Get Active, Be Healthy: CBD and Mindfulness

According to the Harvard Gazette, in 2015, 16.1 million Americans reported experiencing major depression during the previous year, often struggling to function while grappling with crippling darkness and despair. To quote a Mindful: Healthy Mind, Healthy life article “your day to day activities offer ample opportunities to call up mindfulness in any moment.”

Mindfulness involves focusing on your present situation and state of mind. Research has linked mindfulness to a wide collection of possible health benefits.

Here are a few steps to add mindfulness to your day and how you can incorporate CBD into that routine.

• Mindful Wakeup 

• Start your morning with a purpose.

• Take long nourishing breaths as you ask yourself “what is my intention for today? 

• Try focusing on your intention as you take your morning dose of CBD. 

• I like to repeat my daily intention to myself as I am holding our Active CBD Full Spectrum tincture under my tongue. That gives me a chance to center myself before I rush right into my morning activities. 

• Mindful eating

• Many of us are used to quickly scarfing down our food while watching a show on Netflix, but when we do that we are missing out on an opportunity to be present in the moment and feel gratitude for the nourishment and the stimulation of our senses that we receive from delicious food. 

• Try taking a few deep belly breaths before you begin eating, observing the colors on your plate and the invigorating scent wafting through the air.

• Does it smell savory, spicy or sweet? Just noticing these details will instantly put you back in the present moment. 

• I love using this technique while eating our Active CBD oil Dark chocolate bar. The rich dark brown color and tantalizing scent of bittersweet chocolate make me feel luxuriously relaxed in that moment! 

• Quick Mindful Hiatus 

• It’s important to remember that mindfulness is an ongoing process and sometimes it is easy to fall back into autopilot mode. 
• I try to remind myself to take a few minutes throughout the day to stay present by taking a deep breath before walking into the office or answering the phone.

• Throughout the day, as I use our Active CBD Citrus Lavender lotion to moisturize my hands, I slow down the motions and focus on the sensation of touch while rubbing my hands together. I think about how smooth the lotion feels on my skin and I take in a deep breath of the soothing lavender scent that instantly puts my mind at ease. 

• Mindful Movement 

• Physical activity doesn’t solely have to be for burning calories. You can use movement as a way to invigorate your body, get your blood pumping, relieve stress, as well as shift your mood from feeling distracted to strong and focused. 

• Have an end goal in mind. Bring purpose to your movement by envisioning how you want your work out to go. Set an intention to remember to breathe fully with each movement of the exercise. 

• Once you have your Mind centered begin warming up with a few simple stretches and jumping jacks.

• Focusing on your breathing, inhaling and exhaling fully during the most challenging moments will help you get through!

•  Always cool down by slowing your pace and bringing awareness to how your body feels now versus before you began your workout. 

• Rest fully by acknowledging the hard work you have accomplished.

• I love using our Active CBD oil Transdermal Performance Patches during or after my workouts to help mitigate any back or muscle pain that may come up for me during exercise. 

• Meditation 

• Mindfulness is a personal experience and for me, the key element is Meditation. Incorporating a daily meditation practice into my lifestyle has helped me the most with anxiety and irritability. It has greatly helped to shift my perspective in moments of frustration to an understanding that there are many things in life that are outside of my control and that’s okay! 

• Meditation doesn’t have to be complicated, try starting with these simple steps.

• Find a comfortable position, it can be sitting upright in a chair, on the floor or laying down.

• Take 3 long deep belly breaths, inhaling through your nose and exhaling through your mouth to find your center. 

•  Let your muscles completely relax and continue inhaling and exhaling through your nose. 

• Go to your happy place, imagine yourself lying on a warm sandy beach or softly swaying back and forth in a hammock. 

• I like to focus on the moment between the inhale and exhale as my mind slowly begins to clear. It’s okay if you find it difficult to fully relax at first, just keep breathing! Try meditating for 5 minutes at first and gradually increase the time as you go. 

• I really enjoy dabbing our Active CBD oil shatter plus terpenes or smoking a delightful Strain Snobs Hemp pre roll before a meditation session. I find it to help relieve any tension in my head or muscles that I might carry throughout the day. 

There are so many ways to practice mindfulness and it all starts with awareness.

 Having that awareness for yourself, your emotions and the people around you can help us feel more connected to our reality.