Feeling CBD & Ojai Energetics
Subtle Energy and Slow Healing
CBD has become one of the buzz products of the wellness industry; really exploding in recent years – but my first experience with it came a little further back when my mom introduced it to me. My mom has always been very “anti-drug,” and at the time it was still not legal where we lived in Canada, so I was especially surprised and intrigued that she was so interested it. She’d recently opened a health clinic—an innovative combination of therapy, lifestyle and neurological feedback programs—and had begun learning about some of the other new products coming into the consciousness of the budding industry. CBD was one of these products, and she brought some home for our family to try – to help with stress, sleep and just generally experiment with.
Writer: Ryan Willms
I’ve always been open to trying different supplements and modalities, from floating and acupuncture to sound baths and intuitive healers, so I was happy to try CBD as well. I knew nothing about how it worked, or even why I might want to use it. My first time taking it felt very subtle… when you take into account how desensitized we have become from our own bodies, its not surprising to hear people say they can’t “feel it” or being unsure if it’s “working”. Despite its subtleties; I’ve since seen it bring benefits to everyone from our cancer-patient dog to my grandfather. At the time, he was very ill with dementia and in lot of pain – a high potency CBD allowed him to walk again when he had nearly given up. Even then, it was my mom who campaigned rigorously just to be allowed to give him the CBD, as the doctors in the care facility weren’t supportive of any alternative methods.
These days we have a lot more research available to us, and a much deeper understanding of the endocannabinoid system and how these substances work within our bodies. With no THC there is no psychoactive element in CBD, so it’s accessible even to the “anti-drug” community. However, it’s still an intimidating landscape to navigate, with so many products available and a massive range of price points to choose from. It took me years of trying different formulations before I came across Ojai Energetics last year. I’ve loved the idea of living in Ojai for a couple years now (or at least I like to romanticize the idea) so perhaps that’s what partially drew me into the brand – but it was the product that won me over.
On my end; I’ve struggled with high levels of chronic stress over the past three or four years; as many of us do today. This stress led to terrible sleep patterns, a complete breakdown of my digestive system, weight gain, brain fog and so on. It was a systemic cycle that was feeding itself – even running, a practice in which I found solace, was actually adding more stress to my nervous system. I was perpetually stuck in the sympathetic; longing for the out-of-reach parasympathetic, where I could once again rest and digest.
I’m not about to tell you that CBD was the cure to all of this. There are so many factors to healing and living in balance with ourselves… we have to learn how to process our emotions, act in integrity with our heart, let our soul guide us, eat organic whole foods that nurture our bodies—everything is part of the rich patchwork that makes up a healthy human being. Even placebo plays a part - if we truly believe we are healthy, we will likely be healthy. If we believe the diet we’re eating will give us more energy, we will feel more energy. If we use a supplement we believe is helping us sleep better or digest better, it probably will do just that. There is no magic pill for healing yourself except for true unconditional self-love… but CBD has certainly helped.
The combination of learning to listen to my body more carefully, reconnecting to myself and feeling the subtle energies within the ebb and flow of my days, workouts, sleeps and life have allowed me to narrow down the substances I need to live optimally. It has also allowed me to feel when things are helping me in subtle ways, as I’ve found with CBD products more recently.
Ojai Energetics is the brand I’ve been able to trust and feel works for me. Their mission of ‘creating products using organic ingredients and regenerative farming practices, benefiting people and the planet,’ helps. They use Colorado Farm Bill-compliant, certified organic hemp flowers, and use C02 to extract the oil for a result that works better than anything else I’ve tried myself.
Bioavailability
The rapid absorption from Ojai’s water delivery system allows for more cannabinoids in the hemp extract to enter the blood and be used by the body by bypassing digestion. 250mg of their water-soluble CBD oil is approximately 20 times more bioavailable, giving you the same benefits as 5,000mg of a fat-based full-spectrum CBD oil.
Organic Ingredients
Other water-soluble CBD tinctures or products on the market may be nano-sizing CBD isolate, which lacks the entourage effect and is likely made with harsh industrial solvents like hexane. They could also be using synthetically modified or completely synthetic petroleum derivatives. When they’re made nano-sized, they sneak past the filters in the body and not only get into the bloodstream but also the cells.
I’ve been using their CBD Full Spectrum Hemp Elixir, taking it before bed to help me get more rest, deeper sleep and improved recovery. It easily mixes into water or tea, and tastes great straight from the bottle—and I find that it makes a difference. I’ve never done any scientific testing myself with CBD, but through journaling and experimenting with different products I am getting better at feeling what works for me.
More recently I’ve started using their Full Spectrum Sports Gel as well. I’ve been an athlete for as long as I can remember. I love to move my body, run, jump, play sports, and I’ve been injured many times along the way. I’ve had muscle tears, broken bones and two ACL ruptures. My journey with my body has been in-depth, and never more so than the last 18-20 months since my most recent ACL surgery. I’ve gotten to know my body on a level I never had before, and through my rehabilitation and working with Paul Chek it’s been a relearning process—patience, rebuilding and feeling in a whole new way. I’ve experience all kinds of pain in my knee, ligaments and muscles. I want to keep pushing, growing and becoming stronger so that I can eventually move freely and run in the mountains again. Since I’ve been using the CBD Sports Gel, I’ve found that overnight I’m feeling fresher, the inflammation is lessened and when I do tweak something, I don’t have to take as many days off before getting back out there.
I’ve never partnered with any brands or products like this before, and I don’t like to recommend anything I haven’t had experience with myself - even a book or a film. But I feel excited about the products from Ojai Energetics and how they’ve helped my body heal, recover and relax. Full disclosure, I have not tried their Coconut Oil because I’ve found that my body has created an autoimmune reaction to coconut. But when it comes to sleeping better and offering some relief to my body, the Hemp Elixir and Sports Gel have made a positive difference in my day-to -day well-being.
I’m won’t get into the science of CBD here, but below I’ve included some footnotes if you’d like to explore more about how it works in the body, how to use it and a podcast with Will Kleidon of Ojai Energetics and Dr. Chris Kresser.
Footnotes:
1. What is CBD and How Can it Benefit You?
2. Chris Kresser: A Deep Dive into CBD with Will Kleidon
3. Ben Greenfield: How to Use CBD
4. Medium: How CBD is Improving my Mental Health and My Life
