Trauma. This word is showing up more and more in the health world, and describes a wide spectrum of pain. The trauma our parents inflicted upon us, the trauma from an accident. And with new studies emerging on the mind-body connection, we are learning how mental and emotional trauma is stored physically.

We are all starting to awaken to the importance of treating our bodies well in order to heal. Many different modalities and psycho-somatic therapies are arising to help people claim the power.

Cannabis helped me claim the power of body awareness. It sparked my journey to tapping into my own body. From there, the emotional and mental pain stored in certain body parts began to bubble to the surface for processing.

In addition to being a cannabis writer, I am a licensed massage therapist and Reiki practitioner. My passion is in esoteric anatomy, how pain in the physical body correlates to mental blockages. Essentially, working with physical bodies to help people work through their deeply stored trauma.

For me, cannabis and wellness deeply intertwine. I am a proud advocate for cannabis wellness. Cannabis aided me on this journey because it effortlessly drops me into my body to feel. Once I feel in my body, I cannot deny it or else I feel the pain: emotionally, mentally, and physically.

Cannabis empowers me to take charge of my life and prioritize myself.

Let me give you a taste of my healing journey. Prior to my career in wellness, I used to be a software engineer in the Bay Area. People often ask me how I made the transition. What sparked this dramatic change?

It was body awareness. I started paying attention to how apathetic and miserable I felt, how much I procrastinated doing the most simple, mindless, easy tasks. I ran around the office in search of candy and food instead.

I saw the pattern between my apathy and neglecting my body.

One day, I couldn’t handle the apathy anymore. It felt like such a first world problem, and yet I couldn’t deny my heart anymore. I had to quit my job.

What sparked all this? How did I break free from the apathetic, mindless cycle that was slowly draining my soul of all passion?

It was my dear friend cannabis.

Cannabis always brings me back into my body or mind, when my energy might be distributed elsewhere in a way that is completely draining and not at all nourishing for me.

Cannabis reminds me how to prioritize my own feelings.

Cannabis reminds me of how awesome I am.

Cannabis reminds me how to convert negative energy into positive life force. This is the most important lesson, and if I need extra reminder, I listen to the music of good ol’ Bob Marley.

It is my dear friend Mary Jane that has helped me work through great deals of pain and process throughout my life. She has pulled me out of depressive holes that I’ve dug myself deep into.

Being a healer means that I am always healing myself. Unlocking pain in my body and transmuting it into positivity. By understanding pain firsthand through my own experience, I can truly empathize with others who are in pain states. I can hold them physically and metaphysically through their process.

And how do I use cannabis, you might ask? I am a big fan of ingesting it.

While I do enjoy THC, my focus on health has lead me more towards CBD and its powerful anti-inflammatory properties.

Here is a simple recipe for a CBD Cacao beverage, which is potent and powerful for healing. Like hot chocolate, without sugar and with antioxidants instead.

CBD Cacao Recipe

Ingredients:

~2 tsp raw cacao powder

~1 cup water (or coconut milk)

~1 tsp maple syrup

~.5 fl oz CBD Chili Oil (10 mg CBD)

~pinch of salt

Steps:

1) Heat up water or coconut milk in a pot.

2) When the liquid is simmering, add in cacao and turn heat down to medium low. Cacao can burn, so keep an extra eye on it.

3) Use a fork or whisk to thoroughly combine. Allow to simmer for 5 minutes.

4) Turn off heat, and add in CBD Chili Oil and maple syrup to taste (adjust to your desired level of sweetness).

5) Serve in a mug and add in a pinch of salt.

There you have it! Real cacao is a powerful antioxidant and chili oil enhances the potency of it. I’ve enjoyed my cacao with a little kick, using cayenne pepper in the past. So when I discovered that CBD Chili Oil existed, I took my cacao to the next level.

And now you can, too.

Feel the powerful awakening effects of cannabis. Tap into your body awareness.

Enjoy the process and keep in mind, feeling is healing.

Stephanie Zhu is a freelance writer covering the sectors of health & wellness, cannabis, and sustainability. She is also a healer, a massage therapist, and Reiki practitioner. Learn more about her at themysticdreamer.com, and on Instagram as @themysticdreamer.

This blogger participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means she may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites.