You can Smoke This? Part 1

Start by asking yourself – Do you REALLY know what you are doing when you smoke plants? Whether you’re using Tobacco, Cannabis or Chamomile, you are “communing” with the plant by burning it. In plain english, you’re experiencing the chemical reactions that the plant has with your body when you consume it. Be it smoke form, tea form or bath form this remains a fact. Your bio-chemical response will differ subtly depending on whether you inhale, ingest or envelope the plants properties through your pours.

Let’s step back in and deal with some interesting points about smoking rituals. Since man harnessed fire we have smoked plant matter, albeit less recreational as we do today. The majority of indigenous cultures around the world perceived the act of Smoking is a way to travel from this dimension to the spirit dimension, this includes smudging. As smoke diffuses in the atmosphere it’s presence is acknowledged by it’s odor. It is still there, because you can smell it, although the form has changed. As the gaseous elements of the solid substance dissolve into you or your intention will go into the spirit realm for the spirits to listen to.

The properties are of the most legally smoked plant (Tobacco) is meant to ground the body (tobacco has been used medicinally for millennia as a probiotic, digestive, calming agent) and connect with the ancestors (the ones buried below your feet in the ground …) When you are “grounded”, it allows you to see things clearer… Ask any smoker, especially a chronic one and see how stress is a trigger for picking up a cigarette. (the second trigger is the addiction of the synthetic chemicals in a commercial cigarette, so stress or no stress, your body feigns for the synthetic chemical which we’ll get back to in part 2)

So why do you want to ‘smoke’? Tea or a bath are excellent ways to get the benefits of your plant material. Whether it’s Tobacco, Cannabis or Chamomile, you truly have more options than merely smoking. You could have a cup of tea, take an herbal bath, vape, smudge, create edibles or spray mist etc. In fact smoking decreases the potential of the plant’s affects in comparison to just about every other method of preparation.

Unless you are already coming from a smoking background, why not leave the act of smoking to those moments you really want to send your prayers and wishes to the spirit realm? In fact I strongly recommend that all your smoking moments if any should be made intentional with prayer or mantra.

Or invest in a dry herb vaporizer and protect your lungs from tar build, and lung tissue damage caused by inhaling hot gases. No need to start a routine that can be damaging. There is enough air pollution causing damage to your lungs already. I strongly enjoy vaping over smoking because you have a more intimate experience with the herb’s taste and smell that you miss out on when the herb turns into ash.

But what if you already started the habit of commercial cigarettes and or cannabis… read part 2.