Jazmin Hupp, the founder of Women Grow and author of The Inside Guide, has assumed a leadership role in the women’s self-empowerment movement. She advocates the importance of stepping into your voice and embodying your truth, continually stressing how meditation and plant medicine can help you accomplish the evolution of your personal growth.
In Part 1 of the interview series, this modern-day psychedelic priestess expresses the intent behind her new book. Jazmin provides specific instructions for taking beginner doses of cannabis, psilocybin and MDMA, all of which can be catalysts for accessing euphoric states, expanding one’s consciousness, and healing within. To complement her gift as a transformational guide, Jazmin mentors young female entrepreneurs and facilitates Kundalini yoga and silent meditation retreats in Hawaii and at home in Boulder, CO.
Dig in to Jazmin’s journey, then head over to the shop to grab a copy of The Inside Guide.
Jazmin Hupp: I’m really fascinated by women coming into their voice and coming into their power; I’ve always been fascinated by this. Previously I was part of Women 2.0 where we were empowering women to start tech companies. And then of course we had Women Grow, which was empowering women to begin cannabis companies. Now I am working one-on-one with women, focusing on their thought leadership.
Haley Nagasaki: What are some of the key things you teach women in your practice?
Jazmin: So I was previously a Kundalini yoga teacher and I’m chasing down this thread right now in astrology where we can predict when your Kundalini energy is naturally going to rise based on your birth chart. Usually sometime between the ages of 38 and 42, when Uranus is in opposition in your birth chart, it’s going to rise your Kundalini.
Haley: Wait, do you read Barbara Hand Clow?
Jazmin: Yes! This is from Barbara Hand Clow! I’m chasing down her thread right now, and her theory is that if women don’t come into their voice, their power, at that juncture in their life, then they basically wilt and die on the vine. So right now I’m collecting teachings and practices that specifically tune people up for that midlife transition; making it more graceful.
Haley: Amazing! Are you still teaching Kundalini?
Jazmin: I do a little bit of private teaching—Kundalini, the meditations and yoga for clearing chakras, and just moving your energy and working your ass off!
How I got into Kundalini yoga was because it was the first community where all the women I met who were in their 80s were absolutely amazing; that sucked me into Kundalini technology. These women could move more than I could, and they’re twice my age; how is that possible?!
Haley: Okay so you’re selling your book, you’re mentoring women, do you grow plants? Are you cultivating cannabis at all?
Jazmin: We’re currently at the end of our lease so I’m not sure I can set it up right now, but definitely. Normally in any state that allows home grow, we would be growing.
I’m also a huge supporter of those growing psilocybin. Especially in Denver as the first city to decriminalize psilocybin, and they did it with a freaking vote! I’m super impressed with these Denver folks who got people to vote on decriminalization.
Haley: Your book is tailored to getting people started in the psychedelic space. How would you encourage people that are apprehensive; what’s something you would tell them?
Jazmin: Apprehensive about trying psychedelics for the first time? I would tell them to try meditation first. That will help them learn to control their breathing, and that’s an extremely useful technique for psychedelics and life in general.
In the book we were teaching long and slow breathing with yin stretching, which is uber simple. I’m a big fan of everyone learning how to breathe, which sounds simple, but you really need to intervene with your focus. It’s an unusual thing to begin with, that we can control this organ mentally.
Haley: There’s a beautiful thread here. You’re encouraging people to go inside because what they’re looking for is already inside themselves. Then you’re also encouraging women to take time for themselves and be comfortable taking that time. And you’re advocating psychedelic therapy, meditation and developing a spiritual practice. All of these things fit together so perfectly.
What is it about these practices that you find to be innately feminine? Why do you think it’s so inherently beneficial for women to take that time to explore?
Jazmin: That’s a super good question and I’m still exploring that question. I think for me, culturally, I was taught that the role of women was to be codependent at best and subservient at worst.
My original relationship styles were either codependent and/or manipulative. I think I did that because I was taught my worth as a woman was dependent On an ability to attract and keep the same partner.
And so for me, I needed to take time on my own to establish that I was the hero of my own story, and that I was going to write the movie of my life from my perspective, as opposed to what I’d been told was going to make me happy. I tried, I did all the things that they told me would make me happy, and it didn’t. So I think that’s how all of this has come together for me.
There’s definitely been other authors who have written about psychedelics as an avenue for introspection, education, and connection to the cosmos. There just aren’t very many books written by women, which is why I think this book feels so different from a lot of the stuff that’s out there.
Haley: Your book is so real. You’re not concealing anything; it talks about the nitty gritty and addresses the fact that these things can be messy or difficult, and preparing people with the tools to navigate that. I was really impressed because it’s exactly what everyone needs to hear. And it’s so personal. You’re entrusting the reader with your secrets so we feel supported and loved by you, which is the perfect conveyance of the work you’re doing in your daily life. You really captured that in your book and so I want to thank you for that.
I’m also just excited because it’s our time as women to lead. We’ve seen that destructive patriarchy is driving us off a cliff and so I think it’s time to reconcile this for ourselves, and I think we have the ability to do that. We cooperate and we partner with nature so effortlessly, and we need to bring that forward. So that’s why I’m personally excited to be on this journey and to be talking to people like yourself.
How do you see women moving forward in leadership roles? How would that look to you in an ideal world? We have women who are empowered, we have people using psychedelics, and we’re governing ourselves with integrity. Do you think this is a reality we can achieve?
Jazmin: Yes! It’s going to be amazing!
I mean I have to believe in this. I think we’re at a turning point in humanity, in this epoch of humanity, where we’re either all going to rise together as an interdependent network of really diverse individuals who understand we’re all the same underneath all of it. Or we’re going to destroy each other again, and be like the dinosaurs, burying ourselves in the earth, and maybe another epoch of humanity will get their shot in the future.
I think we all incarnated here at this time to contribute to that transition point, and help out to the best of our ability. That’s why all of these plants and molecules have shown up or have been reintroduced into use recently, I think, is to help assist us in making this transition.
So for me, the future is all about honoring everyone’s totally individual expression, and understanding that we’re all one at the same time.
Haley: It’s an interesting balance. It really is a balancing act, and it takes an immense amount of focus and discipline. But ultimately, as a collective, we are raising our consciousness; we’re going to the next level, and I want to get as many people on board with that as possible, and I feel like you resonate with that too.
Jazmin: Yes, and you can see how our lives have really accelerated in the last years. So now it’s just about maintaining that constant balance between desiring change and progress, and desiring things, but not capping my reality with limiting beliefs on what’s possible. So that’s the edge I’m trying to play. The edge of being in stillness and attracting what’s next, versus taking the steps to go out and get what’s next. I’m playing those philosophical games with myself right now.
I’ve also got a series of private clients I’m taking through silent meditations once a month here in Boulder, and I’m going to do a book tour in the fall.
Haley: And what about your psychedelic protocol?
Jazmin: Currently I’m smoking two to ten joints of cannabis per day, and I’m using lots of cannabis salves for my skin. And then everything else I do on special occasions. Literally everything.
Haley: Do your lungs get tired at all from smoking?
Jazmin: My dad has a saying, that you have 10,000 joints and then you’ve got to quit. And I think he’s right!
Join Jazmin on theinside.guide Clubhouse, and purchase her book at in the Personal Plants shop. Then check out Part 1 of the interview!
