Ganja Yoga Teacher Training in the Midst of Covid-19: Bringing Community and Cannabis Together

It’s been 11 days since I floated down from the astral plane that was Dee Dussault’s Ganja Yoga Teacher Training in Nevada City. For six days, I was surrounded by 15 strangers as we immersed ourselves into the bio mechanics of our body and its movement, shared meals and walks together, learned what makes a great yoga teacher, and smoked some amazingly delicious, locally-grown, cannabis.

Dee teaches us allll the ways — while basking in the morning sunlight

At the end of those six days, my brain was full of life lessons and knowledge about plant medicine and our endocannabinoid system. My heart was saturated with love coming in from every angle imaginable. My body felt so nourished by the delicious food, coffee, and movement we all shared. My soul came alive after spending those six days in pure cannabliss. 

I felt the souls of all of my new friends and sisters. We created a space and community within those walls – so much so that I felt myself let go so I could walk head on into the transition that is life right now.

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I’m not really sure what my expectation of Dee’s Ganja Yoga Teacher Training was before I arrived. Life was so all over the place before the training that I barely had time to finish all of assigned readings. I was traveling non-stop and had a super-packed social calendar the whole month prior to the training.

I wrote and edited content for Dee for a couple months and had an idea of her style and the community she’s been cultivating all these years. I was excited for a full immersion, whatever that may be. 

I packed up my rental car just as the Grand Princess cruise ship docked miles away from me in Oakland; before Corona Virus was called a pandemic; before the Bay Area was put into lock down mode. I was happy to leave my routine for a bit to get into nature, make some new friends, and smoke some cannabis with like-minded yogis.

While the entire globe was ramping up for the pandemic, we were in the forest near Nevada City, CA learning about biomechanics, getting more tuned into our bodies and emotions, and letting plant-medicine bring us all together to spark energy and conversation. Dee was our spirit and science guide as we built our understanding of the foundations of our body, relationship with cannabis, and yoga practice.

I had no idea the mess I’d come home to.

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As soon as I walked into our Airbnb for the week, I was welcomed into our home with loving arms. Two friends from Montreal greeted me sweetly with their beautiful accents. Dee gave me the biggest hug like we were old friends. As soon as I sat down, I lit a lovely pre-roll and started my journey far from reality and responsibility.

Our outdoor classroom outside of our Stone House

We spent the first couple of days getting to know each other, having our lessons outside in the sun, as Dee led us through conversations about our endocannabinoid system and the interconnectedness of our feet, legs, joints, and bones. She led us through nightly yoga classes and incorporated our learnings so we could drill down even further into our bodies and minds. She opened my eyes about how I stand and walk and how we could leverage subtle awareness to maintain alignment.

A visit to the Yuba River for a change of scenery

As someone who has a tough time sitting still and focusing when it comes to learning – or really anything in general – Dee invited us to move our bodies and use props as it very much enforced the learnings of constant, varied movement. We passed joints and dabs as we learned about terpenes and how they affect our nervous system. My brain and body were so zoned into the room that it almost felt like being on Adderall – with less shakiness and more snack breaks. Our minds and conversations were present and open.

The weather changed and the clouds came in as the first days passed. Our outdoor lessons eventually made it indoors as we learned by the fireplace in our living room.

By the second day, our peer groups started leading our daily yoga classes instead of Dee. One by one, my peers nervously walked to the front of our “yoga studio” to lead ten minutes of a 40-minute class in their group of 4. By the end of the first student-led class, I felt like I learned so much more about the ladies teaching class, as if they each offered a bit of their soul and wisdom in their teachings.

I was part of the second group and we were going to teach class the following afternoon. I had an idea of what to do after watching the first group and the poses I wanted to lead. Along the Yuba River surrounded by trees and a beautiful bridge, our group talked about some of the poses we could teach and expand on to speak to our learnings. I’m pretty sure I was the only one in the group who’s never taught a class or taken an official 200-hour yoga teacher training.

I was flying pretty blind. I had an idea of a sequence that would emphasize the body parts we just learned about. I knew what I loved in my favorite yoga classes and teachers. I knew that I wanted to bring an element of embodiment or mindfulness into my teaching.

I ended up taking the last part of the class and would lead my friends from child’s pose into a couple closing stretches before a juicy meditation and shavasana.

Holy shit, how did I get here?

Views from our yoga studio in the woods

It’s hard not to freak out when you’re asked to teach part of a yoga class. I’ve been a student since 2007-ish and even today, my yoga practice is ever-changing. I found some moments to myself as we drove home from our walk in the River and in my room to think about my “teaching.” I thought about how I’d want to unwind after the movement of the three sessions ahead of mine. I thought about what I wanted to express to these strangers. I wanted to show my true self, but also let the cannabis speak for me.

Our group set up the room, my three friends taught their lessons before me, and then I walked up to the front of the class to get situated on my mat. I’m not even really sure what I said or what my body did, but I found a way to teach a practice nestled within gratitude, mindfulness, and embodiment.

I remember bits of my meditation where I asked my friends to take notice of their bones and all the work they do for us; how strong their muscles were to climb up stairs and the rocks along the River we visited earlier that day; and to offer extra gratitude to their pelvis as it helps to carry them. I went a little woo and witchy with my practice, but honestly, it felt right.

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I felt like I shed something after that class — as if all of the fear I was holding onto and my hesitancy to show people my true self left my body — and I felt lighter. Now that the scary part was over, I could dive back into the present moment where my new friends were prepping our communal dinner, sitting around our love altar reading their oracle messages, and building friendship.

There was definitely a slumber party vibe as the week progressed. There was chocolate and sweets everywhere; we all brought out our favorite essential oils and natural immunity boosting remedies to share. Girls started teaching others about their expertise – whether it was rolling joints, making herbal blends, or learning how to twerk while wearing a Harry Potter onesie.

Yes, it truly is always the quiet ones who surprise you <3

It may have been all of the cannabis, or maybe it was the divine feminine energy in the air all week, but there was definitely a moment where I looked at Dee and felt like she was our own, real-life Ms. Frizzle and she was taking us on this journey diving deep into the cells of our body to understand our bones, joints, ligaments, THC, and each other.

She’d spend the mornings blowing our minds with information about alignment, what to look when buying cannabis, and how to go within to figure out the type of yoga teacher we wanted to be. She’d lay around with us after dinner as we shared joints, while still educating us about all nine of the dabs we tried from our rosin buffet line. 

Sunlit forest walks with Maude as our leader <3

Hanging out in between lessons outside

OK, maybe it was definitely the cannabis, but it was so lovely to be enveloped by this hive of women (and my new friend Dana ;)) who had so much to offer and share with each other. We learned how to work with each other, to use each other’s strengths, and to ask for help when we needed it.

Whether it was making delicious toast and lattes in the morning, dazzling us with an amazing, impromptu zucchini bread, rolling a dozen joints for us in what literally felt like minutes, we were all interconnected.

By the last night, we had our groove going. Some of us assumed our positions in the kitchen with amazing recipes in mind, others were in their bunk bed-laden rooms creating a cacophony of infectious laughter and jokes (I love you Kels and Des <3)), the rest of us were doing our own things, whether in meditation wrapped inside the sauna bed (YES, that was a thing), or in deep conversation with their buddy.

Our last morning of the retreat was tender and no one really wanted to leave. Some friends left early in the morning to catch flights home. Others stayed back to get our Stone House back to what it was before our arrival.

I spent some lingering moments laying by our love circle sipping on my coffee, listening to Dana whistle while he put dishes away, hearing the rain tap the roof, wishing for the moment to last forever. I knew what we cultivated out there in the woods was something so special and hard to re-create.

Our windows in the living room overlooked cabins and campsites below, the majestic trees lined every trail. We had our own hideout in mother nature and I tried so hard to savor all of those moments.

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After so many hugs and cuddles, I eventually left our hideout and finally turned on NPR in the car to hear how bad Covid-19 was tearing through the world. I stopped through Nevada City and Grass Valley as the snow started to come down and locals were out and about gathering supplies.

Snow started to fall as I drove through Nevada City on my way home

The come down back into real life those first couple of days were hard – and my longing for friends and community still continues to be a noticeable part of these shelter-at-home days. I left an environment where I was hugging new friends so hard, I could feel their breath and heartbeat, to being told to be at least six feet away from any person that crossed my tracks. The re-integration back into society has been a real trip. I miss those commune vibes we built and all those beautiful souls I met.

Gather ‘round our love circle 💓

The future is up in the air and feels out of control. But you can control your reaction to what’s going on outside. Stay indoors to prevent the spread of this disease. Find a movement or meditation practice so you can find ways to feel grounded in this chaos. I’m loving Dee’s Ganja Yoga Online courses and started taking The Class online pretty much everyday to maintain sanity and to release stagnant energy.

After taking Dee’s Ganja Yoga Teacher Training, I feel like she equipped me with all of this knowledge that I will continue to take into my everyday life for years to come. I feel like I’m more conscious of body pain because I understand how my joints and body loads can affect how I move. I’m so much more knowledgeable about THC, terpenes, and good growers so I can make more informed choices about the cannabis I’m consuming.

Eat healthy food, drink a ton of water, be aware of your surroundings, and don’t worry about how your body is changing in this new routine.

Take care of yourself and find your community — whether in a digital landscape or as you’re walking around the neighborhood. We will get through this.

Thank you, Dee, for taking us along for the ride <3

Careers and Cannabis: Setting intentions on this magical 11/11 day

In an effort to figure out what I want in my next career, I started offering pro bono work to get myself “back in the saddle” so to speak. I’ve spent the last five years writing for a big corporate company and I have missed writing meaningful, long-form content about something that matters to me.

For the last five years, I’ve been taken care of as an employee and have fully experienced the “corporate life.” The flexibility my company gives me is priceless, but I miss managing my own relationships with clients.

I miss working for a small business owner – where we’d chat over the phone, figure out what their business goals and brand voice were, and craft their story. I’ve been interviewing in San Francisco for about a year now. I’ve had dozens of conversations with recruiters; nailed down my elevator pitch of who I am, where I’ve been, and what I want next; I made it to the final interview stages with Slack and Abstract just to find out that someone else outperformed me.

After interviewing and not finding the right company that would pay me what I’m worth or offered a role that actually interested me, I decided to take back my career. Where my current gig allows me to have the lifestyle I want, I want my side hustle to inspire me again.

For my first pro bono client, I wanted to find a local, female-owned business that I could offer content writing and consulting. I wanted to find a brand I already loved. I wanted to offer my time in the form of web page optimization, newsletter writing, and content strategy.

My first client was Psychic Medium, Astrologer, and lovely lady behind Ghost of a Podcast, Jessica Lanyadoo. I’ve been helping her with content since mid-summer and am happy to say that she’s now a paying client ;) I learned how to communicate my expertise and how it could apply to her work and content needs.

In my next chapter, I want a creative content writing job in the cannabis industry. I brought on Dee Dussault, founder of Ganja Yoga, as my latest pro bono client. My thinking was that before I fully enter the cannabis industry, I’d like to show up to interviews with a portfolio of content I’ve already created in the space.

I had a high-dea one day that I’d craft my own version of a cannabis writing internship where I could offer my content expertise and ideas in exchange for some real-life practice to learn a bit about the industry from a wise sage.

Dee and I are currently working together and I’m so excited to see where it takes us.

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I went to my first yoga class in 2007. I moved home after college and one of my SDSU friends invited me to a yoga class at our local gym. I was intrigued by this form of exercise and I moved and stretched in ways that I never had in a cardio or pilates class. And for the past 12 years, I’ve showed up to yoga to not only to sweat and move, but to be mindful of my breath, body and thoughts.

I started smoking weed before yoga classes not too long ago and since then, my practice has totally changed. My connection to spirit and the voice inside me awakens when I smoke and practice. I can breathe life into the parts of my body that are in pain. I can find gratitude in all that is around me even when my mind is anticipating worst possible scenarios in every life situation.

When my brain is overthinking, I can process and leave those issues and negative thoughts on my mat because I can see clearly after a really heart-opening class. My yoga practice is like my religion. It’s my community and I can be whatever I want in a safe space.

In a recent yoga class, our instructor asked us to set the intention of baring witness to our own practice and to be proud of whatever level we were at that day. I’ve seen how much my practice and my actual human experience has grown in the last 12 years. Because yoga allows me to quiet my brain for those 60 minutes, I return to my mat every week to check in with myself and release.

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Dee has been teaching yoga classes and leading teacher trainings that are enhanced with the use of cannabis. Whether in the form of topicals, edibles, smoke, or vape, students come together to hang, share a smoke sesh, and practice a slow and restorative yoga class. I first learned about Ganja Yoga when my man and I went to this cannabis yoga class and I’ve been following ever since.

I went to Dee’s 10-year anniversary party in Oakland this past month. I got a sense of the yoga community that she’s cultivated. I got caught up in the haze of chatting with strangers and sunbathing on the patio. Her restorative class and the plumes of smoke I enjoyed before class allowed me to listen to my body and my heart. Her class was complete with an amazing sound bath that took my senses to another dimension.

“You’ve come so far. You’ve healed. Look at how far you’ve come since then,” my soul told me as my body sunk into the floor beneath me.

You can’t walk out of a ganja yoga class without feeling lighter and like you filled your own cup.

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As I’ve been researching Dee and her Ganja Yoga business to help craft my content, I discovered that one of her yoga teach alums, Brittany, taught a weekly class in Oakland. I treated myself to a ticket and was excited to practice again.

I walked into the space -- an ad agency by day and cannabis-friendly art and event space by night and weekend. The sweetest man named Sam greeted me and asked if this was my first time doing ganja yoga. We exchanged words for a few minutes before I made my way up to the third floor of an old building overlooking Telegraph Ave below and across the street from the stunning Fox Theater.

Views from Ganja Yoga in Oakland

There were a few people smoking outside, others were setting up their mat and chatting with friends inside. It was a foggy-turned-sunny autumn day in downtown Oakland. The friends sitting next to my right were rolling an impressive joint and about to start a Cat Tarot spread. Intrigued, I watched on in awe. The couple down the table from me were chatting and giggling and the others sitting across from me were having an insightful conversation about cannabis and life.

These are my people. No judgement. Just love and community.

I sipped some tea and we passed around joints and got to know each other. We came from all walks of life. Ages, ethnicities, interests. At the core, we were a group of people who carved out a few hours of their Saturday to smoke, gather among friends, and practice yoga.

Brittany eventually started class and offered the intention of taking notice of the things in life we are resisting. So often, a yoga instructor will start a class with mindful breathing and intention setting. Since incorporating weed into yoga, I’ve experienced a deeper understanding of intention, my body and mind.

I am an over-thinker in all waking hours. Always thinking about the stupid thing I said on a conference call. Or thinking about my next vacation with the love of my life. Or thinking about what to pick up for dinner. I often find myself thinking for my future self and yoga has helped me get back to present. Yoga quiets my mind so that I can become one with my breath. It’s an amazing feeling and keeps me coming back to my mat every week.

Brittany led us through a beautiful flow, with a few laughs in between poses, while sprinkling in things to reflect.

Since deepening my yoga practice with cannabis, I’ve started closing my eyes during the first few poses of a yoga class. It lets me listen in and pay attention to what my body’s telling me and where it’s holding stress and anxiety. It shows me where to release.

I distinctly remember coming out of meditation and opening my eyes after what felt like 20 minutes in child’s pose. My mat was near the door to the deck where everyone was hanging out before class.

My eyes opened up to a handwritten note on a whiteboard outside:

“Be gentle with yourself.”

Be gentle with yourself. I started to tear up. After meditating on the things I was resisting the moments before, I knew the universe and voice inside me was telling me everything was going to be OK.

It’s in these moments of clarity and encouragement that it’s been reinstated that I’m on the right path. That all of the wants and choices I had in the past have led me to where I am today. It’s these yoga instructors that bring together a collective to not only have a shared experience, but to be present with ourselves.

It’s why getting closer to myself and my experience has been terrifying but exhilarating. It’s because I know I’m capable of anything I want.

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When I was in my mid-20s working as an Editor-in-Chief of some fancy digital magazine in San Diego, I wanted to leave that job and I told myself that one day I’d be one of the voices behind a big American brand. I’m doing that today. I accomplished that goal. And now I’m ready to take on more.

The time and energy that I’ve set aside to take on pro bono clients has been striking. I have a perspective. I have an expertise. I have a voice and a strategy. I’m not afraid of what comes next.

I saw Jenny Slate perform a reading from her new book “Little Weirds” last night. Before she read her final piece and last chapter of the book, she said that while dealing with the aftermath of life, she wrote the book in order to heal and soothe herself. What a beautiful reminder that our creativity can be an outlet for healing and figuring out what we want next.

As she read the last pages of her book with the intentions she had for her future self, I leave you with this.

You will carve your own way. You will communicate your needs and desires. You will write creatively and not be afraid. You will make what you love your reality.

How I spent 60 days with Jessica Lanyadoo’s weekly horoscope and a lunar planner to deepen my spiritual practice

I’ve been on a spiritual path since my mid-20s, right before what I learned to be my Saturn Return. I always knew that organized religion wasn’t my thing so I sought out my own journey. I’m coming to terms with my overly sensitive, empathetic and analytical Cancer ways. My yoga practice has been going strong for 12 years and I’m finally able quiet my brain enough to have a quasi-daily meditation practice. It’s still in its beginning stages, but alas, I’m trying to listen and follow the lead. 

One of my goals this year was to deepen the relationship I have with myself. A guiding influence that I’ve relied more heavily on was the astrological guidance from Bay Area astrologer, psychic medium, and animal communicator, Jessica Lanyadoo.

I was first introduced to Jessica while writing a piece on the best psychics in San Francisco. We exchanged emails and I fell in love with her philosophy of pragmatics and overall tenderness in her guidance and advice. Ever since I wrote that story in 2015, I’ve been captivated by her style, words and work. While I developed my own relationship with some of the psychics and astrologers I interviewed, I was captivated by Jessica’s style and the way she views outside forces – like the movement of planets and the moon – to show how it all relates to how we perceive the world around us.

A screenshot from Tiny Spark

Over the past few months, I’ve gotten to know Jessica better through her amazing weekly podcast, Ghost of a Podcast; her appearances on TLC show, “Stargazing;” her Oracle-like iOS app called Tiny Spark; and her weekly horoscopes. 

In a way to organize my thoughts, my guidance, and all of Jessica’s juicy and insightful support, I started jotting down her sage advice in a lunar calendar. I picked up the Many Moons lunar planner and decided that I’d really start diving into the practice.

My goal was to track my emotions and feelings in line with the moon cycle and use Jessica’s advice as a sounding board. It was comforting to know that people were going through similar growing pains and Jessica’s weekly astrology run down always gave me some peace of mind.

The simple act of acknowledging where my mind wandered in relation to what was going on in the sky comforted my anxiousness tenfold. 

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For the past 60 days, I’ve used Jessica’s podcast and weekly horoscopes, an Oracle deck, and lunar calendar to pay attention to what’s happening in the stars and the moon – and how it all relates to my emotions and experience. Here’s what I did:

• I would listen to Jessica’s podcast twice a week if I could.

• I created a weekly ritual where I set time aside every Wednesday to read her weekly horoscope and write down what resonated with me or what I should be looking out for.

• I would open up her Tiny Spark app for guidance and to take inventory of what I felt around me.

• I used my Oracle deck for confirmation in what I was seeking or experiencing. 

• I would spark up to try and get even more present.

• And I wrote all of my notes using Jelly Roll pastel pens :)

What I love about this lunar planner is that its author speaks to those who work with the guidance from tarot and oracle cards, as well as those who are interested in new moon practices. I followed the January Full Moon Lunar Eclipse Shed and Shine ritual and I definitely noticed the power in reflecting and noticing of what you’re ready to let go of. Jessica had such sweet words during this eclipse. I wrote down things like “Do away with idealism and accept this moment as it is” and “You are meant to look at things plainly as they are.”

The Many Moons planner continues to provide me great guidance on what’s going on in the stars and planets and how I can harness the energy around me as helpful, intuitive direction through life.

The practice of tracking movement in the universe and how it relates to my experience has been fascinating and opened up my ideas of how humankind can be so affected by the ever-changing moon phases and the movement of our planets. I listened to Jessica’s guidance every week as a way to be super aware of my thoughts and emotions and how they could be amplified based on what was going on in the stars.

Jessica Lanyadoo’s Tips for Love <3

Her words were encouraging and allowed me to look at the big picture when it felt like things were going to shit. I pulled cards from my Oracle deck when I need confirmation and comfort when I felt like I was moving in the wrong direction.

Like when I made it to the final round of interviews with Slack, only to find out they moved on with another writer. I wrote down the Oracle’s advice during early January to help support my emotional self:

“Don’t be scared by perceptions of disappointment…These are just signs that the mind needs to let go of control and trust more conditionally in the goodness of life.

Or when I was feeling the intensity of the first quarter moon right before Valentine’s Day and the Full Supermoon the following week, Jessica offered wise wisdom like “Align your actions with your desires” or “Cultivate the willingness to look honestly at what you want” or one of my favorites:

“Pay attention to your body and the ways it houses your emotions. Watch your impulses so that you don’t act out of emotion or without consideration for the consequences. Acting from a place of ego will backfire on you.” 

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As someone who gets hung up in their own thought patterns and feels anxiety over the smallest of things, tracking the lunar cycle with Jessica’s advice and astrology has allowed me to feel like I’m not alone.

Jessica is creating a community of like-minded people who are interested in learning more about their birth chart, sun sign and the characteristics attached to it, and how our entire solar system can deeply affect our emotions and experience.

I always thought I was the only weird one in my friend circle who showed an interest in astrology, my sign, and this idea of taking notice of the environment around us for guidance. But Jessica Lanyadoo’s astrology and heart-felt advice, my lunar calendar, and an Oracle deck has absolutely supported my day-to-day and the goals I set forth. 

If there’s anything I learned in 2018, it’s that you already know what you need. The voice inside you, your inner child or spirit as some might know it most, is helping to guide your way. Whether or not you acknowledge that voice or intuition is up to you.

While you may not subscribe to the idea of astrology, it’s hard not to forget that we are all made of stardust.

Conversations with myself: Taking back the #thighgap

I've had a long, hurtful relationship with my body. For as long as I can remember, I've always known that my body was different than everyone else's. Growing up in San Diego, among beautiful, bikini-clad people, enforced this idea even more. Everywhere you looked, people were in shape and active.   

I'm a curvy woman. I have broad shoulders. I'm only 5'1. I have hips. I have thunder thighs. I have calves that men would kill for. I know that my body is different. I've had strangers, like massage therapists, ask me upon looking at my body, "Wow. Are you an athlete or a swimmer? You have big legs." I've even had a co-worker, who lacks certain social filters, call out the size of my legs in front of co-workers when I decided to wear some skin-tight rain boots one day.

For all sorts of reasons, when people talk about my body, it makes me uncomfortable. And it's been like this for decades.

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These last few months have been really transformational. I joined ClassPass because I needed a new way to sweat and workout. I ended up finding that I loved discovering new neighborhoods and fitness studios because it really got me out of my comfort zone. I found ways to enjoy workouts and stopped looking at them as just a way to maintain my weight and continue to eat poorly.

My move to Oakland really opened up my access to healthy and delicious food and markets. I found Imperfect Produce and have naturally just started eating better. And I still found ways to go on long walks around town to see neighborhoods on foot.

I started using cannabis as a plant-based tool to heal sore muscles after intense cardio workouts. I've used it to walk or hike further, push myself harder during workouts, or to go deeper in yoga classes.  

I worked through a lot of emotional pain from past relationships because I was able to take what I learned and offer my knowledge to friends who were enduring similar pain. I realized that my previous relationship caused me trauma and I felt like I was still recovering from the pain even though I'm currently in the healthiest relationship of my adult life. Finding clarity in that trauma allowed me to let go of all the pain, shed an old skin, and come through the other side as a stronger woman.

Because of these events and so much more, I recently learned that I lost 17 pounds in the last year. When I wrap my head around that, it blows my mind. I wasn't even trying to lose weight but rather I made my health and mental clarity a priority this year.

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One of my biggest fitness goals as of late is to finally achieve a gap between my thighs. It's such a weird thing to try and accomplish -- this idea of a thigh gap -- but it's been something I've focused on for as long as I can remember.

If you're a woman reading this now whose thighs rub together constantly, you know what I'm getting at here. Girls who have a normal thigh gap will never know what this feels like or how big of a pain it is. I'll spare you the details.

Throughout these past few months, I've seen and felt my body change. From mind, body and soul, I feel like a different person. I feel stronger and that I finally don't care what other people think about me or my body. I own this body and everything it's been through.

One of my biggest a-ha moments from the past year is realizing I'm stronger than I think I am. I know this because I'm finally in tune with my body. 

Last year, I met with my spiritual astrologist Joyce (yup, I'm that girl now who has a spiritual guide) and told her that I was about to go on an amazing journey through Peru. I told her about our four-day hiking trek to Machu Picchu and she mentioned how my "legs of iron" would show me how strong I truly am.

She was right.

For the first time ever, I can say that I love my body. Since taking the class with Taryn Toomey and since learning about the art of embodiment, I'm more in tune with what's going on inside of me. And I feel empowered by it. I've found myself in the shower or before bed thanking my legs for allowing me to walk to work or sweat like a crazy person during a workout. I've found moments to do this with all of the body parts I once thought weren't perfect or ideal.

Because now that I love my body, the idea of a thigh gap seems so superficial to me. I look at myself in the mirror and I love what I see.   

It took me a really long time to get to the point I'm at now. Sometimes you have to break down all of the walls and pain to see clarity and hope. 

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 Sesh in San Francisco. 

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.

Lake Merritt, Oakland

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.

Is it weird...

That I totally love taking these photos?! So basic 💁🏽💁🏽

Puff, Pass & Pastry at Cannabis Creative: Integrating cannabis into cooking classes and beyond

Originally published on Wander Magazine

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Inside Oakland's Cannabis Collective

Work and life has been pretty insane lately. I’ve had to use the critical thinking and logical part of my brain heavily for the last few weeks at work and I’ve found myself mentally exhausted each evening. My workout routine has amped up and I love it, but I’ve found myself looking for more creative hobbies to mellow out my brain and body.

Cannabis has become a huge part in my effort to find the creative side of my brain again. I’ll find an uplifting and creativity-inducing strain and take a long walk in the park, re-organize my room, color, paint, or watch a movie. I’ve always been a creative and imaginative person and cannabis has really helped the functions of the right side of my brain shine through again.

Enter Puff, Pass & Pastry. My love for baking, eating, and weed all in one room? And with like-minded people who also think it’s OK to smoke a little before starting a new creative project?! YES, please.

The Puff, Pass & Pastry event is an off-shoot of Puff, Pass & Paint, a Denver, CO-based company specializing in offering pottery, painting, and culinary classes in a cannabis-friendly environment. Local edibles chef Sallie B of Slim’s Baked Goodies lead us through a 2.5 hour class as we learned the basics of cannabutter and how to integrate medicated oils into everyday cooking.

The class was held at Cannabis Creative in West Oakland at a super rad warehouse in the middle of an emerging neighborhood. Upon walking in, we were greeted by the owners who handed us mimosas, a vape pen presented by Alchemy, and a sweet little joint rolled by one of the lady bosses.

The work room was covered in art from previous Puff, Pass & Paint classes, bright murals, plants, and other adorable accessories. If I had my own creative studio, I’m pretty sure it would be identical to this place. (If you guys make it to the studio, ask about the baby pineapple they’re growing!)

We had some time before class to settle in while all of the students arrived. We sampled all kinds of vape pens and drank mimosas while a FAT joint was passed around. The energy was festive and silly; everyone was in the mood to learn and create.

Chef Sallie told us a bit about her story before diving into the basics of cooking with cannabis. We nibbled on some brunch items she had already prepared before we made our own stuffed French Toast infused with cannabis. The food was awesome, the conversation with everyone at the table was engaging, and I was already thinking about when I’d come again for another class.

Oakland Cannabis Creative and the Puff, Pass folks have definitely helped to shift the way I think about cannabis and its integration into everyday life. I’m still a pretty new smoker, but I’m so happy that the Bay Area is able to offer events like this one.

For more information and tickets, visit www.PuffPassAndPaint.com and www.CannabisTours.com. For more information on Chef Sallie, visit www.SlimsBakedGoodies.com.

My first home delivery with Eaze

Between my move to Oakland, weekend adventures, visitors from near and far, and work, I can safely say that I overdid it in September and October. For as long as I can remember, I've made it a mission to utilize all of the usable hours in the day. From running to a workout straight after work, to somehow managing to be away every weekend for the past six weeks, I've been completely exhausted.

It was just a couple days before my man was coming into town and I realized that I didn't have enough flower to get us through the weekend and I didn't have any time to bike over to my local dispensary for a pickup. And then I remembered I was still holding onto a business card I got at the 420 Games from the guys over at Eaze.

Perfect! I'll just set up a home delivery in between the three other things I was trying to do at the same time!

Goodies from my first Eaze delivery.

I started shopping their deals, created my account and uploaded my recommendation. I was a bit nervous that they'd take too long to review my information and that I'd have to wait to place an order. But just as I was picking out my last joint, I got a notification that my account was active and that I was free to make an order. The turnaround was amazing and a total time saver.

Eaze had some awesome deals on flower that day so I got a couple extra goodies and submitted my payment. What I love about Eaze's interface is that you can actually see the status of your order and when it's en route. I got a text message from my driver asking if there were any special delivery instructions and that she was headed over.

The delivery was so easy and my driver was super friendly. The joints were a perfect travel companion for our adventures. 

Life can be super crazy. And when I have those days where I just want to sit and focus at home, Eaze makes it all the better -- for the busy blogger to the average smoker just wanting to chill indoors.

We did, we totally did...

Microdosing at the 420 Games with Atlas Edibles

Nadia Wanders was inspired by all kinds of people and events. I started incorporating cannabis-friendly things into the way I'd entertain myself and I've met the coolest people at my neighborhood lounge, dispensary, or weed-inspired event. One of these events was the 420 Games in Golden Gate Park. Simply put, the gang behind the 420 Games are producing cannabis-friendly athletic events to diminish the stigma that stoners are lazy couch bums.

The event was held in the Park and was based around a 4.20 mile fun run/skate/walk/bike ride with an after party. I picked up my bib a day early at Harvest, my old neighborhood dispensary, which was also hosting a pre-party. I chatted and smoked joints with fellow neighbors, vendors, and other people in the industry. I ended up chatting with Ezra Malmuth, owner of San Francisco-based Atlas Edibles. 

When I'm having edibles, I try to stay mindful of how much sugar I'm eating. I tend to have my edibles at night so eating a super sugary edible before bedtime can really mess with my sleep. What I love about Atlas is that their ingredients are creative and dare I say artisanal. Their Ember sativa edible has ingredients like caramel, cayenne, cashews and apricot and Nimbus uses dark chocolate, hazelnut, pecans, dried currants and cinnamon. 

The ingredients are high quality and they are actually deliciously healthy compared to the cookies, chocolate and candy you'll usually find. Ezra sent me home with some samples and I decided to micro dose the 10mg samples after the race.

Check out the awesome packaging artwork, designed by local artists.

The 4.20 mile stroll was lovely and I met up with one of the friends I made the night earlier, Jewli. I had my first dose after the stroll and it definitely carried me through the day. Jewli and I were sampling some of the pre-rolls and vape pens we were gifted earlier and the edibles definitely maintained my energy level throughout the afternoon. We did yoga, listened to speakers, made friends and chatted with all kinds of people in the industry. I had my second dose a few hours later and it made for the best way to enjoy the rest of the afternoon and evening. 

The high was mellow with small bursts of energy and it really made for a lovely day. I hadn't really microdosed before and this event really made for the best place to experience it for the first time. 

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I'm really lucky to have started smoking weed for the first time while living in the Bay Area and I realize it all the time. I've only been smoking a year or so and the quality of flower and the cannabis-friendly environment up here has made life really freaking awesome. Make sure and check out the 420 Games the next time they come to your town and Atlas Edibles if you're looking for a tastier and healthier way to medicate.