Savor the Flavor: Marijuana & Mindful Attention

Let’s be real. When was the last time we really savored the moment?

Apart from the definition of savoring we are familiar with synonymous with enjoyment, my all-encompassing definition is the practice of cultivating focused attention to enhance the hedonic experience, eudaemonic experience and overall positive emotional state.

By savoring cannabis, many articles (including the this article published by researchers at the State University of New York at Albany) have suggested that there is an inverse relationship demonstrating a correlation between the instances of savoring and the frequency of marijuana use and marijuana-associated problems.

Beyond savoring cannabis, however, mindfulness, or mindful attention, is encouraged in everyday experiences. The enhanced sensory stimulation when consuming cannabis provides the perfect opportunity to savor other aspects of life, like the food we eat. We should chew each bite slowly and intentionally, and pay attention to the non-obvious elements of the experience; the conscious act of savoring involves the more subtle and emotional features which can broaden the range of feelings and sensations derived from the particular experience. It is also postulated that savoring through the act of mindfulness could even improve memory for positive experiences and offset negative memories.

Through these difficult and uncertain times that lie ahead of us, let us plan to savor each and every moment and live a life on purpose.