When weed meets wellness: a look inside HighYoga’s mindful movement classes

Emily Fabri, founder of HighYoga NYC, used to show up to yoga classes already high and smelling like weed. She immediately felt out of place.

“Cannabis has always been the main role in my life, but it was important for me to really dive into the yoga aspect,” Fabri said, “because of the off-putting feelings I had in a traditional yoga studio where I didn’t feel that welcome openness…I knew there was a need for this.”

Fabri is the founder of HighYoga NYC , a cannabis-infused yoga and wellness community that holds weekly classes inside dispensaries and different spaces across New York City.

Fabri started with a mission to create a judgment-free space where people can pair their workout with conscious and safe cannabis use.

That mission resonated with many. Fabri now has a growing community of loyal students who return to every one of her classes, trust her guidance, and see her as both a cannabis educator and a friend.

With classes like High Yoga growing in popularity, cannabis is emerging as a powerful tool for mental clarity and healing.

Before she ever rolled out a yoga mat, Fabri was a longtime cannabis user and educator. Yoga came later, and she found that infusing cannabis helped her find something deeper.

Traditional studios never felt comfortable, Fabri often felt out of place or quietly judged. She wanted to create a place where people can combine breathwork with mindful consumption.

“The traditional yoga class was not my vibe, and that’s really what inspired me to start what I do now, to have a space where people can come, whether they’re new to yoga or new to cannabis, and learn about the powers of both.”

The ‘pre-yoga vibe’

Fabri started with a mission to create a judgment-free space where people can pair their workout with conscious and safe cannabis use. Photo by Emily Fabri/provided

A typical High Yoga class starts with what Fabri calls the “pre-yoga vibe.”

Participants arrive early to settle into the dispensary space, chat with other participants, and take a few hits — whether they brought something from home, a product Fabri provides, or something they just picked up on-site.

Once the class starts, Fabri leads a gentle full-body warm-up. The 50-minute flow incorporates a couple of downward dogs, more poses, and cannabis-friendly language into her classes, reminding her students to imagine taking a puff of that cannabis as they breathe in.

After the class winds down, there is always a smoke session. During this time, Fabri continues educating her students, offering guidance on which products and strains to try and what to look for based on individual needs.

It is a chance to deepen their cannabis knowledge and connect with other like-minded participants.

You may believe that pairing cannabis with yoga does not offer anything different than a regular class. But studies suggest otherwise.

According to an article published by Marijuana Moment, written by Ben Aldin, on a study that explores the health benefits of using cannabis during yoga, researchers found that the setting can really enhance the benefits of the drug.

They also found that the combination of cannabis and yoga creates a deeper sense of awareness and calm.

Participants in the study were given cannabis on two separate occasions, spaced one week apart. The first week, they practiced yoga. In the second, they were free to engage in any activity of their choosing.

They found that cannabis elevated their yoga experience and enhanced their physical awareness.

Participants reported feeling more in tune with their bodies and experiencing movement on a deeper level when using cannabis compared to a typical yoga class.

Of course, cannabis affects everyone differently. In some cases, especially with the wrong guidance, it can lead to anxiety and cause some to feel overwhelmed.

“Each and everybody is valid to their own testimony, their own story, and our bodies do react very differently,” Fabri told amNewYork. “My own testimony shows that cannabis has helped me become a calmer, more regulated being.”

That is why education is a core pillar of Fabri’s practice. She not only discusses how to use it safely, but she also explains the many different ways to use it effectively.

“There’s so many ways that we can now consume that are different than what was around 10 years ago…There’s flour…we can turn our flour into edibles. We can do dabs, tinctures, different drinks, and topical lotions,” she said.

Photo by Emily Fabri/provided

Fabri emphasizes that if someone is not feeling the effects they are looking for, it may simply be a matter of how they are consuming.

Each method has its own intensity and encourages all participants to experiment carefully to find what works best for their bodies.

“You don’t need to smoke to consume cannabis,” said Fabri.

As more New Yorkers turn to cannabis for healing rather than escape, Fabri hopes that cannabis will be more integrated in the mainstream wellness community.

Her vision for the future is to treat cannabis the same way we treat bars, not hidden but accepted into everyday culture.

“Every corner in Manhattan, there should be a couple 21 of 21-plus-only gyms,” Fabri believes.

By combining movement with cannabis consumption, High yoga can help people tap into their senses.

“Cannabis, in my own experience, has allowed me to tap into my sensations in a different way. It’s allowed me to feel my breath, not only into my lungs, but into my fingertips and my toes,” Fabri explained.

In a busy city like New York, it is hard to slow down. But Fabri reminds us that there are no rules to how we approach wellness, everyone has a different relationship with their body, and the key is experimenting what works for you.

Wellness does not have to be rigid or traditional. For Fabri, cannabis is a tool for reconnecting with your body and feeling more aligned in your day-to-day life.

“Intentionally choosing strains and cannabinoids that work best for me, it’s helped me become a whole new version of myself. I’ve always consumed cannabis, but I haven’t always been this version of me, and by adding yoga to the mix, it’s elevated it to new highs.