Kush Queen's Wellness Toolbox: CBD & Intentional Breathing
By: Angela Viesti
We take our first breath when we’re born. We take our last breath when we die. And in between we have breathtaking moments and moments of breathlessness.
We hold our breath when we’re underwater or detect a foul smell. Moms-to-be in Lamaze class prepare for childbirth--the final descent before baby’s first breath. We use breathing as a remedy to calm down in times of high stress, panic, or anger. Cardio workouts demand that you marry the relationship between breath and movement. You may deepen or shallow your inhale/exhale as an automatic response to pain or tension.
It’s a vital physiological function that happens involuntarily most of the time. What makes breathing such a powerful tool for connecting us to ourselves is that we have the ability to control its rhythm and pace to optimize our mental state and physical performance.
Connecting to your breath is vital when:
You’re experiencing pain
You’re stressed out (travelling, traffic, relentless workday, etc.)
Your heart rate is up
You’re frustrated or angry
Anxiety strikes
Intentional breathing helps regulate the body’s response to stressors in our environment...and so does CBD. There are a number of ways to pair breath with CBD products that trigger an entourage effect of benefits.
CBD & Breath for Your Mind
Short, shallow breathing enhances anxiety and stress, while deep, intentional breathing can relieve them. Certain activities demand that we connect to our breath, taking the burden of “remembering to breathe” off our plates. Because the body operates as a whole, eliminating stress and anxiety holistically is more effective than treating individual symptoms. By incorporating breath, CBD, and movement into our routines we can eliminate and prevent stress and anxiety.
Try these activities that connect you to your breath
Yoga - To deepen your presence during practice, take a Kush Queen RX CBD Gummy about 30 minutes before you begin. The calming effects of the CBD will serve you whether you’re holding Warrior II longer than usual or you’re sinking into a deep Sleeping Pigeon. Remember to tap into your breath when you feel challenged.
Pilates - The Joseph Pilates method of exercise emphasizes the combination of breath with movement to deepen stretches and allow for greater mobility. Pilates awakens muscles that are otherwise dormant, so rub a dose of Melt CBD Pain Relief Lotion on your neck, shoulders, and low back to loosen up for this workout.
Meditation - If mental chatter stops you from meditating, focus on your breath and notice how it can help you get out of your head. Breath in for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds, and exhale for 4 seconds. Repeat for 3 cycles and as needed.
Cardio (running, biking, dancing, etc.) - Without proper breathing, cardio will leave you panting and exhausted in a matter of seconds. Find your rhythm and pace and match your breath to your movement.
Hiking, Beaching, and Being (Outdoors) - If you can get outdoors to connect to your breath--DO IT! Fresh air in natural environment is excellent for your mind, body, spirit, and lungs. The ocean is a great tool for syncing our breath with a natural rhythm
Fresh Air Indoors - Create a green space inside with indoor houseplants that produce fresh oxygen and give your home a calm vibe. Check out our very own Ben Mervis’ Insta story, Plant Father if you need some inspo. You could even grow your own weed to bring plant life indoors!
There’s no one right way to take CBD, so experiment with a blend of topicals, ingestibles, and smokables to find the combination that you prefer for each activity. Check out our Understanding CBD blog for tips on how to find your “sweet spot”.
CBD & Breath for Pain
Physical pain impacts everyone throughout life. Pain happens as a result of injury and illness. It can be acute or chronic. Isolated or systemic. No matter how we end up with it, pain hurts.
Acute pain is the body’s normal response to injury or biological changes within (think sports injury or menstrual cramps). As normal as it may be, it’s still pain and it still hurts. Chronic pain is often accompanied by systemic inflammation, which contributes to a number of serious conditions if left unaddressed.
Improper breathing can contribute to and even cause pain by creating a tightening of the muscles, causing them to pull and strain. But breathing can also be a most effective tool for easing pain and that effectiveness is amplified by the presence of CBD and other botanicals.
To treat pain and inflammation, take a sublingual dose of Bare CBD Tincture and while holding the oil under your tongue, inhale deeply through the nose and exhale completely through the nose. Do this for about a minute before swallowing the oil. Continue breathing deeply and direct your breath to the area you’re experiencing the pain; exhale completely through the mouth. Repeat twice times per day or as needed to relieve sporadic pain.
To go deeper into relaxation and pain relief, bathe in a tub of warm water and a Kush Queen Relieve CBD Bath Bomb. Continue breathing intentionally as you soak in the bath.
CBD & Breath for Your Body
Another way to connect to yourself using breathwork and CBD is through pleasure and exploration. This can be done alone or with a consenting partner. Orgasms are known to release a euphoric cocktail of hormones that leave us feeling relaxed and happy. CBD lube heightens sensitivity and increases circulation when applied to the genitals, which will speed up the arousal process. Deepen those orgasms and you deepen all the sensations that come with it..
Enter a mild meditative state by breathing slowly, focusing on where your breath travels in your body. After a few complete cycles, start to direct your breath and awareness to your sacral chakra (think womb/pelvis/sexual organs). When you feel relaxed and in your body, apply a pump of Kush Queen’s Ignite CBD lube to yourself or your partner. The effects of Ignite can be felt within seconds of application, so be ready!
CBD lube stimulates the sensitive tissues in and near sexual organs, bringing a greater level of sensation and awareness to the targeted area. Painful intercourse or arousal are minimized as the CBD acts to relax increase blood flow and release tension.
Wellness Toolbox
Maintaining wellness is all about having tools at your disposal to call on when you need extra support. Your breath is one that you almost always have access to and with practice it can become your sharpest instrument in achieving homeostasis.
Don’t forget to follow and tag @kushqueenshop & @kushqueenco in your Instaram posts and stories?
Want to incorporate CBD into your Intentional Breathing Rituals? Shop Kush Queen Below!