It makes perfect sense to us that cannabis and yoga would work hand in hand—after all, what could be more relaxing than a little weed and a little downward dog?—but local yoga instructor Dee Dussault was actually the first person to bring the ancient combination to the United States.

Dussault has been practicing yoga for 22 years, and is passionate about helping people find their inner bliss through relaxation, mindfulness, and sensuality. She teaches a variety of customized private and public yoga classes for individuals, couples and groups, including: relaxation-based hatha yoga, tantra, sexual-awakening yoga, ganja yoga, and clothing-free yoga.

While combining cannabis and yoga is a popular pastime in India (many monks would use the powerful herb in sacred ceremonies to achieve an altered state of consciousness that allowed for a deeper mediation) no one had brought the practice stateside until 2012, when Dussault opened her Ganja Yoga practice in San Francisco. Located in an unassuming artists building in SoMa, the free-spirited Ganja Yoga class feels worlds away from the stress of the busy work day. The use of cannabis in the social environment is always optional, yet highly recommended as a way to enhance the overall experience. If you're a beginner to pot or yoga, Dussault will educate you on various options, strains and potencies to find what works best for you.

This class is anything but intimidating, made up of a friendly crowd with mixed yoga skills. Unlike mainstream yoga classes, Ganja Yoga isn’t focused on your fitness level and how you look in a pose; it is about mindfully using cannabis to deepen your practice, enhance self-awareness, feel your body, and be in an inner state through breath. The benefits of this unique class can include: pain and stress relief, relaxation, an enhanced sense of wellbeing, evolution of consciousness, and being part of a welcoming, diverse and social community.

SPIRITUAL ENHANCEMENTS:

Bloom Farms vape pens: Pesticide free, sustainably-farmed and crafted, solvent-free Co2 extraction. One meal is donated to someone in need for every vape pen sold.

Flow Kana organic cannabis: Sun-grown, organic, farm-to-table cannabis delivery with fair pricing for farmers. A leader in the conscious cannabis movement.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

Cost: Classes are $25 per person and require everyone to have their own medicinal marijuana card.

When: Every Wednesday, 7-9pm.

Location: Merchants of Reality, 285 9th Street, San Francisco

Bring: a mat and an open mind

// For more information visit Dee’s website; To participate visit the Ganja Yoga Meetup Group. She also offers a Vape Yoga class every Thursday from 7-9pm (private studio near Powell Station BART, the address is shared after registration).