What is the ECS?

Right now, without you even thinking about it, a whole network of chemical messengers is zipping around your body trying to keep things running smoothly and that network is called the Endocannabinoid System or ECS for short.

So what does the ECS do?

• Helps your brain and body “communicate”
• Balances mood, pain, immune response and even digestion
• Constantly adjusting your body’s responses to maintain balance

Your body’s own cannabinoids

Believe it or not your body makes its own cannabinoids and two of the most important ones are:

• Anandamide a.k.a. “the bliss molecule”
• 2-AG a powerful signalling molecule

These compounds work like natural emergency repair crews, helping maintain harmony across your entire system.

When the system breaks down…

Stress, injuries, lack of sleep, even poor diet can mess with your ECS. When this happens, it’s feels like your body’s Wi-Fi starts dropping out or buffering, messages don’t get through, you feel pain for no reason, you’re anxious, can’t sleep, you feel off. The good news is that there are natural ways to reboot the system, movement, getting into nature, nutrition, this all helps you to produce your own cannabinoids naturally (more on that later).

Key takeaways

• The ECS is your body’s built in communications network
• It regulates balance, not just one function
• You already produce cannabinoids like anandamide and 2-AG
• This system can be nourished through lifestyle, not just medication

Reflection (for journal or discussion board)

When was the last time you felt really in sync both physically and mentally? What might your ECS have been doing right in that moment?