CBD + RITUAL: COMBINING PLANT MEDICINE AND INTENTION FOR A TRANSFORMATIONAL EXPERIENCE!

Ah CBD, three little letters that have gotten a whole lot of buzz over the last 5 or so years. You’ll see signs plastered everywhere from gas stations to old video stores. There have been many companies that have made millions by capitalizing off of consumer ignorance and trend in this space that’s for sure. So before I get into the GOOD stuff, let’s have a quick overview of the shady and not-so-good news that surrounds the CBD space and why that matters.

CBD is this amazing little molecule that comes from the cannabis plant. In the USA since cannabis is only legal in a few states, it's extracted from hemp and must legally have less than .3% THC, which is the psychoactive component in cannabis that makes you high. CBD has incredible, science-backed benefits that can help with everything from anxiety, insomnia, to pain and depression.

The problem is anytime there's something that's discovered from nature to be therapeutic, big industries with dollar signs in their eyes come along and exploit and destroy what was perfect to turn it into a money machine.

Hemp is a perfect example. Companies extract low-quality isolated molecules out of pesticide-loaded hemp plants and then saturate it with additives, flavoring agents, and fillers to make it cost-effective and “tasty”. Basically, they alter it and process it so far from its original molecular structure that at best it can offer a placebo effect or be a yummy snack, at worst it can make health issues more compounded because of the toxic and artificial additives, heavy metals, and so on.

But, if CBD is treated as the sacred plant that it is, grown and harvested with care and intention, and protected from pesticides, heavy metal-laden soil, and the like, then the end result is something quite magical. To me, when I entered into the CBD space as a health-focused entrepreneur my FIRST priority was to protect the plant’s sacredness and preserve nature's intelligent design. And that’s exactly what I did. So, now that you know a little about the difference between quality CBD and crappy imposter CBD, I can get onto the good stuff. Its benefits, and how to use CBD as a part of a ritual for the ultimate plant medicine benefits.

Now, this may sound a little WOO WOO and out there but as a woman of science, I can tell you that there are many things that are powerful and unexplained in this world that I firmly believe in. However, plant consciousness is actually scientifically proven as well, so this idea of connecting to something with intention is more than just an airy-fairy idea.

Plants and their therapeutic properties have been used as medicine throughout human history across every culture. Long before allopathic, Western medicine entered the scene with the idea that you had to numb out, cut out, destroy or radiate anything that wasn't working well, humans were connected to Nature and her Infinite wisdom for healing.

Over the past decade or so we've seen a collective shift back towards utilizing mother nature and her gifts for healing. The boom of essential oils, herbal therapies, and of course CBD has the average person who never thought to use plants for healing at least familiar with the idea that they can. This both thrills me, and concerns me because of the previously mentioned problems. Industry giants who have no respect or care for the people or plants can really ruin a good thing. But, as long as you're using quality, intentionally crafted plant medicine products you can rest assured that you'll get the benefits without the negatives. If you have product quality covered you can take the utilization of these products to a whole new level by utilizing it in a ritualistic way to maximize benefit.

Throughout indigenous cultures and various utilizations of plant medicine, one thing has a degree of consistency, and that is that the practitioner and the “patient” (user) set an intention for what the medicine is supposed to do or what the desired outcome is. If you know anything about quantum physics, the law of attraction, and the power of our consciousness you know that our intentions have a powerful ability to impact an outcome. So it only makes sense that you would start with a pure, sacredly treated CBD, and then actually honor and respect the origin of the plant and its healing powers by tuning in and connecting.

Allopathic medicine is a medicine that says “here, take this pill and IT will fix YOU”. It basically dissolves all personal contributions or responsibility for a health outcome which isn’t very empowering if you think about it, nor is it effective. Plant medicine and the way it has historically been used is the exact opposite. So again if you want to receive the maximum benefit from something like CBD it only makes sense that you would meet it halfway and choose to connect with and set an intention for what you'd like it to accomplish. It's a beautiful way of tuning back into your own ancient roots and harmonizing yourself with the plant.

Another example is the way psilocybin (mushrooms) were used throughout time as powerful Consciousness Awakening and healing molecules. A ceremony always starts with an intention, prayer, and connection to the plant itself. We get lost from this process in our modern culture and to me using something like CBD is such an incredible way to connect back with this element of our humanity.

So in summary, we know what NOT do: get crappy, toxic CBD from industry giants. And we know what to look for: quality, organic, and truly honored CBD. Now, how do we combine the ritual aspect with use?

Well, this part is actually pretty simple. The good news is that this doesn't need to look any certain way. In many cultures and tribes there were specific processes and actions that were taken but unless you have some part of your heritage that you want to dig back into this is the part where you get to create your own ritual and go with what feels right to you.

If you've ever done anything like a new moon ceremony, journaling, or even meditation you know that it becomes an individual process. With ritual, the best thing to do is go with what you're instinctively drawn to and not cling to rigid ideas of what it needs to look like. For me, I generally like to burn some sage and clear the energy of the room before meditation, etc. But with CBD, often what ritual means for me really is that I just take a moment to close my eyes, say a little prayer, and set an intention with the bottle in my hand.

Once I have a clear intention, I express gratitude for the CBD then I put the drops under my tongue. Since the oil needs to stay under the tongue for 30 seconds to absorb, I utilize this time to keep my eyes closed, take some deep breaths, and visualize the CBD entering into my bloodstream and working its plant medicine magic. I see it as helping to heal and balance each and every cell and I compound that visual with the feeling of the desired outcome. This is extra easy for me because the science shows that’s actually what CBD does! Health, energy, pain relief, reduced anxiety etc. Again most of you are probably familiar with this visualization process you've just likely never thought to utilize it with your vitamins or similar things. To me, anything that's going inside your body deserves this moment of care and intentionality! Try it with your food too!

I hope this has given you some new ideas and ways to utilize CBD or other vitamins/minerals, and I hope it's inspired you to also always do your due diligence and learn about companies before just buying a product off the shelves because it’s trendy. It’s easy to cut corners in the CBD space, but people/brands who truly care about health won’t sacrifice quality for dollars. Going the cheaper route is rarely worth the money saved, and companies who truly care about healing are the companies you want to spend your money with!