154: The spiritual benefits of microdosing

ACAST powers the world's best podcasts. Here's a show that we recommend. Hello, American podcast listeners. Max Roshton here from The Guardian Football Weekly, which I think you should give a listen. It is good. It comes out 3 times a week, and the podcast delivers you analysis, news, both the good and the bad from the beautiful game, and maybe even the occasional laugh. He's angry about everything. He doesn't have a great poker face, does he? I would like to play cards with Bruno Fernandes. You can listen to The Guardian Football Weekly wherever you get your podcasts. Hopefully see you soon. Acast helps creators launch, grow, and monetize their podcasts everywhere. Acast.com. Hello everyone, and thanks so much for listening once again to another episode of Cani Crystals the podcast. I hope that you're all well. My name is Mart Tweedy, and if you've been following my stories on my personal Instagram this last week, you'll be pleased to know that I'm piping down now. Mega lol. I've been really getting back into the gym as of late, and it's weird because obviously, you know, having a baby back in January, that just really threw me to pot. And I just didn't go to the gym for ages because of all the sleep deprivation and the constant need to look after him and be home whenever possible to be able to nurture him. And so I just guess that, you know, I just didn't notice the weight piling on. Oh my God. But when we went to Happy Place Festival the other week, so many of you tagged me in photos afterwards, and I can just remember like on the way home looking back at them thinking, Jesus Christ. 'You really need to do something about your weight and your posture.' And obviously I know that that was my inner voice being all self-critical and all, but I looked hunched over and the dad bod was real, let me tell you. Honestly, it was awful to see, and it made me feel that I wanted to do something about it. And so I recently joined a new gym that was ready to open in Newcastle called HIIT Club, and honestly, these workouts, they are brutal. And when I say brutal, I don't mean that lightly. Like, these are— like, I feel like I'm about to pass away every time I finish one. Um, I don't feel like I've ever worked so hard in my entire life in a gym. And in just the last 6 weeks since it's been open, I've lost a stone. So that's how hard I'm working. So I am quite proud of that, but it just goes to show that I really wasn't looking after myself if the weight shifted that quickly as well. So last week they did something called Hero Week, where if you attended 7 workouts across 7 days, you won a merchandise bundle. So I thought, let's give it a bash, what have I got to lose? And I could have quite happily, like, just easily given up on day 3 if I'm totally honest with you. And I specifically remember on the Wednesday morning waking up and just thinking like, ugh, I'm not even halfway yet. And I almost didn't go, but you know what I did? I grabbed that bloody tiger's eye off my bedside table, I told it that I needed that kick up the arse with determination, focus, willpower, strength, and off I went to the gym, and I absolutely smashed all 7 days. Now, for accountability purposes, I was putting me workouts on me Instagram story every single day with some gym footage and, you know, the calories that I'd been burning, which were often around 1,000 cals a day just from the workout alone, might I add. And someone I know messaged us. This is someone I know, this isn't like a troll or anything like that, this is someone that I actually know. And they messaged me and he said, We get it, you go to the gym. But I didn't let that put me off. So I messaged Fran from Love Attraction Changed My Life and Jay, her PA, in our little group chat, and I told them about me weight loss and how hard I'm going at making a change in me life. And they were so supportive because they're both doing the exact same right now as well. So it was just nice to have that accountability there as well. But I just wanted to apologize that if you had seen all those Instagram stories, because you might have been thinking the same as that guy who messaged us as well, thinking like, Oh my God, I get it, you go to the gym. Stop with the gym spam. But anyway, to help with concentration and focus, Fran mentioned to me that she had come across this powder that you make into a shake. It's a bit like a protein shake really. I think off the top of my head the brand is called Space Goods, if you've heard of them before. And anyway, Fran had been drinking them every single day and she'd been decluttering her home, she'd been tidying the house, she'd been doing laundry everything basically that she had been putting off for a long time. And so I just thought, well, it can't really hurt, can it? And so I bought some. So it came a day later— thank you, Amazon— and as I was reading through the ingredients, I noticed that it was all different types of fungi and mushrooms such as cordyceps, lion's mane, and a few other things that some of which I even take as supplements anyway. So I started doing a little bit of research into mushrooms And I must say, before I go any further with this episode, I'm not condoning taking drugs. Mushrooms are plants, you know, these are safe. You can buy them in Holland and Barrett, for example. I'm not telling you to go out and eat wild mushrooms from the forest, or go to your local drug dealer and get some magic mushrooms, or anything like that. But if you are intrigued about all of this, and what I'm about to talk about, definitely do your own research and speak to your own health professionals before you start doing anything, okay? Especially if you're already on any medications. Anyway, back to these mushrooms. I was looking at them and they all have quite amazing health benefits for the body and the mind. So if we start with Lion's Mane mushroom, this one is known as the brain mushroom, and funnily enough, I saw a picture of it and it actually even looks like a brain. It's been traditionally used in Far East Asia for centuries as a medicinal tonic for the brain to improve memory and concentration. So it contains compounds that support nerve and brain health. So Lion's Mane has been shown to stimulate the production of nerve growth factor, which is also known as NGF, in the brain. And that plays a vital role in the growth, maintenance, and repair of nerve cells in a part of the brain associated with thinking and learning and emotions. And I find that fascinating. And that's only one of the ingredients. Then we've got the cordyceps mushroom. So this is also known as the energy mushroom. So this can positively influence and support energy production on a molecular level within the body. So when you eat that mushroom, it means more energy to generate, an increase in strength and power output, and that's going to lead to better performance in high-intensity exercise such as, you know, going to the gym and stuff like that, HIIT classes, you know, all that kind of boot camp stuff. Then we've also got the chaga mushroom, and that's known to many people as the immunity mushroom or the king of mushrooms as well. And it's got good reason as well because it's the highest source of natural antioxidants on Earth. Can you believe that? So antioxidants are commonly known to support the immune system of the body, and chaga mushrooms also contain bioactive compounds that are believed to have immune-stimulating effects. So as well as these 3 mushrooms, there were 3 other ingredients in this powder. The first is ashwagandha. So that's an adaptogen that helps to combat stress, and it's also been shown to induce a calming and stress and anxiety relieving— and one particular study even showed an improvement in self-assessed quality of life after taking that supplement as well. So after that, there's the maca root. That's also an adaptogen, so it's extensively used as a herbal supplement for conditions such as erectile dysfunction, menopausal symptoms. Not saying I have either of those, but I'm here for it anyway. And there's also experimental scientific evidence to show that maca root has nutritional, energizing, and fertility and libido enhancing properties as well. And it also protects the skin against ultraviolet radiation. And then the last ingredient is— I can't say this and I'm gonna try it— it's Rhodiola rosea. I think called— Google it— but that's another adaptogen, and that can help alleviate stress symptoms, fatigue, and burnout. Now, to me, who suffers a lot from stress, burnout, tiredness, anxiety, I just thought to myself, what have I got to lose by taking this powder? Let's get the show on the road. Let me tell you, on the first day of taking it, guess what happened? I fell ill. And you can probably hear it in my voice right now, okay? And you know, at first I did blame the mushrooms, and I sent Fran and Jay a voice note saying, oh my God, stop taking these mushrooms, stop taking this powdered drink. And because I was saying like how ill I was, but then one by one people at the gym also started getting the same symptoms. So I just think from wearing me body out training so hard, being around others in a sweaty environment, I've somehow caught a cold. So I stopped taking this mushroom drink for a couple of days because I thought I'm not going to be able to feel any benefits from it whilst I'm poorly, and so I waited until the Monday before I started drinking anymore. Let me tell you, Monday I had one of the most productive days known to mankind. The things I ticked off my to-do list were insane. There had been things on that list that I thought would take me weeks to do, and I did them in an hour each. And not only that, like, usually when I get a cold or flu-like symptoms, I'm usually bedbound for days because my nose runs like a tap, I have a barkin' whoopin' cough, and, you know, I just feel absolutely dog rotten. But Tuesday morning, I had a very important meeting to attend at the Glasshouse, which is our venue event for Manifest next year. And, um, I just knew that I wouldn't be able to cancel it. So that morning, I felt dog rotten. And when I woke up, I was like, oh my God, I'm not going to be able to do this meeting. This has taken 2 months to get this in the diary, and the day of, I'm absolutely ill. So I went downstairs, I made myself a little mushroom coffee, 'cause you can put this powder in coffee, it just tastes like a mocha basically, 'cause it's like a chocolatey powder, and oh my god, I was so productive during that meeting, I asked all the questions that I wanted to. It felt like the huge brain fog that I had inside of my head, it just lifted, even just for a couple of hours, whilst I went through that meeting. And I was able to ask all the questions that I wanted to ask, I didn't forget anything, I just felt like it turned a switch on in my brain. That made me really productive. It's really hard to describe. So anyway, I got back from this meeting, and shortly after that, I was just sat on the couch with my laptop, and I thought, I need some background noise, and I popped on Netflix. And guess what pops up as a recommended show for me to watch? It was a bloody documentary all about mushrooms and microdosing. It's called Magic Medicine. It was definitely worth a watch if you're interested. But I popped it on, and everything that was talked about on this documentary on Netflix was just— I don't know, it just rang so true. It was like, why is this being kept from us all these years? Why has this never been discussed? Now obviously, when I was thinking to myself, I need to do a podcast episode on this, my fear firstly was, you will get cancelled if you start talking about magic mushrooms and things like that, because people are going to think, oh my God, he's teaching us to do drugs now. First it was crystals, then it's going to be crystal meth. I'm not. Honestly, I promise you I'm not. So the documentary anyway talks about microdosing, and if you've never heard of this before, microdosing is just the practice of taking a very, very small dose of a psychedelic substance. Now, 9 times out of 10, this psychedelic substance is psilocybin mushrooms, what we may have grown up calling magic mushrooms. Now, the idea behind microdosing is that these tiny little amounts aren't enough to cause any noticeable alterations in perceptions, you know, such as hallucinations or other intense effects that are typically associated with psychedelics. But it's still sufficient to potentially produce these subtle changes in mood and cognition, creativity, and our overall well-being as well. So typically, a microdose is about 1/10 to 1/20 of a full trip dose. So the goal isn't to get high or anything like that. But rather to just experience the positive effects that these substances can have, such as increased focus, enhanced creativity, improved mood, reduced anxiety, and just a greater sense of connection and presence. So people who microdose often follow a very specific schedule. They might take a dose like every other day or a few times a week, and they'll have rest days in between to prevent tolerance buildup as well. And the effects are subtle and they might just manifest as feeling slightly more energetic or more engaged in creative tasks or more patient and calm in everyday situations. So this show was talking about how microdosing can help with various mental health challenges as well, such as depression, anxiety, ADHD, and it can also be a tool for personal growth, increasing self-awareness, enhancing spiritual practices, all that jazz. Now, I have a member in Manifest with Mart Tweedy. I can't remember who it was now. But a couple of months ago, she put in our chat room that she was going for some microdosing, and she was asking if anyone had any experience with it. And afterwards, I remember her saying how amazing that she felt, because microdosing can be this powerful tool for spirituality and self-development as well, because it just offers these little subtle yet kind of profound shifts in consciousness and awareness that supports personal growth and introspection and a deeper connection to both the self and the world around us. So, you know, I'm not telling you go and ring your local drug dealer and ask them for a cup of magic mushrooms. I'm not saying go into a forest and start foraging around or anything like that. Yes, I'm talking about microdosing here, but I want you to safely microdose, so I'm on about doing it through supplements and stuff like that instead, okay? Don't cancel me, please don't cancel me. So there are so many benefits that microdosing can offer, and in terms of spirituality, the first that I wrote down is enhanced mindfulness and presence. Uh, because microdosing, it often brings a heightened sense of awareness and presence. It allows us to be more attuned to the present moment. So that increased mindfulness, that's going to deepen our spiritual practices such as meditation or prayer or even yoga by just helping to quiet the mind and just to focus on the here and now. Because with a more present mind, you might find it easier to connect with your inner self or experience a sense of oneness with nature, for example. Or you might even just feel in tune with the natural energy around you. Now the second thing I wrote down is that it has a connection to nature. So many people report feeling a stronger connection to nature when microdosing as well, because the natural world might seem more vibrant and there's often a greater appreciation for the beauty and all that interconnectedness of life. And that connection can foster a sense of reverence and gratitude, and they're key aspects of many spiritual traditions. So when we feel more connected to the earth and all living beings, microdosing can deepen that spiritual practice and your understanding of kind of the sacredness of life. Now, the third thing I wrote down is having an openness to transcendent experiences, because whilst microdosing isn't intended to induce, you know, full psychedelic experiences, it can subtly open the door to altered states of consciousness, you know, and that can include feelings of transcendence where you will experience a sense of unity with the universe or a deeper understanding of spiritual truths. And those experiences, they can be transformative. They can help you to break down kind of egoic barriers and, you know, connect more deeply with your spiritual essence. You might have heard people trying like ayahuasca and stuff like that before, or Kambo. That's the same kind of thing, but they do make you trip. They do make you have like out-of-body experiences and hallucinations, that kind of thing. So the fourth thing that I wrote down is that Microdosing and, you know, these different types of mushrooms and supplements, they can facilitate a lot of our inner work because they can support spiritual practices by gently bringing unresolved emotions or patterns to the surface, and that allows you to work through them with greater clarity and compassion. And that can be particularly valuable in spiritual growth because it'll help clear away all that mental and emotional clutter that can kind of block spiritual progress. Because when we address those issues, you then create more space for spiritual insights and a deeper connection to your true self. Now, they are the kind of the spiritual benefits that I wrote down, but I also wrote down some kind of self-development benefits that I think it could have, because the first thing I wrote down is that it will help you to rewire negative thought patterns. So one of the most significant benefits of microdosing, according to this documentary, is its potential to help rewire the brain. So psilocybin, the magic mushroom, that compound, um, that's been shown to promote neuroplasticity. That's the brain's ability to form new neural connections. So that can be incredibly valuable for self-development because it allows you to break free from the old negative thought patterns and replace them with more positive empowering ones, just like affirmations, subliminals, all that jazz. So over time, that can lead to lasting changes in your mindset and behavior, and that's going to help you to live a more fulfilling and aligned life. The second thing I wrote down in terms of self-development was having an increase in creativity and problem solving. So they mentioned about how microdosing can enhance creativity by opening up new ways of thinking and encouraging kind of out-of-the-box solution and problems. So that can be especially useful for self-development because it helps you approach challenges in life with kind of a fresh perspective. It's going to make it easier to find those innovative solutions and be able to overcome those obstacles easier. And that creative boost, that can also inspire new ideas or projects or ways of expressing yourself, and they're all essential aspects of personal growth. The third thing that I wrote down was having a greater emotional resilience. So by helping to reduce that anxiety and fear, microdosing can make it easier to face life's challenges with a calm and centered mind, and that increased emotional resilience will allow you to handle stress more effectively and be able to respond to difficult situations with a bit of a clearer head, okay, a bit more clarity going on. And as you become less reactive and more composed, you can then cultivate that deeper sense of inner peace and stability, and that is fundamental to both spiritual and personal development. And then the last thing that I wrote down is that it amplifies your intentions and your affirmations. So many people use microdosing to reinforce those positive intentions and affirmations, and the heightened state of awareness that microdosing provides, that can make these intentions feel more real or more tangible, and that's going to help you to internalize them more deeply because you're going to be able to visualize them as though they've really happened, and that can accelerate the process of manifesting your goals and aligning your actions with your higher purpose. So I think personally that microdosing offers this unique, gentle way to support both spirituality and self-development, because like I say, it promotes mindfulness, it enhances creativity, it facilitates emotional healing, it helps you connect more deeply with your true self. Okay, it's not a magic cure-all, but when used intentionally and responsibly, I think it can be a valuable tool on the path to greater spiritual awakening and personal growth. So I get that this is a bit of a weird episode, guys. I feel like a bit of a drug dealer, if I'm totally honest with you. But my role here on this podcast is just simply to open your mind to all these different things out there that could help you along on your spiritual journey. And so for those of you wondering why I'm talking about magic mushrooms and the likes, this is why, okay? Because microdosing can be a beneficial practice for many people, but like I say, it is crucial to approach it with care and intention. To just ensure your own safety. So the first step is to thoroughly research and understand what you're actually taking, because knowing the substance is essential. So it might be psilocybin mushrooms, it might be another psychedelic, but you should be fully informed about its effects and its potential risks and the appropriate dosage for microdosing. And additionally, it's also important to check the legal status of that substance within your region as well. Because psilocybin and, you know, magic mushrooms and things like that, they're illegal in many places. So using them could have like legal consequences basically, which is why I'm advising to go down this other route through supplements and things like that, because you're still getting the benefits from the lion's mane, from the cordyceps, from the chaga mushroom, whatever it is. I just think supplements are a much safer way to go with this, okay? So just make sure that you source your substance responsibly. Because that's another critical aspect of safe microdosing. Make sure that your substance is pure, make sure it's sourced from a reliable provider. Don't go on Temu, for example, and order a shitload of mushrooms, you know, because that can be dangerous, okay? It really can be. So you might want to just start with a very low dose, like a capsule a day or something like that, or every other day, especially if you're quite new to microdosing as well. 'Cause overall, the goal here is to take a dose that is sub-perceptual. So that means that you shouldn't feel any strong psychoactive effects. You shouldn't feel like off your tits or anything like that. Less is more in microdosing. So just begin with a smaller dose, increase slightly only if necessary. But it's essential to follow a structured dosing schedule as well. So a common approach is to just microdose every other day, or to take a dose 2 to 3 times a week with rest days in between, just to prevent that tolerance buildup. Avoid microdosing every single day because this can lead to diminishing returns and possible negative effects on your mental and emotional well-being as well. I think something else to mention at this point as well is to just ensure that you're in a positive mental space before you microdose as well. Avoid doing it during periods of high stress or emotional instability, for example, because that will also have an effect. And you can also keep a journal of your experiences as well just to help you track how microdosing actually affects you. You might want to note the dosage, the timing, your mental state, any effects that you notice throughout the day such as productivity or your brain fog going away or anything like that. Because over time, that journal, that can help you fine-tune that microdosing practice, and that's going to ensure that it's beneficial for you. But like I say, consider consulting with a healthcare professional as well, especially if you have any pre-existing mental health conditions. Because microdosing has all these benefits, but it might not be suitable for everyone, okay? So it's important to approach it with caution. A professional can really help guide you through the process. They can monitor your progress just to ensure that microdosing is safe and effective for you. You know, you can even go on these little weekend away like retreats and things. I've seen these ayahuasca ones in Málaga in Spain, for example, where you go away for a weekend. I think it's like a Friday to the Monday and you go and you're around all these monks, and these monks basically, they test you based on your body type, your body weight, um, that kind of thing, your height and everything like that. And basically they give you a dose of— I think it's ayahuasca, if I remember rightly— and you basically have all of these weird trippy psychedelic experiences, but you're in a safe controlled environment, and they've given you a dose that is right for your body type. So it's always making sure that, you know, you've consulted with someone else, a healthcare professional or someone that's on a retreat with you, that kind of thing. So by taking those steps, you know, researching your substance, sourcing it responsibly, starting with a low dose, following a structured schedule, being mindful of your setting, journaling your experiences, you can microdose safely and you can maximize the potential benefits whilst minimizing those risks. Okay, so like I said at the very beginning, please don't go out and just grab some magic mushrooms off a known drug dealer. Don't go foraging around your local woodlands just eating everything that you come into contact with. Do your research. Maybe even start with some lion's mane supplements. You can get them for around £8 for a 2-month supply on Amazon, for example. Just see how you feel, you know, see if you notice that brain fog lifting, see if you notice any internal changes in your mindset. Or how you feel about life in general. Do let me know how you get on. If you do want to research it further, obviously, you know, Google. There's a plethora of information out there. I just wanted to bring this to people's attention because it's really, really helped me with my productivity and my brain fog in the last week or so. So I just want to be able to share this knowledge with you and let you make your mind up, okay? I'm not going to say, "Go and buy my mushrooms or supplements from this link," or anything like that. Because this is all down to you and what feels right to you. Okay, so you can find me on Instagram or TikTok. I'm @cannycrystals. If you've enjoyed this episode— and please don't cancel me for talking about drugs— please leave a rating or review wherever you listen to this episode, and I will see you all next Friday for another episode. Thanks so much for listening, guys. Bye! ACast powers the world's best podcasts. Here's a show that we recommend.

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