Do you sleep like a baby?
Do you sleep like a baby? According to Ayurveda, sleep is considered one of the “Three Pillars of Life” – meaning that it is a cornerstone for optimal health.
“Proper rest is essential for the well-being of any person. The body utilizes sleep as an opportunity to use its energy for healing and repairing damage to the body that accumulated during the waking hours. If the body does not receive enough sleep, the body cannot repair the damage caused by stress and strain. This leads to the body breaking down.
Too much or too little sleep is unhealthy. Too little sleep upsets the vata dosha while too much disturbs the kapha dosha. Disturbance of the vata dosha results in weakness and tissues that are more susceptible to injury. Disturbance of the kapha dosha results in tissues that become lethargic and heavy.” ~ Dr. Marc Halpern, “Principles of Ayurvedic Medicine”
Having a Challenge Sleeping?
Try these practices to help restore your natural sleep rhythm:
- Awaken at the appropriate time each morning even if you did not sleep well the night before.
- Sleep with the shades open to allow natural light to help awaken you in the morning.
- In the evening, avoid artificial light and use candlelight after the sun has gone down.
- If you are noise sensitive, practice using earplugs.
- Avoid working at night past 7:00 pm. Allow the mind a chance to
rest before bed. - Avoid computers after 7:00 pm as they agitate the energy of the body and mind.
- Watch only light comedies in the evening on television and turn it off by 8:00 pm.
- Consider a 1⁄2 hour of gentle yoga postures about 1 hour before bed.
- Make sure that you follow the other proper daily routines as they help avoid agitating your internal energy.
- Consider a glass of hot milk one hour before bed with 1/8 teaspoon of nutmeg or the ayurvedic herbs ashwagandha and jatamansi.
Sweet Dreams!
Excerpt from “Healing Your Life, Lessons on the Path of Ayurveda,” by Dr. Marc Halpern, Founder of the California College of Ayurveda. Available at Amazon: http://amzn.to/1GP7m28 and Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1PsYDUA