Sleep & Walk

If you take a walk at sunrise or sunset, the body resets its natural sleep cycle.  Wow!

Dosha Sleep Recommendations

For those with a vata sleeping disorder  -

• favor more sweet, sour and salty foods
• eat three warm cooked meals at the same time every day
• bed time should be before 10 pm and rise by 6 am
• take your time with day to day activities - do not rush

For those with a pitta sleeping disorder - 

• avoid spicy foods in the night
• favor more sweet, bitter and astringent tastes
• avoid skipping meals
• eat enough dinner so you won't feel hungry
• if you feel lots of heat in the head during the night time, mix 3 tablespoons of coconut oil with 5 drops of lavender oil and massage it on the crown of your head

For those with a kapha sleeping disorder - 

• rise before 6 am
• favor to do self massages in the mornings before shower
• exercise everyday
• avoid eating heavy, sweet, sour, salty foods
• favor a light and warm dinner 

Your Dosha And Sleep

"The goal of the Ayurvedic approach is to create more Ojas, the finest product of digestion that provides energy, enthusiasm, happiness, clarity of thinking, better coordination between the heart and mind and immunity.  Only the deepest, most restful sleep, called Stage Four Sleep by researchers, creates ojas," says an Ayurvedic expert from The Council of Maharishi Ayurveda Physicians.

Ayurveda identifies 3 types of sleep disorders -

1 - Vata sleep disorder - this is when you find it difficult to fall asleep (this is caused by a vata imbalance or mental stress).  You tend to toss and turn a lot, mind is over active, tends to correlate with worry and anxiety of day to day stresses.

2 - Pitta sleep disorder - this is when there is intermittent awakening - you fall asleep fine, but wake up every 90 minutes due to muscle tension, racing heart, emotions, fear, anger, sadness.  Or there is another pattern where one wakes up between 2-4am and has a ton of energy.

3 - Kapha sleep disorder - this is when you sleep long hours and wake up unrefreshed.  You feel sluggish, tired and completely exhausted even though you had a full nights sleep.

Which one most relates to you?
Look out for tomorrow's post, I'll give you some recommendations for each of the doshas.

Benefits Of Sleep

Sleep -

• reduces stress
• makes you smarter
• may reduce risk of depression
• prevents cancer
• makes you more alert
• keeps the heart healthy
• clears up under eye circles
• improves memory
• increases lifespan
• curbs inflammation
• boosts creativity
• sharpens attention
• maintains weight
• lowers stress

Hope you all get a good night's rest every night! 

Did You Know - More About Sleep

Here are some disturbing statistics about sleep in America -

• America is increasingly becoming a society that lives to work, not works to live
• 40% of adults report getting so little sleep that resulting daytime drowsiness interferes with productivity several days in a month
• over half of adults surveyed said they have driven while drowsy in the last year
• almost 70% report having one or more sleep problems several times a week

Did You Know - About Sleep

Did you know that the body heals itself during sleep?
Ayurveda recommends sleeping by 10 pm.
And by eating a light and well cooked dinner helps ensure a good nights sleep.
Your body knows best, listen to it!

Best Ways To DeStress

Meditate!

Do yoga!

Exercise!

Sing out loud!

Listen to music!

Eat nutritious foods!

Get a good night's rest!

Go for walks!

Keep in good company!

It's really that simple! 

Uses Of Coconut Oil

Coconut Oil is getting more and more recognition these days because of it's many and positive effects.  This oil has a rich source of fiber, vitamins and minerals.

Here are a few uses for coconut oil -

• acne
• eczema
• massage oil
• sunscreen
• moisturizer 
• pre shave
• after shave
• herpes
• body scrub
• hair conditioner 
• skin problems
• soothes pain and menstrual cramps
• use as sunscreen 
• boosts energy
• clears cellulite
• clears stretch marks
• relieves stress
• weight loss
• heart health
• healing
• used in cooking
• removes eye make up
• chap stick
• athlete's foot, fungus
• reduce itch of mosquito bites
• improves sleep
• natural deodorant
• helps treat yeast infections
• rub on cuticles to help grow nails

Natural Urges

An urge is a natural impulse the body gives to you.  In Ayurveda, this is called Vega vidhran.  It is a process of metabolism controlled by Vata.  To resist an urge or to create an urge forcefully aggravates or creates an imbalance in Vata.  If you suppress the natural urges of your body, you are violating the pathway of Vata and creating imbalance.  The body is put through stress and creates discomfort and physiological changes.

Below is a list of these natural urges according to Ayurveda:

1. urine
2. feces
3. sex
4. vomiting
5. sneezing
6. burping
7. coughing
8. yawning
9. hunger
10. thirst
11. tears
12. sleep
13. breathing
14. gas 

This is the first step to prevent disease - do not suppress any natural urge!  These urges occur because the body is trying to let something out.  So let it out! 

The 7 Don'ts After A Meal

An interesting read I received and want to share.

1     Don't smoke - Experiment from experts proves that smoking a cigarette after meal is comparable to smoking 10 cigarettes (chances of   cancer is higher).                                                                                          2    Don't eat fruits immediately - Immediately eating fruits after meals will cause the stomach to be bloated with air.  Therefore take fruit 1-2 hours after meals or 1 hour before meal.                                            3     Don't drink tea - Because tea leaves contain a high content of acid,  this substance will cause the protein content in the food we consume to be hardened thus difficult to digest.      4     Don't loosen your belt - Loosening the belt after a meal will easily cause the intestine to be twisted and blocked.                                                5    Don't bathe - Bathing will cause the increase of blood flow to the hands, legs and body thus the amount of blood around the stomach will therefore decrease.  This will weaken the digestive system in our stomach.                                                                                                                                                6    Don't walk about - People always say that after a meal walk a hundred steps and you will live till 99.  In actual fact this is not true.  Walking will cause the digestive system to be unable to absorb the nutrition from the food we intake.                                                                                                                              7    Don't sleep immediately - The food we intake will not be able to digest properly.  Thus will lead to gastric and infection in our intestine.

The 6 Free Doctors.

Greetings.

I received another very cool and interesting email today and I want to share it with you all.

Have you heard of the 6 Free Doctors?

1 - Sunlight - The sun says, spend a little time with me while reading, exercising, listening to music, meditating, even chatting up with friends.  Do it with me.  Just you and me 'cause I am your best friend.  Physically and metaphorically sunlight is beneficial to all.  Giving light, it's best to everyone regardless of caste or creed.

2 - Water - 6-8 glasses of water in a day replenishes all the liquids of the body.  And water is oxygen to every cell in the body.  Our body thrives on fresh water.  It is the greatest detoxifying agent ever produced. 

3 - Air - Your prana shakti - Life breath.  Just being aware of your breathing for a little while invigorates every cell in the body.  Pranayama (deep breathing) is a must.  To exhale all carbon and take in all oxygen, in a clean and open environment.  It is a luxury today to breathe fresh air.  Do not neglect this.  Holding a breath and then releasing it clears all the diseases in the body.

4 - Diet - After consuming three of the five nature's elements (ether, water, air, earth, fire), get to the natures produce - vegetables and fruits.  The Lord has provided plenty of choice.  No need to be a vegan, but the amount of cleansing the vegetables and fruits does to the system is amazing.  The enzymes produced protect every cell in the body.  Proteins are present in lentils and yogurt too.  Too much meat takes away 70% of the energy to digest it.  So be moderate.  We are basically herbivores and not carnivores by nature.

5 - Exercise - How can anything be consumed without the corresponding arrangement to digest the same?  The body must move.  Walking can be a good form of exercise.  But stretching the body is very essential.  Starting from bed, when waking up and then being physically vibrant throughout the day.  Household work is not an exercise, it's a chore!  Exercise in a proper state of mind and not under stress or duress.  Relaxation is the reason for exercising a healthy state of mind.  Exercise alone and not rushing.

6 - Rest - Last but not least, the 6th doctor is rest.  None of the above is possible without enough sleep, relaxation and rest from meetings a deadline.  Rest is the most important factor which gives impetus to all other five.  So do not neglect it.  Resting with beautiful, positive and creative thoughts is of course always recommended.  If you have negative thoughts, keep slogging, so you do not have the same time to nurture them.  When resting, have all the positive thoughts, nourishing thoughts, the foremost being Thanksgiving to the Lord, followed by love and compassion towards all the relationships you encounter - choicelessness in love. 

- G Gururaja Upadhyaya