Kasturbai Azcona is a traveling photographer and movement facilitator raising her young kids in the farmlands of Guadalajara, Mexico. She specializes in mobility training and the nervous system, intuitive and creative sequencing, arm balancing, inversions, conotortion & more!
For far too long marijuana has carried an unfortunate and deeply ingrained stigma–a plant too often reduced to being labeled a gateway drug into a destructive path. But what if marijuana isn’t a gateway to destruction but instead a gateway to healing? Society has placed cannabis users into a little box, branding them as 'lazy stoners' with low ambition or drive. The flower is easily mislabeled as a vice associated with laziness and lack of motivation. But what if, in combination with mindful practices like strength training and yoga, it actually fuels transformation, empowerment, and balance?
For many, including myself, marijuana is not a vice but a medicine. It has played a profound role in recovery, healing, and reclaiming a sense of self after walking the dark path of addiction. My story, like so many others, defies the outdated stereotype of cannabis users as unmotivated or low energy. I’ve half intentionally used marijuana as a sacred tool to not only get clean from harder drugs like opiates and heroin but also to manage deep emotional wounds, anger, and the overwhelming responsibilities of motherhood. And I know I’m not alone on this!
Healing through movement and medicine
My journey with cannabis is personal. After years of struggling with substance abuse, it was cannabis that helped guide me back to myself. Marijuana was and is my rehab. Rather than spiraling further into addiction, the medicine grounded me and gave me a clear path to health, stability, and healing. It became a tool that allowed me to regain control over my body, mind, and senses. It teaches me to move through anger and frustration without succumbing to destructive behaviors like I did in the past.
Cannabis helped me manage the emotional residue left by addiction–the uncontrollable anger that would flare up from untreated wounds. With its help, I could regulate my emotions, calm my mind, and connect with my higher self. It gave me the clarity and space to heal.
But the real breakthrough didn’t come from marijuana alone–it came from combining the plant medicine with movement. Shortly after discovering the healing properties of marijuana I attended my first yoga class in the bay area where I bought my first yoga mat that was used and overused for the 15 years following that class. Whether through yoga, dance, strength training, moving my body has been key in processing trauma and releasing stored emotions. For me, movement is a form of medicine in itself, a way to transmute pain into power, fear into freedom, and anger into peaceful understanding.
The stigma of the 'lazy stoner' couldn’t be further from my truth. When I’m in motion–whether unraveling into a deep backbend, flowing through yoga poses, or grounding myself in an inversion–I feel alive, empowered, and completely in tune with my body. Cannabis doesn’t make me lazy; it amplifies my connection to my body, allowing me to move more freely and fluidly. It turns movement into a sacred, healing ritual, helping me integrate mind, body, and spirit.
A different kind of high: Motherhood and movement
Beyond my personal recovery, I’m also a mother. And motherhood is no small feat. It demands everything from me–patience, sacrifice, strength, resilience, and constant presence. Balancing personal healing while showing up as a mother every day has been one of the hardest challenges of my life. But it’s also been one of my greatest sources of motivation to stay clean, healthy, and emotionally regulated.
Cannabis is part of that balance, helping me stay grounded and calm in the chaos of parenting. It’s a tool that helps me find moments of calm presence amidst the endless to-do lists, wide range of emotions, and everyday stressors of life. Paired with body movement, it becomes a way to recharge, tap in physically and mentally, process emotions, and release tension so I can be fully present for my children, while not overthinking future endeavors. This mindful use of cannabis has allowed me to navigate motherhood with more patience and understanding, proving that it’s possible to be both a loving, present, engaged parent while also being someone who uses marijuana intentionally.
Breaking the stigma
My message to others is simple: we can do hard things. Healing is not a linear journey, nor does it look the same for everyone. The tools we use–whether it’s cannabis, movement, or something else entirely–are personal and should be honored, not judged. Marijuana, for me and many others, isn’t a crutch; it’s a path to healing. It’s a way to manage anger, move through pain, and ultimately come out stronger on the other side.
It’s time to break the stigma around cannabis use, especially for those of us who use it as part of our recovery or self-care practice. It’s not about escapism, and it’s certainly not about laziness. For me, it’s about grounding myself, connecting to my body, and showing up in my life with intention and presence.
To anyone out there navigating addiction recovery, motherhood, or the complexities of balancing it all–I encourage you to explore what works for you, without shame. Marijuana is a part of my journey, and body movement is my medicine. Together, they’ve helped me reclaim my life, heal my wounds, and find strength in even the hardest moments.
We are not lazy stoners. We are resilient, powerful, and whole. And we are living proof that healing–however unconventional–can be beautiful and transformative.
Read more from Kasturbai L Azcona
Kasturbai L Azcona, Movement Instructor & Photographer
Kasturbai is a certified yoga teacher and fitness instructor for english and spanish speakers around the world. She teaches with intention for hypermobile yogis and adcvocates for strength within flexibility. She is also a traveling photographer that document reatreats and events of all kinds!
