Thoughts From Grayson: Endocannabinoids

Grayson Fertig

Thoughts From Grayson: Endocannabinoids

Dear Fasttwitchgrandmas,

Let’s say the article Dr. Julia Basso wrote caught your eye-Endocannabinoids: The Secret to Why Exercise Makes Us Feel So Good. And this idea or feeling of an exercise high made you say I want that. Well then what’s next?

Maybe for some you’re already there whereas others may never have experienced pure exercise joy. Either way understanding what’s happening chemically inside you has the potential value of you being able to get to this space regularly.

How do I get myself high on exercise?

As a neuroscientist Julia is focused on the effects of exercise on the brain. In the article she points out how exercise causes increases in our brain’s natural chemicals that bind to the same receptors as the active ingredients in marijuana – the so-called endocannabinoids. Based on that you should be able to regularly create an exercise high as easily with cannabis as you can without it.

3 Ways to Get Right to the Endocannabinoids

Trust that your Endocannabinoid System will reward you once you’ve taken the first step. Often times it’s hard to imagine that if I do this workout, go for that hike, play this game, get on your bike and go for a ride, paddle out, stretch, etc that I will feel better. This is why a motivating instrument like an appointment, a mantra(Get On The Mat), a cup of coffee, a television, music, a destination, a promise to another, can all be helpful to getting you going. This is also why cannabis can be helpful because it can dissolve the initial resistance one might have to taking the first step.

Do something that you know feels good.

Instead of laboring through an activity or effort that you don’t enjoy but do because you feel you should do it, pick an activity that resonates with you. Or pick a pace or level of intensity that works for you. Cannabis can play a role in expanding your sense of what feels good and once you’ve registered the reward of an activity like stretching it is likely you will pursue it regularly with and or without cannabis.

Engage your mind and keep your chosen activity interesting.

Once the novelty of yoga, running, or hockey has worn off how do you settle in for the long haul. By constantly focusing on skill development and refinement you can regularly create the Learning Edge. The mental focus it takes to execute at your learning edge will allow you to cruise past any barriers to entry that regularly pop up. By moving away from left brain thinking and engaging the right brain you can develop your skills through intuition and exploration rather than repetition.

Asking questions like how does my run feel while you’re running will likely lead you into a meditative space and once in that deeper space you will more regularly experience the Endocannabinoid System. Cannabis can detach you from your normal state so that you are forced to operate in your activity from a feel perspective rather than a learned perspective pushing you out to your Learning Edge and keeping it interesting.

Any which way you do it we hope you enjoy the ride.

Best,

Grayson

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