Dee Dussault
Going beyond the natural yoga high with Ganja Yoga founder Dee Dussault. By David Holzer
By David Holzer
OM meets…
I’m sure you know what it’s like to feel pure bliss in your yoga practice and float out of cl ass on a natur al high. So why would you want to add cannabis to the mix?
Tantric yoga teacher and cannabis and pleasure activist Dee Dussault can tell you exactly why you should, at the very least, be open minded on the subject of cannabis-enhanced yoga. Dee may wel l be the first Westerner to have offer ed yoga classes where cannabis is used. She started in 2009 in her native Toronto, now teaches two popular weekly classes and has a thriving private practice in San Francisco.
Her book Ganja Yoga: a practical guide to conscious relaxation, soothing pain relief and enlightened pain recovery was published in 2017. In her own writing and in conversation, she’s the advocate cannabis yoga needs if it’s to be taken at all seriously. When we spoke, her sincerity and deep knowledge shone through.
Could you tell me what you’re aiming to achieve with Ganja Yoga?
More than anything else, I hope to reawaken yoga practitioners to the mystical, consciousness-enhancing side of yoga often lacking in body-focused practices.
How would you describe your relationship to yoga?
I trained with Ananda Shakti of Sananda Yoga in Toronto, in the tantric tradition of Swami Satyananda. I have a 500-hour Yoga- Alliance certification. Yoga is something I do every day. But it’s not about challenging asanas for me. I’m more into mindful, pragmatic stretching and making sure I rehabilitate my body after things like sitting at the computer or working on my phone. My yoga is also especially spiritual and metaphysical.