Accessing Rest with Smokable Herbs
There are many ways to experience the healing power of plants. It’s common for people to be introduced to herbs through teas, supplements, or creams but one of the ways to experience their most palpable effects is through smoking them.
While not all herbs can be smoked, beyond the well-known tobacco and cannabis, many other plants await. Lavender, rose, calendula, and peppermint are just a few examples of common herbs that can be smoked. Herbal smokes are a potent yet gentle entryway into experiencing the unique energies of different plant medicines.
Smoking a curated blend of herbs can deeply support rest, meditation, and contemplative practices. They can calm a racing mind, encourage us to slow down, and bring us more fully into the body. Their centering energies can connect us to our deepest intuitions and inner wisdom.
Many of us have forgotten what deep rest feels like, especially those of us in cities and who live fast-paced lives of juggling demanding careers, relationships, and family responsibilities. We have become desensitised to the urgency, noise, and agitation around us. This can make it difficult to feel safe enough and give ourselves permission to rest.
The potent medicine of smokable herbs can help us re-access the feeling of deep relaxation and contentment that we have become so disconnected from. It can aid us in remembering how nourishing it is to slow down, when we’ve gotten so used to the rush that comes from productivity and progress.
Experience the power of smokable herbs in our guided online ceremonies. In these intimate circles, we will guide you through a deep rest practice enhanced by a specifically-crafted herbal smoke blend. For more information, email us at: yelena.m.bide@gmail.com
Rest can offer us clarity, intuition, and euphoric joy in a way that not only feels pleasurable, but can support us to make the small (and big) adjustments in our daily life to bring us more meaning, purpose, and aliveness.
It requires intention to give ourselves full permission to rest, especially in cultural contexts that promote scarcity and hustle.
A few ways to bring intentionality to working with smokable herbs: take time to prepare your space, begin with an opening ritual, and set an intention. Setting an intention is simply orienting your attention to what you want to happen–you might say out loud or quietly to yourself what feelings you want to experience or values you want to embody more. As in all aspects of life, intention determines the quality of an experience.
Intentionally smoking herbs is a beautiful way to reawaken our sacred and ancient relationship with the plant world. To remember that we are deeply interconnected with all the life that surrounds us.
Written by Alexx Temeña & Yelena Bidé
Blog image by Nidhil Amen on Unsplash
The information provided in this article is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical or psychological advice. Always consult with a healthcare provider before using smokable herbs, particularly if you have pre-existing health conditions, are pregnant, or are taking medications. Ensure that the herbs you use are legal in your area and source them from reputable suppliers. Smoking any substance can pose health risks, including irritation of the respiratory system. Use herbs responsibly and in moderation, and be aware of individual sensitivities and reactions.