in your life, how much calmer you are, and how much more focused and productive you’ve become!

---

Sleep a Full Eight Hours

When responsibilities pile up and there is so much to do, it's convenient to think that getting a couple hours less sleep per night will be OKAY. well, It isn't. The eight hours of rest you should be getting every night is the time when the mind and body heal and restore.

““Our bodies used long periods of sleep to restore and rejuvenate, to repair tissues, grow muscle, prune synapses, and synthesize hormones.””

Sleep is when the brain takes the information from the previous day, parses it, and turns it into long term memories. It may seem like staying up to finish work is the better option, but 9 times out of 10 you're better off getting a good night's rest and coming back to finish your work in the morning. Quality sleep is crucial to productivity and overall happiness.

If you have trouble establishing a set bedtime, set an alarm an hour before your desired bedtime and begin your bedtime routine. Turn down the lights, place your phone on the charger, brush your teeth, and do all the things you want to do in order to wake up the next morning bright and alert. Be conscientious of your circadian rhythm and let the cycle of the sun guide your morning, afternoon, and evening activities. Plan your bedtime slightly earlier than the eight hours of sleep you need, that way in case it takes a while to fall asleep, you still get eight quality hours of sleep per night.

Improving your sleep is one of the best things you can do for your health and wellness, and it’s really quite easy with the creation of some habits and a little discipline.

---

Five Habits to Healthy

There you have it, five wellness strategies to help you live a happier, healthier, and more appreciative life. Be patient during the process and start by adding one new habit at a time, and as one becomes a permanent habit, add another in. There is no first place winner as it relates to your wellness journey, everyone’s life if unique and takes a different path. The best way to see long term success is with small consistent steps forward which result in accelerating forward progress.

Cannabis Yoga

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated March 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

Pairing the consumption of cannabis and movement together has been practiced for thousands of years. Movement and cannabis are synergistic to each other, and together can create a powerful experience which draws awareness to the present moment and elevates consciousness.

What makes yoga and cannabis such a powerful experience physically, emotionally, and spiritually, is the endocannabinoid system. Running parallel to your nerves, sending signals from the body back to the brain, the opposite of normal. Both yoga and cannabis activate the endocannabinoid system, creating transformative experiences when used together.

---

What is Yoga?

It's hard to describe yoga. In the western world, yoga is mostly thought of as a fitness modality, and treated as such.

Yoga is more than just a type of fitness, it is an eight limb path developed to be a guide for how to live a meaningful and purposeful life. Yoga will transform your life. Yoga is challenging yet easy, peaceful but also uncomfortable. The practice of yoga calms the mind but also poses challenging spiritual questions. Yoga is the ultimate tool for inward reflection and self-realization. Think of yoga as the equivalent of a cat discovering it is the cat on the other side of the mirror.

In terms of the physical, yoga is the best way I’ve learned to communicate with my body.

Yoga enables you to feel more than just musculature but also my connective tissues, fascia, joints, ligaments, and the skeletal system. Due to the way the brain and nervous system works, it is inherently difficult to feel and communicate with these deeper levels of your body because it can be dangerous. The improper application of stress on small areas can cause damage, and for this reason the connection between body and mind is initially dulled as a preventive safety measure.

Through the interactions of the endocannabinoid system, both yoga and cannabis increase the ability for the mind to connect with smaller and smaller sections of the body, and the practice of yoga is a way to responsibly learn these new feeling connections.

To understand how this works you must first learn and understand the endocannabinoid system.

---

Connect to your Body with Cannabinoids

The endocannabinoid system is a biological system composed of cannabinoid receptors that runs parallel to the central and peripheral nervous system. Endocannabinoids are lipid-based retrograde neurotransmitters produced by the body which bind to cannabinoid receptors.

Fury Edge vaporizer by Healthy Rips. Vaporization of cannabis flower or consumption are the healthiest ways to consume cannabis.

The endocannabinoid system helps the body connect to the brain (1). This natural cannabinoid system is activated when cannabinoids are created or consumed, sending retrograde signals back to the brain along the nervous system using cannabinoid receptors (2).

To the uninitiated, this is very powerful because typically it is the brain which is sending out signals to the body to control bodily functions, motor patterns and more. Retrograde signaling provides feedback and enhanced connectivity from the body to the brain.

How you consume cannabis, and the quality of the flower used are very important for ensuring you create an experience which elevates your consciousness, and not intoxicates it.

Breathing exercises stimulate the endocannabinoid system, as does the consumption of cannabis. The practice of yoga is very breath focused, so when breath work and exogenous cannabis are combined together into one experience, the endocannabinoid system is highly stimulated, pushing tons of feedback from the central and peripheral nervous system to the brain.

Because the endocannabinoid system is closed related to breathing, it is involved in the many functions throughout the body. These include:

• Motor learning

• Appetite

• Pain-sensation

• Mood

• Memory

• Cognition, cognitive development

• Fertility

• Physical performance

---

My Cannabis Yoga Experience

When I first tried yoga in the past sober, it was fun, but not a revolutionary experience. I definitely was not convinced of the benefits of yoga. It struck me as being a subpar workout.

Back then, my head was a storm, pulling my attention away from what is really important in yoga, which is syncing the breath to the flow of the body; clearing the mind, and being present. With more classes eventually I would have made the connection, but I didn’t take more classes because at the time the experience wasn’t anything special.

Cannabis yoga is best practiced with a trained professional

A couple years later at the invitation of a friend, I participated in a cannabis yoga class. I was newly experimenting with cannabis, so I found the concept interesting and thought why not.

After vaporizing a small bowl of cannabis sativa, we started the Yin Yoga class, and immediately I began making the connections between movement, breath, and the benefit of calming the mind. That first cannabis Yin Yoga class was an evolutionary experience, and really was the catalyst for my journey of spiritual development.

Now that I have had the initial “wow” experience, I don’t need cannabis in order to enjoy the incredible benefits of yoga. At the time though, cannabis helped me to cut down on the high frequency noise constantly humming through my head, enabling me to focus and experience a clarity of mind unlike ever before.

My first cannabis yoga class was an incredibly enlightening experience. Cannabis elevates consciousness, and the clarity of mind and connection to body that I experience every time I practice cannabis yoga helps to ground me in the present moment, relieve stress, wipe clean my anxiety, and fosters a deep sense of peace.

Due to the retrograde nervous system actions of yoga and cannabis, and the mental and physical awareness that brings, cannabis yoga can be a tremendously powerful experience for many people, and something few people in western society have experienced. Our modern world is endlessly distracting and creates a barrier between behavioral consciousness and elevated consciousness, and cannabis yoga under the guidance of a professional yogi can shift your consciousness out of a distracted information-rich environment.

---

Experience Yourself

If you wish to experience cannabis yoga yourself, follow the guide below:

1. Create your environment: Find a quiet secluded place free of distractions. Silence or turn off your electronics. Set aside one hour for yourself to intuitively feel and discover your body as never experienced before. A yoga music playlist, quiet in the background and without ads, can help create the mood for self exploration. Otherwise the sounds of your environment are also ripe for conscious exploration.

2. Consume some cannabis: If using a mild edible, consume it 1 hour before the cannabis yoga session. If inhaling cannabis, do that a few minutes before, breathing deeply to ensure zero irritation to the lungs. Use a 50/50 mix of THC dominant cannabis flower and CBD dominant cannabis flower for a more well-rounded, paranoia free experience

3. Begin by Breathing: sitting cross-legged or in lotus posture, spine upright and head forward, begin taking slow deep breaths and find your natural rhythm. Expect your breath to change throughout the course of this yoga session, follow your instincts and don’t overthink.

4. Begin Moving: self expression through movement. Start with small movements. You can begin with your head, circling it and looking side to side to release built-up tension. Explore your shoulders, shrug them up and down, roll them, forward and back. Twist, bend, splay open! No matter your shape or body type, let go of your preconceptions and you’ll be amazed as your body begins move where it needs and wants too. Like a leaf floating down a river, follow the current and enter into a flow state of pure intuition and expression.

5. Meditate: when movement comes to an end, either because you’re tired or because it is time to recover, resume your starting seated posture or enter shavasana and return to slow deep breaths. Movement can be incredibly healing because it breaks up stiff tissues and improves circulation throughout the body. This can create a cellular mess that needs to be cleaned up by the immune system, kidneys, and liver. Practicing meditation for 10 - 20 minutes at the end of cannabis yoga starts the recovery process, lets you enjoy the bliss of the moment, and gives you time to understand the experience you went through.

If you want a more structured movement plan, then follow the simple beginners flow below:

• Lotus Pose - Starting position

• Table Pose - Engage your body

• Cat Cow Pose - Loosen up the back

• Child’s Pose - Open the Hips

• Pigeon Pose - Feel Your Legs

• Rabbit Pose - Contract Your Spine

• Cobra Pose - Stretch Your Spine

Please share your cannabis yoga experience, or any you have had before in the comments below.

Updated October 2020

---

References:

1. Pacher P, Bátkai S, Kunos G. The endocannabinoid system as an emerging target of pharmacotherapy. Pharmacol Rev. 2006;58(3):389-462.

2. Russo S, De Azevedo WF. Advances in the understanding of the cannabinoid receptor 1 - focusing on the inverse agonists interactions. Curr Med Chem. 2019;26(10):1908-1919.

---

Stefan Burns

“My wellness journey has evolved many times, and throughout this process there have been constants I’ve deeply realized. These truths form the foundation of a healthy and balanced lifestyle which anyone can build on. It’s through Wild Free Organic that myself and others share the wellness practices we’ve learned through our experience and backed up by science. Thank you for being here, and bless you.”

🙏 Namaste

The Importance of Sleep

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated November 2021. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

Sleep is a very important part of everyday life. The prevailing recommendation is that 8 hours of sleep everyday is ideal amount for health and wellness. Less or more than eight hours and negative health implications start to increase. The health effects of sleep deprivation is also well studied fact. Sleep is so important that sleep deprivation studies on rats and dogs have shown that extreme sleep deprivation can be fatal.

Table of Contents:

1. Health Impacts of Sleep

2. The Sleep Cycle and Naps

3. Factors that Influence Sleep

4. Keep Sleep Simple

5. Holistic Sleep Improvement Protocol

6. Sleep is an Advantage, Use it

---

Health Impacts of Sleep

Here are some quick facts from the American Sleep Association (1):

• 50 - 70 million US adults have a sleep disorder.

• 37% of 20-39 year-olds report short sleep duration

• 40% of 40-59 year-olds report short sleep duration

• 35.3% adults report < 7 hours of sleep during a typical 24-hour period.

Sleep can take many forms. Most people sleep once a day in a single unbroken event lasting, sleep involves a 5 to 9 hours in length. Others follow a biphastic sleep schedule in which there are two periods of sleep everyday, typically one long and one short. Then there are extreme sleep schedules like those developed by the famous late Buckminster Fuller (which we do not recommend you try). However your sleep schedule is divided, a total of 8 hours of sleep per day is recommended. If you get less sleep than what your body and mind require for restoration every night, then there are some health complications you should be aware of.

In a study of over 100,000 volunteers, researchers observed that cognitive performance is impaired in people who deviate from the recommended 7–8 hours per night (2). A deviation from the 7-8 hours had little impact on short-term memory performance, but reasoning and verbal skills were heavily impaired. Those who self-reported sleeping less than 4 hours per night had lower scores compared to those who slept well, and had similar cognitive performance to people 8 years older then them. In persons sleeping less than 8 hours, reduced leptin and elevated ghrelin hormones were observed (3). This skewed leptin/ghrelin ratio has been found to be responsible for increasing appetite and hunger cravings. In fact, increased body mass index (BMI) was found to be proportional to decreased sleep. Sleeping for less than 7 hours per night conferred a 12% greater risk of death (4).

Without a proper 8 hours of sleep per night you’re more likely to be cognitively older, fatter, and one step closer to death than if you had slept a full eight hours per night. Poor sleep can be avoided through! This article will guide you through the science of why you might be having poor sleep and how to counteract this. At the end there is an action plan you can follow to improve your sleep right away.

---

The Sleep Cycle and Naps

Sleep can be broken down into sleep cycles 90 minutes in length. When you sleep for 8 hours, if everything is normal you will go through 5-6 sleep cycles. A sleep cycle can be further broken down into the stages of sleep: Wakefulness, Rapid Eye Movement (REM), Stage 1, Stage 2, and Stage 3.

By Schlafgut - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0

Stage 3 is slow-wave deep sleep, and slow-wave-sleep is when the body heals and the brain consolidates memories (5). Stages 1 and 2 are short intermediate stages between stage 3 and REM sleep. Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep is when you experience dreams. Having adequate REM sleep every night has shown to be important for how alert, focused, and sharp you are the next day, and less REM sleep puts you at a higher risk of death (6).

While most of this article will focus on why you should get a good eight hours of sleep per night, daytime naps will also be discussed. When sleep deprived, naps can be a quick effective way to mitigate many of the effects of sleep deprivation. Longer naps have a more lasting effect than shorter naps, but the goal should be to resume a normal 8 hour sleep cycle as soon as possible. Keeping in tune with the circadian rhythm is important for many reasons, one of them being that brain waste clearance works better during sleep at night compared to daytime sleeping (7). The process of sleeping is important, but so is when you sleep. With that covered, here are the different types of naps you can take.

15 Minute Nap

If you’re feeling drowsy, fatigued, or have brain fog, a 15 minute nap can have you come feeling refreshed for 1-3 hours afterwards. The secret of the 15 minute nap is that very quickly you can descend into stage 2 sleep (see above). During stage 2 mental performance is increased, and in fifteen you’ll have gotten a mini tune-up, and the effects are immediate (8). A fifteen minute nap is too short to experience sleep inertia (that period of fatigue and drowsiness post sleep), so when you need a quick mental boost take a nap rather than reach for a cup of coffee. Naps used this way to help to improve your sleep and wellness overall.

The 15 minute nap is the best sleep option to utilize when you only have 15 minutes in the near future to catch some rest, and/or you require a cognitive boost right away.

30 Minute Nap

If you have longer than 15 minutes but less than the 90 minutes required for a full sleep cycle, then a 30 minute nap is a better option to improve mental clarity and also remove some physical fatigue. 30 minute naps enhance performance in reaction time and alertness compared to if you didn’t take a nap (9). A thirty minute nap extends your time in stage 2 sleep, improving the benefits compared to a shorter 15 minute nap. Sleep inertia will be slightly higher with a 30 minute nap that a 15 minute nap, but that should only last a few minutes at max.

If you sleep longer for thirty minutes you’ll enter into stage 3 sleep, and waking up from stage 3 sleep carries with it a lot of sleep inertia. It’s best to stick to a thirty minute nap or if you have the time go for a full 90 minute sleep cycle, and nothing in-between.

90 Minute Nap

The 90 minute nap is special because it encompasses one entire sleep cycle, from stage 1 and stage 2 sleep, through stage 3 slow-wave-sleep, and finally to REM sleep. If you need the biggest physical and mental boost midway through the day, a 90 minute nap is the way to go. 90 minute naps will boost performance for up to ten hours (10). The drawback of the 90 minute nap compared to the 15 and 30 minute options are that it creates more sleep inertia. Going through the sleep stages all the way to REM sleep takes one relatively close back to wakefulness though, and the sleep inertia from a 90 minute nap is slightly more than that from a 30 minute nap.

0 Minute Nap (Hypnagogic)

Hypnagogia is the experience of the transition from wakefulness to sleep. Ranging from a few seconds to a few minutes, this transition period takes people from conscious to unconscious experience, and unusual sleep phenomenon such as lucid dreaming, hallucinations, and sleep paralysis can sometimes be experienced during hypnagogia.

A hypnagogic nap is a nap that only lasts for seconds. To experience a hypnagogic nap without having learned to control the hypnagogia state, sit in a chair and hold an object such as a metal ball in your hand and try to fall asleep. Right before you’ll fall asleep, your hand will relax, dropping the ball, waking you up from the hypnagogia state. With practice, the balls will no longer be needed. Visionaries such as Albert Einstein, Benjamin Franklin, Nikola Tesla, Ludwig van Beethoven, Salvador Dalí, Isaac Newton, Thomas Edison, Aristotle, and more all have credited hypnagogic naps with boosting their creativity and insight. I personally can attest to this phenomenon. All of my best ideas and revelations come to me as I straddle wakefulness and rest, and I’ve found that if I transition back to wakefulness instead of sleep after experiencing hypnagogia, I feel rested with my mind firing at max creative capacity.

---

Factors that Influence Sleep

There are a many factors that influence sleep, and they range from minor to major in effect. It is important to be aware of these different factors, which range from light exposure to diet, and how they affect the circadian rhythm. The circadian rhythm is a natural, internal process that regulates the sleep-wake cycle. When making changes to improve sleep quality and/or quantity focus on the most encompassing changes that positively effect the circadian rhythm. The methods that are the most effective in improving sleep often require the biggest lifestyle changes, so expect these changes to take time. Patience will be required if you wish to make lasting change and create a lifestyle which supports quality sleep and overall health and wellness.

Below is a list of the most important factors that can influence sleep. At the end of the article is a quick-start guide that will condense this information into actionable steps.

Chemicals: It’s well known that chemicals like caffeine affect sleep, but other chemicals, some of which are naturally produced, can also impact sleep.

Exogenous Sleep Disruptors

• Nicotine - the additive chemical found in tobacco, is a stimulant and disrupts sleep by increasing sleep latency (how long it takes to fall asleep), reduces quality, fragments sleep, and reduces overall time slept.

• Alcohol - a depressant, the more drinks that are consumed before bed, the greater the impact on sleep quality. You might fall asleep faster, but REM sleep (which is mentally restorative) is notably reduced after a few hours.

• THC/CBD - cannabinoids produced from cannabis, THC is a psychoactive chemical while CBD is non-psychoactive. Both promote feelings of relaxation but THC triggers dopamine release.

Exogenous Continued

• Caffeine - a stimulant found in coffee beans and green tea leaves, caffeine promotes wakefulness and releases adrenaline. The half-life of caffeine is ~6 hours, so if you have 100 mg caffeine upon first waking, 18 hours later when it is time to sleep you will still have 12.5 mg of caffeine in your system.

• Theobromine - a stimulant found in cacao, theobromine is very similar to caffeine in its effects.

• Phthalates - chemicals commonly found in plastic products, phthalates are endocrine disruptors and by affecting hormones can disrupt sleep through phenomenon such as hot flashes. Bedding materials commonly degas phthalates.

Endogenous Sleep Influencers

• Dopamine - a naturally produced feel-good neurotransmitter, increases in response to things that bring pleasure, and higher levels of dopamine disrupt sleep.

• Cortisol - a steroid hormone, cortisol peaks in the morning when you wakeup. Cortisol is released by the adrenal glands when stressed, though the overall cortisol release schedule is dependent on your circadian rhythm.

• Melatonin - a hormone primarily released by the pineal gland, melatonin helps regulates the sleep–wake cycle. 

Consistency: More consistent day-night schedules improve sleep quality. The circadian rhythm is based on the light and temperature cycles of the sun, and the further you stray from these natural variations, the more disrupted your circadian rhythm becomes. All the factors in this list affect your circadian rhythm, and therefore your sleep, but what also effects your sleep is how consistent you keep these factors everyday. Changing any factor, whether for the positive or negative creates circadian rhythm volatility, so move the needle slowly, introducing one optimization at a time, and make it a lasting habit.

Sometimes it’s not possible to be fully consistent, such as with jet lack from travel or life events, and in this case do your best to stay calm and reduce the volatility to your circadian as much as you can using the different takeaways that you glean from this list.

Electromagnetic Radiation: The Earth is buzzing with electromagnetic energy, both naturally occurring and now man-made. Little is known on how magnetic fields influence our physiology. Our bioelectrical system is just as developed as any other system in the body like the circulatory system, it’s just not well understood. There is evidence that the frequency and amplitude of electromagnetic fields can impact sleep (11), and if you’re experiencing poor sleep you might consider turning the WiFi routers in your home off ever night and keeping note of your sleep patterns.

I personally have done this and I notice I sleep better with the WiFI router off.

Environment: Environment is a multi-faceted word that means many things. Environment means more obvious factors like temperature and background noise, but environment can also mean more nebulous factors. Maybe you live with other individuals with volatile schedules who are highly stressed and emotional. Perhaps a family pet needs to be let out every night to do their business, or there is temporary construction nearby that starts at 6 am. There are endless ways your environment effects your sleep schedule and quality of sleep, and you can influence these factors to various degrees.

“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.”

— Reinhold Niebuhr

This quote is very true as it relates to your sleep environment. Make the changes and optimizations you can in order to sleep better, but remain calm with what you can’t change. Getting stressed or worried about what you can’t change will only make you sleep worse.

Food: Food has a big impact on your sleep. The timing and composition of meals determines your blood sugar levels, which in turn impacts your energy level and brain activity. Depending on what you eat right before bed can have an impact on how well you sleep that night meal right before bed. Fiber increased slow wave sleep and reduced stage 1 sleep (light sleep) whereas sugar and saturated fat increased stage 1 sleep and arousals (12).

When meal timing is kept consistent, the body adapts and the circadian rhythm normalizes, even if the meals are very early or very late. When the timing of meals change, the circadian rhythm shifts and sleep is disrupted (13)

Alcohol is a well known sleep disruptor. As a depressant, a few servings of liquor might help you fall asleep faster, but overall sleep quality will be worse, with REM stages suffering the most (14).

Light: Our existence is light, so it is no surprise to find out that light has a huge impact on sleep. Light is the main input the circadian rhythm bases its calculations off of, and the intensity, wavelength (color), and timing of light all change the response of the circadian rhythm (15). The transition of dim to bright light in the morning induces an immediate rise in cortisol (16), the stress hormone, promoting wakefulness. During the day, blue and green light dominate the sky, promoting alertness through changes in brain activity (17). At night blue light suppresses melatonin production, the sleep hormone, in a dose dependent manner (18). Any light after dark disrupts melatonin production and has an influence on sleep onset and quality (19), it’s just lower wavelength light has the least impact.

Being mindful of all light, and it’s effects on your sleep, is one of the biggest things you can do to positively impact your sleep quality and quantity.

Medications: There is a chance with any drug or medication for one of the side-effects to be sleep disruption. Alpha and beta blockers, SSRI antidepressants, statins, corticosteroids, ACE inhibitors, and diuretics are just some of the drugs which can cause insomnia, daytime drowsiness, decreased REM sleep, nightmares, the list goes on.

Getting good sleep every night is foundational to good health, and every effort should be made to get off medications which impact sleep. Every holistic effort should be taken to return to a healthy lifestyle not requiring any drugs or medications, but that desire has to manifest internally as a deep seated desire.

Pain: It’s no surprise that pain can disrupt sleep, it is something everyone has experienced. Chronic pain can cause regular sleep disruptions, whereas acute pain might only temporarily disrupt sleep. The issue with pain is that it can disrupt sleep, and then the lack of sleep can cause worsening health outcomes, which serve to further increase the pain. It’s a troubling cycle, and to break it pain and anti-inflammatory supplements can be of use. Curcumin, sulforaphane, and CBD are all effective natural anti-inflammatories which can reduce chronic and acute pain depending on their application.

Sex: We know that poor sleep negatively impacts your time in-between the sheets, but how does sex impact sleep? How sex can impact sleep is very individual. During sex, dopamine and oxytocin are released, which can create pleasant feelings which reduce stress, and after sex other hormones like prolactin can cause feelings of relief, relaxation, and sleepiness. These naturally produced chemicals can improve sleep, but for some sex might be too energizing. Likewise, if you’re disrupting your regular sleep schedule by staying up late and being frisky, this will only impact your sleep negatively.

Stress/Anxiety/Depression: Stress and anxiety can deeply disturb your sleep (20), and overtime this can lead to chronic sleep issues. How stress and anxiety affect sleep is similar to the pain-sleep downward cycle. Stress can disturb sleep which can worsen stress and so on. Overtime, or due to other factors, depression can become an issue, which can range from mild to life threatening.

Depression and sleep are closely linked. Decreased REM sleep can exacerbate depression, and depression can lead to insomnia.

Temperature: The temperature of the environment and your body temperature have a big impact on sleep. Finding the right balance between hot and cold is important for sleep quality. When sleep environments are too warm, slow wave and REM sleep are decreased, while wakefulness increases (21). In cold environments, shivering will negatively affect your sleep, but when bundled up the issue is mitigated. The best solution is to sleep in a cool to cold environment and then add warmth to your desired level with bedding materials.

Heat therapy which has many benefits, raises internal body temperatures and can impact sleep. Heat therapy at night (via a bath) while on the decline of the circadian rhythm was found to improve sleep onset, increase the deepest stage of slow-wave-sleep, but decrease REM sleep (22). Typically you don’t want to decrease REM sleep. The same heat therapy done during the incline of the circadian rhythm (think late afternoon) didn’t have any effect on sleep.

---

Keep Sleep Simple

As you can tell, a lot of the health factors which disrupt sleep end up feeding their own condition, making it worse and creating a downward spiral. When or before this happens, it is important to intervene with wellness therapies which are proven effective in helping improve sleep, reduce stress, reduce pain, and increase happiness. Unless positive change is inserted into the equation, healing will not occur. Wellness activities as simple deep abdominal breathing or time spent in nature being in awe can change the conversation, getting wellness and sleep back on track.

Countering bad sleep habits with wellness activities is especially important as you can tell there is significant overlap in the categories above. When on a quest to improve sleep quality, it is best not to pick and choose which habits you’ll change and which you won’t. A holistic lifestyle approach is needed, and once normal sleep patterns have resumed, then you can patiently experiment with what minor changes you’d like to try to accommodate.

Native Americans used dream catchers as spiritual tools to give good dreams to those who slept below them. Bad dreams are caught in the webbing and burned in the light of the morning sun.

First, lets lay out desired sleep goals:

1. Sleep schedule in-sync with natural circadian rhythm

2. 8 hours sleep per night

3. Fast sleep onset

4. Reduced disruptions from elevated alertness and wakefulness.

5. Quality slow-wave-sleep

6. Regular REM sleep

7. Upon waking you feel alert and refreshed.

To accomplish the above sleep goals, lifestyle modifications will need to be made. These modifications are done with the best intentions and creating wellness habits out of these tips will positively impact your life given consistency and time. Some of these modifications might go against your established behaviors, so before you start the below program make sure you are 100% committed to improving your sleep. Only if you have a strong innate desire to improve your sleep and be healthier will these changes stick.

---

Holistic Sleep Improvment Protocol

1. Establish a hard bedtime 8.5 hours before when you would like to wake up every morning. If you need to be up by 4 am that means bedtime is 7:30 pm. 6 am wake-up means 9:30 pm your head is on the pillow. The extra half hour is a cushion that accounts for the time it takes to fall asleep. You need to be consistent with this. Even if you’re not tired initially, create the habit and go lay in bed. Do you best to make your wake-up in the morning coincide with the rising of the sun.

2. Make the bedroom a place for sleep maybe sex and nothing else. If you have a TV in the bedroom, move it elsewhere. If you charge your phone or tablet on your bed stand, move the chargers to a different room. Actions dictate how we respond in different environments, and if you want the bedroom to be a place where you sleep, then it needs to be a place of sleep and nothing more. Watching TV or being on your phone gives your mind the expectation of alertness and activity in an environment where that strictly shouldn’t be allowed. Removing electronics and bright lights from the bedroom also reduces light exposure and melatonin production will be unaffected.

3. Keep the sleeping environment cool and exposed to the outside temperature, even in some small way. The circadian rhythm is driven by the light and temperature cycles of the Earth and Sun, and the further you remove yourself from the natural world the more your sleep will suffer. This goes for your electromagnetic connection to the Earth too, and being grounded at night can further improve sleep and reduce inflammation.

4. Be conscious of light throughout the day, and when the sun starts to set, all electronics should be put away and not used. The use of electronics 2-3 hours before sleep is strongly not recommended. Bright lights in the house should be dimmed, replaced with hue light bulbs (and set to a low kelvin temperature) or candles can be used. Dim lighting at night is better for your circadian rhythm and melatonin production while also being a more passionate creative environment. I have hue color changing lights and highly recommend them for reducing light exposure at night and also to schedule them to slowly turn on with the sun. They’re a game changer. At night put on some blue blocking glasses to further reduce the effect of having lights on. It might seem like overkill, but at night its very dark outside, and even dim lights affect the circadian rhythm. I use Felix Gray blue blocking glasses and notice if I use them consistently at night I sleep better.

5. Cut the caffeine and other stimulants. Caffeine has a long half-life and drinking a cup every morning builds up a chronic dependence on caffeine to be alert and wakeful. Having any caffeine in the afternoon or evening is a strict no. The occasional cup of coffee or tea isn’t a problem, but don’t make it a habit. Likewise, nicotine and alcohol are obvious sleep disruptors, and for health reasons overall shouldn’t be used at any time other than extremely sparingly. Skip the claw, la croix is a better alternative, and if you are addicted to nicotine, try transitioning off cigarettes to cannabis dry vaporization, a healthier alternative which is easy to stop. The cannabinoids might help you sleep too.

6. Exercise in the morning or afternoon, but not evening. Besides a peaceful walk at night, exercising at night stokes the energy systems of the body to ramp up, releases cortisol, and will delay sleep onset. Exercise and movement is foundational to a healthy life, but not at the expense of good sleep. The best way to make sure you exercise in the morning is to establish a consistent morning routine. Start your morning with a movement flow, yoga, calisthenics, a run or walk, there are so many options, and if you do this you’ll feel great throughout the rest of the day.

7. Start a journal and keep track of your sleep. Recording when you go to sleep, wake up, and sleep quality is a good way to pair your diet, daily actions, and habits to your quality of sleep. If your mind is still spinning before going to bed, committing these thoughts to paper can quiet the storm helping you fall asleep faster.

8. Meditate every day for at least 15 minutes. Meditation is the best way to practice calming your mind, it increases mindfulness, and provides an opportunity to raise your level of consciousness. The act of physically doing nothing might seem counterproductive, but through meditation you can unlock many internal and external secrets and truths that would have remained hidden to understanding. Meditation will impact your life in wide-ranging ways, and it will improve your sleep a lot.

9. Spend time in nature every day, increasing your consciousness of the world around you while also enjoying the mind clearing and emotionally calming benefits. You can practice your meditation during this time, focus on deep abdominal breathing, and feel the stress melt away.

10. Eat a healthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables and don’t eat too close to bed time. Additionally, keep your meal timing consistent so as to not disturb your circadian rhythm. For your last meal, at most 2 hours before bed, have a salad or high fiber vegetable like squash. Change your dietary mindset to not seek out foods you crave but instead the nutrition your body needs. Avoid all sugar before bed.

    To aid the sleeping process, there are some supplements which are known to help. 200-400 mg of magnesium glycinate an hour or two before bed will help improve sleep quality (23, 24), or simply eat 1/4 cup of nutrient-dense pumpkin seeds. 10-20 grams of glycine-rich collagen, or a meal composed of pulses (beans, lentils, chickpeas) which also contain a lot of glycine, before bed will improve sleep onset and quality (25).

11. Drink plenty of water throughout the day. The human body is made up of 70% water, and being in a state of chronic dehydration has serious long term health consequences. Upon waking, drink 24-32 oz pure filtered water and do the same before bedtime. Being dehydrated means your mouth and nasal passages will be more dry, increasing your chance of snoring and waking up with dry mouth. Dehydration will also increase your chances of getting leg cramps at night, an unpleasant and wakeful experience. Drink water everyday to stay healthy, skip the other liquids and aim for a gallon of water daily.

---

Sleeping is an Advantage, Use It

It is clear that sleep is a critically important component towards achieving optimal human health, for achieving mental clarity, and for healing your body.

Modern culture doesn’t emphasize wellness, and has yet to fully realize the importance of a well rested 8 hours of sleep. Be cutting edge by going low-tech with your sleeping habits. You’ll experience a calmer mind, less turbulent emotional states, feel stronger and be better rested, and you’ll be less likely to die. Without good sleep you will not age gracefully and experience the quality of life you want.

Updated September 2020

---

References:

1. Sleep and Sleep Disorder Statistics. Sleep Association

2. Wild CJ, Nichols ES, Battista ME, Stojanoski B, Owen AM. Dissociable effects of self-reported daily sleep duration on high-level cognitive abilities. Sleep. 2018;41(12)

3. Taheri S, Lin L, Austin D, Young T, Mignot E. Short sleep duration is associated with reduced leptin, elevated ghrelin, and increased body mass index. PLoS Med. 2004;1(3):e62.

4. Cappuccio FP, D'elia L, Strazzullo P, Miller MA. Sleep duration and all-cause mortality: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective studies. Sleep. 2010;33(5):585-92.

5. Todorova R, Zugaro M. Isolated cortical computations during delta waves support memory consolidation. Science. 2019;366(6463):377-381.

6. Leary EB, Watson KT, Ancoli-israel S, et al. Association of Rapid Eye Movement Sleep With Mortality in Middle-aged and Older Adults. JAMA Neurol. 2020;

7. Hablitz, L.M., Plá, V., Giannetto, M. et al. Circadian control of brain glymphatic and lymphatic fluid flow. Nat Commun 11, 4411 (2020).

8. Lovato N, Lack L. The effects of napping on cognitive functioning. Prog Brain Res. 2010;185:155-66.

9. Rosekind MR, Smith RM, Miller DL, et al. Alertness management: strategic naps in operational settings. J Sleep Res. 1995;4(S2):62-66.

10. Gillberg M. The effects of two alternative timings of a one-hour nap on early morning performance. Biol Psychol. 1984;19(1):45-54.

11. Bagheri hosseinabadi M, Khanjani N, Ebrahimi MH, Haji B, Abdolahfard M. The effect of chronic exposure to extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields on sleep quality, stress, depression  and anxiety. Electromagn Biol Med. 2019;38(1):96-101.

12. St-onge MP, Roberts A, Shechter A, Choudhury AR. Fiber and Saturated Fat Are Associated with Sleep Arousals and Slow Wave Sleep. J Clin Sleep Med. 2016;12(1):19-24.

13. Wehrens SMT, Christou S, Isherwood C, et al. Meal Timing Regulates the Human Circadian System. Curr Biol. 2017;27(12):1768-1775.e3.

14. Ebrahim IO, Shapiro CM, Williams AJ, Fenwick PB. Alcohol and sleep I: effects on normal sleep. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2013;37(4):539-49.

15. Dijk DJ, Archer SN. Light, sleep, and circadian rhythms: together again. PLoS Biol. 2009;7(6):e1000145.

16. Leproult R, Colecchia EF, L'hermite-balériaux M, Van cauter E. Transition from dim to bright light in the morning induces an immediate elevation of cortisol levels. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2001;86(1):151-7.

17. Vandewalle G, Collignon O, Hull JT, et al. Blue light stimulates cognitive brain activity in visually blind individuals. J Cogn Neurosci. 2013;25(12):2072-85.

18. West KE, Jablonski MR, Warfield B, et al. Blue light from light-emitting diodes elicits a dose-dependent suppression of melatonin in humans. J Appl Physiol. 2011;110(3):619-26.

19. Wright HR, Lack LC. Effect of light wavelength on suppression and phase delay of the melatonin rhythm. Chronobiol Int. 2001;18(5):801-8.

20. Al maghaireh DF, Abdullah KL, Chong MC, Chua YP, Al kawafha MM. Stress, Anxiety, Depression and Sleep Disturbance among Jordanian Mothers and Fathers of Infants Admitted to Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: A Preliminary Study. J Pediatr Nurs. 2017;36:132-140.

21. Okamoto-mizuno K, Mizuno K. Effects of thermal environment on sleep and circadian rhythm. J Physiol Anthropol. 2012;31:14.

22. Horne JA, Shackell BS. Slow wave sleep elevations after body heating: proximity to sleep and effects of aspirin. Sleep. 1987;10(4):383-92.

23. Nielsen FH, Johnson LK, Zeng H. Magnesium supplementation improves indicators of low magnesium status and inflammatory stress in adults older than 51 years with poor quality sleep. Magnes Res. 2010;23(4):158-68.

24. Held K, Antonijevic IA, Künzel H, et al. Oral Mg(2+) supplementation reverses age-related neuroendocrine and sleep EEG changes in humans. Pharmacopsychiatry. 2002;35(4):135-43.

25. Inagawa, K., Hiraoka, T., Kohda, T. et al. Subjective effects of glycine ingestion before bedtime on sleep quality. Sleep Biol. Rhythms 4, 75–77 (2006).