If you’re not a big fan of the gym or the latest local fitness fad, your attitude towards physical activity and workout classes is about to be severely altered (and quite literally).
Say hello to Ganja Yoga. Yes, this is now a thing. And why not? Ganja and yoga are, after all, a match made in heaven; in India, Ganja is associated with Shiva, and it’s common practice for dreadlocked sadhus to smoke cannabis while meditating, which brings them to a higher place, both mentally and physically.
Plus “Ganja Yoga” sounds a lot less nauseating and dizzying than hot yoga and a lot less traumatizing than naked yoga, which may explain why it might just be your next fitness savior. After all, yoga is already meant to open up your body, your self-awareness, and tranquilize your system, and exhaling smoke along with your chakra makes the experience even more peaceful and detoxifying. Sure, 420-friendly yoga has a ways to go before every city is blessed with its elevated essence, but it is currently available in a select few locales, and we “highly” recommend shaping your next road trip around them.
LOS ANGELES (420 Yoga LA With Liz McDonald)
Filled with incense and warm vibes, McDonald (A.K.A. the “Yogagangsta”) teaches a 420 Yoga class every Saturday in her LA studio. She teaches and partakes in ganja yoga to try and make clients feel more connected between body and mind and also heighten their awareness of sensation.
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SAN FRANCISCO (San Francisco Ganja Yoga With Dee Dussault)
Take your love for yoga to the next level with this candlelit studio filled with relaxing music and even more relaxing moves. If you’re card-carrying, you’re more than welcomed to smoke right there in class. Otherwise, you can toke up beforehand for an equally elevated experience. Hatha instructor Ms. Dussault started her practice in Toronto before deciding to spread the joy to SF residents, teaching on Wednesdays at a cool gallery space called “Merchants of Reality”.
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COLORADO (Sol Shine Studio)
Colorado itself is a breath of fresh air, but this hybrid yoga studio/eco-boutique/art gallery is where you can truly let loose and exhale. Feel free to shop around a little before you attend a class in this self-proclaimed “urban sanctuary”—a brick-walled studio filled with cushy (er, kushy?) carpeted floors, local art, and no mirrors, leaving no room for cannabis-induced, paranoia self-consciousness. After all, non-judgmentalness and support is part of their mantra—all levels are welcome, and the 15-person class limit keeps things cozy and intimate.
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TORONTO (The House Of Yoga)
This intimate studio is fittingly located in the back of a head shop on Bloor St. West in Toronto. Called Conscious Consumption and owned by Lu Pancini, the class commences by passing around large plastic bag vaporizers around class to measured, calculated breathes—now that’s a breathing exercise we can get behind! They also offer Thai Yoga massage, which sounds like the dreamiest follow-up to a lofty yoga session.
