Joy is the infallible sign of the presence of God.
—Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, a French philosopher and Jesuit priest (1881–1955)
Fully alive is living a life filled with passion, purpose, and play! This and the following chapter will provide you with a practical personalized guide for experiencing such a life, with cannabis as a facilitator, not a constant companion.
There is no emotion more therapeutic for creating optimal health and happiness than love. Holistic physicians believe that unconditional love (UL) is life’s most powerful healer, and that the perceived loss of love is our greatest health risk.
The only problem with this concept is that the vast majority of us have only a vague idea what this term means. I’m sure we received a strong dose of UL as newborns and infants, but who remembers? We may still have a cellular memory of the feeling, but for many adults, our dogs provide the greatest and most consistent source of UL. (I admit I’m a dog guy, but I’ve been told by many cat owners that they feel lots of love from their feline friends as well.)
I’m still working on it, but my latest definition of unconditional love is total acceptance of yourself exactly as you are, and the realization that we are all one with each other, with all of Earth’s inhabitants, and with God. Healing is a process, one in which progress is measured by your capacity to give and receive love. The art of loving is our life’s work, and the primary purpose for our presence on Earth.
LOVE HEALS! We know that to be true on an intuitive level, and science has helped to reinforce this universal truth. But most of us need guidance in becoming highly skilled caretakers of our body, mind, emotions, heart, and soul. The practice of holistic healing is not a one-size-fits-all approach, as is conventional medical practice, in which the diagnosis determines the treatment. This is the primary reason Western medicine consistently fails to cure nearly all chronic conditions. In this and the following chapters, I’m providing several options for you to include in the creation of your own personalized self-care training program.
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Chronic pain is a messenger alerting you to the need for more nurturing attention to specific aspects of your life. The issues in the tissues of the dysfunctional body part are often those that you’ve been consciously or unconsciously avoiding for most of your life. The shingles virus served as a harsh reminder to me that I had more work to do. I’m not saying it’s easy to confront feelings of anger, sadness, guilt, shame, or the fear of rejection, but it’s not as arduous a process as you might think. Emotional pain hurts, but if you don’t feel it, you can’t heal it.
As you embark on this life-changing journey, cannabis can serve as a facilitator and assist you in navigating through your uncharted interior landscape. It will help to empower you and accelerate the healing process. However, once the door to higher consciousness is opened, with consistent practice cannabis is no longer necessary to keep it open. But when used on occasion as a sacred heart-opening, soul-awakening herb, it can help take you to new heights of self-awareness and self-love.
There’s no question that it’s a formidable challenge to learn to love unconditionally, particularly to love yourself. That’s especially true while living in our highly judgmental, competitive, materialistic, money- and ego-driven world, one in which self-worth is often measured by net worth. However, regardless of the difficulty you may experience, giving and receiving love as your highest priority and greatest value in life, while appreciating and accepting yourself exactly as you are, will set you free from the constraints imposed by our largely head-ruled society.
I’m not suggesting that you relinquish your brilliant thoughts and creative ideas, or that you isolate yourself from the world you live in, only that you lessen your attachment to its values and listen more attentively to your heart. Spiritual teachers have referred to the heart as the seat of the soul—the home of your true self or God-self. By more equitably balancing mind and heart, you are better able to clarify your needs and desires, make healthier choices, and embrace your passions. When it is used with intention, I’ve found cannabis to be immensely helpful in maintaining this delicate balance.
The human heart is in fact far more than a pump. Researchers at the HeartMath Institute in California have determined that the physiology and nerve centers of the heart are so complex and active that they constitute a “brain” all on their own, termed a “mini-brain.” We now know that the heart contains cells that produce and release norepinephrine and dopamine, neurotransmitters once thought to be produced only by the brain and by ganglia outside the heart. Even more remarkable is the discovery that the heart produces oxytocin, the “love hormone”—in concentrations that are as high as those in the brain.
The energy conveyed by cannabis is both medicinal and mystical, which is most evident with its impact on the heart. Parts I and II have provided you with a wealth of information on the use of cannabis as a medicine, primarily for physical pain relief. In Part III you will learn to apply the mystical heart chakra–opening properties of the herb to heal the deeper emotional and spiritual pain underlying all physical pain.
The word mystical is defined as:
• inspiring a sense of spiritual mystery, awe, and fascination;
• concerned with the soul or the spirit, rather than with material things;
• having a spiritual meaning or reality that is neither apparent to the senses nor obvious to the intelligence;
• involving an individual’s direct subjective communion with God or ultimate reality.
The word sacred is defined as “connected with God” and is often used as a synonym for mystical or holy. From this perspective, health is a state of wholeness and balance of body, mind, and spirit.
The American Board of Integrative Holistic Medicine (ABIHM) defines holistic or optimal health as the unlimited and unimpeded free flow of life force energy through your body, mind, and spirit. Although Western medicine has so far been unable to prove the existence of life force energy (and therefore ignores it), just as with the concept of gravity, we know it’s there by observing its effect on the material world.
Nearly every ancient culture and health care discipline has been based on the concept of life force energy. Known as chi (Chinese), ki (Japanese), pranna (Sanskrit/Ayurveda; chakra = energy center), chai (Hebrew), and the tao (Taoism), holistic practitioners call it bioenergy or unconditional love.
Life force energy is responsible for the self-healing mechanisms inherent in the human body. One of the most consistently efficient methods I’ve found for strengthening this vital life force is the intentional use of cannabis. I believe this occurs as a result of its heart chakra–opening properties.
Recent research has revealed that the heart’s electrical power is forty to sixty times greater than that of the brain, while its magnetic power radiates out at five thousand to six thousand times greater than that from the brain. This means that the heart is fully alive with a consciousness embracing the essence or seat of the soul, and an intelligence that in many ways surpasses that of the brain. It also bestows on the heart a remarkable therapeutic capacity for healing our body, mind, emotions, and soul. Cannabis helps to heighten your awareness of this powerful inner healer, in addition to the emotional issues contributing to your pain, not through the mind, but by facilitating felt perceptions and vibratory knowing.
To derive the full potential of this unique medicinal and mystical plant, the energy of cannabis must be used in a way that harnesses its basic properties to promote holistic health. When used appropriately, it can have a profound healing and enlightening effect. For this reason, sects within Tibetan Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, Sufism, and a variety of other religious groups have included cannabis in their spiritual practices for several millennia.
Throughout the remainder of this and the following chapter, I will present a variety of self-care practices that can enhance the flow of life force energy through your body, mind, emotions, relationships, and spirit. They will provide you with valuable tools for gaining greater peace of mind and self-acceptance, a sense of purpose, and the self-esteem required to take the risks and proceed on your healing path, as well as enjoying more play and passion in your life.
If you commit to diligently practicing one or more of these disciplines, you will significantly reinforce and enhance the improvement you may have experienced from the combination of MMJ and holistic medicine recommendations in Part II, and possibly permanently relieve your physical pain, cure your disease, and heal your life.
One of the Ten Commandments—Exodus 20:8
I’ve been using cannabis on a regular basis, once or twice a week, since 1966. For the past thirty years my personal use has been largely limited to integrating it into the Sabbath ritual and using it with intention as a sacred herb. According to most rabbis, more so than Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement [At-one-ment] and Forgiveness—a day of fasting), the Sabbath day is considered the holiest day of the year, even though it occurs weekly. As one of the Ten Commandments, it stands on equal footing with “Thou shalt not” kill or steal or commit adultery. That certainly gives us a clear picture of the importance of the Sabbath from God’s perspective.
In addition to prayer and the absence of work, the ritual begins by welcoming the Sabbath with the lighting of candles, followed by wine, the great facilitator for quickly relaxing and more fully enjoying the gifts of the Sabbath. Wine is prescribed at least four times throughout the Sabbath day. My problem in strictly adhering to tradition is that wine makes me sleepy, and although relaxed, I’m then not particularly energized and joyful. Alcohol is, after all, pharmacologically classified as a depressant.
Never having been a letter-of-the-law kind of guy, I’ve always been more interested in meaning, purpose, and the spirit of the law. In celebrating the Sabbath, it’s obvious that the wine serves as a natural substance to quickly alter your consciousness, help you relax, free you from the cares and concerns of the workweek, encourage you to devote yourself to enjoying life’s pleasures, and assist you in connecting with God. This is a day to stop doing and fully appreciate the delight of simply being alive. Singing and dancing are highlights of a traditional Shabbat (Hebrew for “Sabbath”) celebration. It is a particularly good day to practice gratitude and contemplate the blessings you share with those you love.
Rabbi Levi Brackman believes that “the Sabbath is mindfulness.” He is the founder of Judaism in the Foothills, in Evergreen, Colorado, and teaches a yearlong program called Health and Wellness Judaism. It focuses on the intersection of ancient practices in Judaism and current health and social science—specifically, peer-reviewed academic research that relates to religious practices and tenets. In describing the Sabbath, he said, “It dawned on me that you’re not supposed to focus on the week that went by, you’re not supposed to focus on the week that’s coming—it’s kind of this island of time when you focus on the present.”
In keeping with the spirit of this holy day, I substitute another natural substance, one that opens my heart and heightens my awareness, triggering feelings of relaxed vitality, present moment awareness, and happiness.
Marijuana alters my consciousness, empowering me to become more deeply aware of sensing, feeling, moving, and thinking. It lightens my load, allowing me to relax, be silly, laugh, play, go with the flow, and let go of stress and the seriousness of life; inspires my mind with vivid and creative ideas and visions; opens my heart, filling it with compassion and forgiveness, stimulating great sex and deep intimacy, strengthening acceptance and connection to my true self/soul; soothes my soul by awakening to the realization that I am, and everyone else is, a child of God, a unique spiritual being sharing a human experience, and creating a sense of oneness with All-That-Is; magnifies my gratitude to our Creator who has blessed us with this opportunity to play in the field of time and space; reminds me that it’s all good and it’s all God; and overall, generates in me a profound love of life.
I believe this is what God had in mind with the commandment “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” This state of holiness and happiness, which at times is pure bliss, is what getting high means to me. In short, it feels wonderful! And if that’s not enough pleasure, to complete the Sabbath evening celebration, Orthodox Jews prescribe having intercourse with your spouse or partner on Friday nights.
There are blessings recited before each glass of wine, each meal, and for me, before vaporizing marijuana. Thanks to a physician friend and colleague, I now have a Hebrew blessing for this sacred medicinal herb: Baruch ahtah Adonai, elohaynu melech ha’olam, boray who ha essev. “Blessed art thou O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has blessed us with the grass.” With this blessing I set an intention, and the Sabbath almost immediately becomes a mystical experience.
The traditional Shabbat is celebrated from sundown on Friday, beginning with the ritual described above, to Saturday sunset. Its conclusion is marked by a brief Havdalah (Hebrew for “separation”) ceremony. This ritual involves lighting a special Havdalah candle with several wicks, blessing a cup of wine, and smelling sweet spices. Following Havdalah, we wish each other Shavua Tov—“a good week!”
Although this traditional Sabbath lasts for twenty-four hours, it can be observed in whatever way feels most meaningful to you, and whenever it works best for you. If time is limited, it need not be an entire day. Three or four hours can work quite well, but I do suggest that at least half of this abbreviated Sabbath should be alone time. And it’s best to observe on the same day and time each week in order to plan and schedule it. I’ve also found that vaporizing once or twice a week in conjunction with this holy day is far more effective as a spiritual medicine than using marijuana on a daily basis (as I did for nearly nine months during the acute post-herpetic pain phase of shingles).
I like to observe the tradition on Friday nights with my wife, family, and friends; and then spend three or four hours alone on Saturday morning. When it’s observed in this way, I experience the Sabbath as holy, a day devoted to God or Spirit, to nurturing oneself and loved ones, and to having fun. I’ve never considered myself a religious person, but experiencing Sabbath with cannabis is a highly pleasurable and healing spiritual practice for me.
I recommend using this sacred herb as an essential component of your spiritual practice of Sabbath once a week, preferably on a day when you’re not working, for a minimum of two to three hours. It’s best to use a sativa-dominant strain (either 60:40 or 70:30; if anxiety is one of your issues, then a 50:50 strain is preferable), to benefit from the psychoactive effect, and to be alone with no distractions, such as a computer (other than for writing or journaling), TV, or phone (don’t answer the phone).
My personal preference is to vaporize, because it begins working right away, and my intention can sometimes become clearer immediately after getting high. It is also effective to use a tincture, edible, or tablet, but I would suggest waiting until you begin feeling the psychoactive effect before proceeding with your spiritual practice. The effect is enhanced even further if you have an empty stomach, except for possibly a green drink or protein shake.
Begin your Sabbath (you can call it whatever you want, but this is your sacred time) with an intention: What are you seeking (e.g., peace of mind, less pain, more direction with a project you’re working on, etc.)? What is it that you’d like help with from your spirit guides? What question do you need answered (e.g., “What do I need to learn from this pain, so I can let it go?” “What is the next step in my spiritual growth?” “What am I here to do?” “How can I best serve?” “Who am I?”)? Relaxing or inspirational music, meditation, prayer, a journal or notebook to record your thoughts and feelings, a walk in nature, yoga, qigong, or any other practice meaningful to you can be included as part of your Sabbath ritual.
Remember, this is an island of time in which you focus on the present moment: What are you feeling, visualizing, hearing, thinking? This oasis of a few hours of present moment awareness is a nurturing gift you’re giving yourself each week.
With my solo Sabbath ritual, after setting an intention and getting high, I first do a twenty-minute meditation that I learned from reading and practicing The Presence Process, by Michael Brown. This book serves as a superb guide to present moment awareness. The daily practice (the rest of the week I do this meditation without getting high, as Brown recommends) begins with the following mantra: I am, here now, in this. The words are not spoken verbally but are focused on in conjunction with each connected breath (i.e., no pause at the end of each inhalation and exhalation)—I (inhale) am (exhale), here (inhale) now (exhale), in (inhale) this (exhale).
Next, I recite the Invocation of the Cardinal Directions, which I learned from Richard Sandore, a physician shaman, during the first of three training sessions with him in July 2003. This helps to create a sacred space and combines both Native North and South American tribal traditions. The words our and we are used, since the Invocation is typically part of a group ceremony. I recommend doing it alone several times to feel comfortable with it and to more fully appreciate its value, before inviting others to join you. If your preference is to keep doing it alone, as I typically do, you can visualize your loved ones included within the energy field you’re generating.
As I recite, I turn to face each of the four directions, with arms raised, hands at shoulder level, and palms facing away from me (to receive the energy of that direction), or if you prefer, your arms can hang at your side. For Pachamama (Earth goddess of the Incas), palms face down, and for Great Spirit (Native American term for God), they face up.
As I complete each direction, I raise my voice as I recite the word Hayaya. This is Quechua (the language still spoken by descendants of the Incas in the Andes of South America), and although there is no known translation, it essentially means “So be it!” I also shake a Native American rattle for added emphasis.
Following and often during the recitation of this Invocation is when the magic of this mystical herb begins to emerge. Visions related to your intention and answers to your questions may come to you—a direct communication from your heart/soul.
South
To the Winds of the South, Kunti Wayra. Great Serpent, Mother of the Waters, come and be with us. Sachamama, Hantun Amaru, come be with us, wrap your coils of light around us and guide us on our journeys of healing. Great Healer, come be with us and teach us your ways. Teach us to shed our past, to shed all of our old beliefs, all of our old ways of thinking that no longer serve us. Sachamama, teach us to shed these all at once, as an act of love, and as an act of power, as you shed your skin. Hayaya, Sachamama.
West
To the Winds of the West, Chinchay Wayra. Otorongo, Great Jaguar, Mother-Sister Jaguar, come be with us and teach us your ways. Otorongo, Hantun Otorongo, teach us to walk softly and stealthily upon the mother. And teach us to walk without fear. Rainbow Jaguar, teach us to release all of our fears, to walk fearlessly through this life, and to fearlessly leap from this world to all of those worlds beyond. And Otorongo, teach us to be warriors, luminous warriors, warriors without need for enemies in this world or any of those worlds beyond. Hayaya, Otorongo.
North
To the Winds of the North, Anti Wayra. Kuraq Akullipaq, Ancient Ones, you who have come before, you who have yet to come, you who are the keepers of our children’s children, come be with us and teach us your ways. Come sit by us, walk next to us, and lend us the knowledge you know, the mysteries you’ve uncovered. Huanacautti, Rainbow Prince, come teach us the ways of power. And Kenti, Sewarkenti, Hummingbird, come fly next to us and whisper in our ears your sweet song of knowledge. Hayaya, Ancient Ones.
East
To the Winds of the East, Chollo Wayra. Brother Eagle, Sister Condor, come be with us and teach us your ways. Apuchin Apu Kondor, Hantun Kondor, come open your wings of light around our hearts, open our hearts that we may see. Lend us your vision that we may see beyond our horizons. Sister Condor, you who flies high above the mountains, you who lives above the clouds, come teach us to soar, teach us to open our wings and soar to those places we’ve never dreamed of going to before. Hayaya, Sister Condor.
Pachamama, Santa Taita Pachamama, Pachamamita, Loving Mother, Mother Earth. Mother, you who have never left us, you who will never leave us, you who holds us so tenderly all of the time. We thank you for nourishing and nurturing us, for holding us, and for all of the light and love and beauty you bring into our lives. And we thank you for the company of all of your children, those that walk and those that crawl, those that fly and those that swim, the two-legged, the three-legged, and the multi-legged, the furred, the feathered, and the finned. And Pachamama, tell us what we can do for you to return the love you give to us. We love you, Pachamama. Hayaya, Pachamama.
Great Spirit
Inti Taita, Father Sun, Mama Killa, Grandmother Moon, Illiatitsa, Wirachocha, Waykan Tanka, Tankashala, Great Spirit. You who are known by a thousand names, yet you who are the nameless one. You who are in the north, the south, the east, and the west. You who are in the plant people, the stone people, our star brothers and sisters, our mother, and each and every one of us. We thank you for giving us this opportunity to play in the field of time and space. Be with us, guide us on our journeys, and teach us, teach us always, always, always to manifest the You within each and every one of us, and to share that gift with those we share our lives with. Hayaya, Great Spirit.
Center
You are now within the center of the universe you’ve assembled. This is recognized with a brief moment of silence to feel the space you’ve created.
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If your preference is to engage in a sacred cannabis ceremony with others, the International Church of Cannabis opened its doors in Denver on April 20, 2017. Headquarters of Elevation Ministries, a nonprofit religious organization, it claims cannabis as its primary sacrament. The goal of its members, known as Elevationists, is “to create the best version of themselves,” and they believe cannabis accelerates and deepens that process. As legalization expands, I expect many more people will be using cannabis as a sacred herb and similar groups will be established in other states.
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In the remainder of Part III, I will present several holistic health practices that you can choose to include in your Sabbath ritual while you’re high, as well as engage in daily without cannabis.