How Flow Kana and Esensia Gardens kicked me out of my holidaze

Full disclosure: I got 50% off my ticket to the Flow Sesh as a returning attendee and the vendors mentioned below have gifted me products to try out after I mentioned I was a cannablogger :)

The last few months have been a bit insane for me lately. I feel like I’ve been traveling and moving around non-stop and for the first time, I feel my body telling me to just stop and take a breather. For someone who needs a lot of alone time to reset, I’ve been feeling a little mentally all over the place. This past weekend was the last weekend of the year that I’d have to myself before my holiday travels start up and I needed some time to decompress and treat myself.

Thankfully, Flow Kana was there to kick me out of my holidaze slump.

I first heard about Flow Kana’s Flow Sesh, a monthly gathering for cannabis lovers to hang and smoke, back in August and went to my first sesh in Oakland on the same day I moved.The universe must have known I needed a night to chill the eff out in downtown Oakland during First Fridays – on the hottest day of the year.

What I loved about the Flow Sesh was that I was able to talk to brand ambassadors or the actual founders/growers of a product to ask questions. When I smoke I can get super chatty so I love hearing people’s stories and passions and conversing.

Flow Kana hosted their last sesh this past Friday in San Francisco at cannabis delivery company Meadow’s SOMA headquarters. My friend and I arrived early and the space was set up with cushy seating areas, heat lamps, a bar and food area, and a handful of quality cannabis purveyors. We opted for the VIP ticket, which I highly recommend, and picked up our gift bag. Check out all of the goodies we got in the photo below.

We checked out the Himalaya Vapor table first and tried out a few of their pens. And these guys were tasty. Their varieties are as unique as the designs they have on their pens. Their cannabis oils are super pure and you can totally taste the difference. We learned all about their process and pureness of their terpenes. The brand ambassador sent me home with a couple different oils to try later so stay tuned for more about Himalaya.

Making friends with the guys at Esensia Gardens.

We eventually made it through the crowd to the guys over at Esensia Gardens, who offer some of the best bud I’ve had my hands on. We met co-founders Ben and Marley and learned all about their ice bath hash process and how they have crafted some amazing cannabis.

You guys, this is seriously some of the best grass I’ve had. Their strains are awesome and I’m considering having a stash of their bud at all times for special occasions. What really caught our attention was their hash. I’ve never smoked it before but I’ve been curious and this environment was definitely conducive for the experience.

The spread at the Esensia Gardens table.

We smoked and proceeded to enjoy the rest of the night. We spent a few hours there catching up and having silly conversations with ourselves and other people in the room. I chatted with my friend the next day and we both had a well-deserved deep sleep. (Thank you Marley and Ben, we needed that!)

Care for a joint rolled with a hash snake in a CBD wrap??

I spent Saturday morning trying out a new workout, Power Pop, a resistance training class, at a rad dance studio in Oakland called Hipline. I didn't feel like I got out all of the nervous energy I've been holding onto so I went outside to see what I could get into. The sun was out so I walked over to the Grand Lake farmers market to get some snacks for the day. I was toting around my new favorite rose quartz pipe and some of Esensia’s Magic Wand strain so microdosing and a walk around the lake under the sun seemed to be calling my name. After about three hours, I somehow managed to walk around five miles around the lake stopping a couple times to sit and admire the lake and everyone around.

Sunday was supposed to be a day of rest. I had plans to get my hair done and then wanted to walk around a holiday street fair in Berkeley. I had my trusty pipe and the smallest amount of the Magic Wand from the day before so I was prepared to be out for a couple hours on my walk.

What I loved about this strain was how energetic it made me feel. Colors, smells and sounds were more vibrant and I was completely content with just exploring outside by myself. By the time the day was over, I had walked another six miles around town – and it was completely unintentional.

Bubble gum skies in Berkeley during my walk around town.

It's amazing what I can get myself into when I have a completely agenda-free day, a couple hours of sunshine, and a little smoke stash in my bag. I totally tried having a mellow day to myself but somehow I got a solid walk in on both days. Sometimes I think cannabis gets me out of the door faster than coffee and it definitely puts a little extra pep in my step when I'm out exploring on my own.

Stay tuned for more about Esensia Gardens and Himalaya Vapor.