This Week's Class
My apologies that the view of the slides was not full screen, it was malfunctioning!
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Matthew Walker on Why We Dream
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Pujya Swami Dayananda, "Why study Vedānta"?
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The poetic words of a yogini-mother to her children from an ancient Sanskrit text demonstrate the teaching about the projection of name and form on to Consciousness. Listen and read the words.
Yoga Nidra ~ Prana NidraThis deep guided relaxation opens and enlivens the body, mind and heart by invoking the flow of prāna {Life Force} in the subtle spine, emphasizing the main chakras along the spine. Purifying, calming, relaxing. You'll feel rested and lighter after this short but effective guided practice with Kaya. Try lying down on your back with your legs elevated and the back of your head supported, or sit in an upright but relaxed position {as in a cross legged or kneeling meditation pose or in a chair}. Listen here
Through the opening of the center, one abides in the bliss of Consciousness within. ~ Pratyabhijnaṛdayam, Sūtra 17 |
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Take this week to continue to nourish and tend to your own sleep & to practice yoga nidra.
Qs from Last Week:
Q: I have vata and Kapha sleep imbalance, but I'm surrounded by Pitta son and husband who has Pitta type sleep and almost never goes to bed by 11. I have the desire of staying up to be with hubby and watch shows and knit. Sometimes when trying to fall asleep I have the body pain or a sort of tingly sensation all over my body which can keep me up. I have been getting in bed by 10 for a couple weeks now and working towards inching towards 9:30. I have trouble getting to sleep, and have been inching towards an earlier bedtime, setting an alarm at 6:30 but rarely actually get out of bed at 6:30 and hit the snooze button. 2-3 nights a week it's hard to get to sleep, and sometimes I lie in bed (like last night) for an hour or two without actually falling asleep but resting.
Response from Kaya: First of all, it is reasonable to want that sacred time of being with your partner {sans petites!} in the evening. If you can shift it earlier, that is great. Let your husband know, if you haven't already, that you are trying this and ask for his support. Ask him to get in bed with you, or to remind you to get to bed if he is going to stay up. Ask for support!* Start the knitting and shows ritual a bit earlier if you can... think about doing a nighttime ritual with hubby. You'll likely need to treat yourself like Vāta at bedtime {soothing, ritualize, calming} and like Kapha in the morning {early rise time, stimulation}. Set a bedtime alarm, just like a morning alarm. Vāta will like to feel like you have a range of opportunity, between 9:30-10:30. On the one hand, I don't want you to "overachieve" your bedtime and force it earlier... on the other hand, you may be truly tired closer to 9:30, and are "missing the sleep train" by 10pm. But I think if you just continue to be consistent with 10pm for now and NOTICE if you find sleep trying to take over earlier though, and then you may start to shift to an earlier bedtime. As for the wake up... if you LOVE the snooze alarm {classic kapha!} then set it EARLIER. If you wake up EARLIER on a consistent basis, your bedtime should fall into place more consistently as well. EARLIER THAN YOU THINK! {watch the Q at the end of last week's call}
Here is my fave recommendation for couples:
Oil massage each other's feet in front of a lighthearted entertainment. You can even drink a nighttime sleepy tea during this time frame as well. Sit on opposite ends of the couch with your feet toward one another and massage.
*The Pitta types will often have the "strongest" bhāva {vibe} and it is easy to get pulled into their world. This is why I suggest you ask for his support! You can't expect to change his habits, but you can ask him to help you with yours. {of course if bedtime is naked that can be a good way to get your partner to join you earlier!},
Q ~ On nights when I have trouble falling asleep, what do you do as it's happening? My MD recommended if I'm not asleep within 20 minutes I get up and do something like read or knit, listen to an audio book (no screens) perhaps only a dim light, and try again. What is the yogic/Ayurvedic perspective on what to do at the actual time of insomnia and do you recommend what my MD recommends? Sometimes it feels like I *do* fall asleep but it's a light sleep, and I go in and out of sleep for a couple hours.
Kaya's Response: Yes getting out of bed / changing scenery is the current science perspective on this. Because you don't want to create a situation where you associate bed with wakefulness. From the Yogic / Āyurvedic perspective, this is about "saṃskāra" {conditioning}. So I would agree. Get out of bed and go in a dimly lit room to listen to something, like a boring yoga philosophy talk {haha!}, or a book {nothing exciting}. Otherwise, STAY in bed, and listen to Moksha Nidra {from last week's class materials}... I designed it to get you into the "effortlessness" of sleep described in the Mandukya Upanishad. It works for me! I also recommend Passion Flower for you. My favorite for falling asleep + staying asleep is 5 sprays at bedtime of Kind Life Sleep Spray {it's also linked in Week 1 products}. You can also look at the other vāta recommendations ~ such as Jatamamsi.
Q ~ I saw that you recommended triphala for kapha types, and triphala is something I take every night to help keep me regular. My bowel movements are all over the place, very vata. Is it ok for me to continue to take the tripahla or could it be reducing my kapha and soma?
Response from Kaya: Triphala can be drying, so I generally don't recommend it for vāta unless you had some slippery elm or something. I would take a break from it. I also don't like to see someone taking it for more than 60 consecutive days max. I would want to do a consultation to choose something for you. But you can also try this recipe for sleep + bowel movements:
RECIPE:
In the morning, put 10 black raisins in a mug of organic whole milk or plant mylk and store in the fridge {I like unsweetened hemp, almond, or cashew}. Before bed, put the mixture in a pot, bring to a boil, and return to the cup. Add a 1/2 tsp of ghee. Drink it and chew up the raisins at the end. This is also great for constipated kids!
Q ~ My 7 year old has a lot of trouble falling asleep, but in my Jyotish reading for him Michael says his main constitution is all Pitta. LOL If he has trouble falling asleep does that mean he has some vata symptoms with sleep? When he's asleep he has all the Pitta sleep symptoms. Which of the sleep suggestions are ok for kids for supplements? Massaging his feet with oil does't seem to help.
Response from Kaya: As you know, a pitta person can still have vāta derangement or symptoms. It is also vāta season and you live in a vāta place {mountains in northern CA}. Pitta types can tend to get vāta because the heat dries them out. I would think about these things to support him:
Q ~ Does Ayurveda/yoga have a perspective on using CBD or THC for sleep aid, and/or pain relief? If so, what is it? I did see where you said that alcohol and marijuana will prevent REM sleep and though may cause sleepiness will cause disrupted sleep. I'm wondering if just a CBD edible or something would be beneficial.
Response from Kaya: The Āyurvedic perspective on marijuana in general is that over-use over an extended period of time for non-medicinal purposes will increase ALL the doshas. Short term use for medicinal purposes is good and beneficial. I do not see that CBD alone without any THC is effective for pain or sleep. It should have some THC in it. If you are getting "high", then indeed it will actually disrupt your sleep, like alcohol. The dosing is very person specific and something you need to sort of play with on your own.
Q ~ I had been feeling like my Vata had calmed down significantly, but lately it's been feeling very frenzied, and it feels defeating. I'm trying to be patient with myself and the process but it's annoying that I was doing so well until we hit the Vata season, and then I'm experiencing so many more excess Vata symptoms.
Response from Kaya: Yup. Welcome to the recognition of reality. There are patterns that we each have that we just interface with again and again. Having Āyurvedic knowledge and tools doesn't make these patterns disappear. It helps you to recognize them, predict them {eg. with vāta expect it to go up in vāta season, or when you travel, or when certain planets configure in particular ways in your horosope} and then use the tools you have to balance. The 100% best thing you can do for vāta is ROUTINE ROUTINE ROUTINE. All year, all the time, as much as possible. xo
Response from Kaya: First of all, it is reasonable to want that sacred time of being with your partner {sans petites!} in the evening. If you can shift it earlier, that is great. Let your husband know, if you haven't already, that you are trying this and ask for his support. Ask him to get in bed with you, or to remind you to get to bed if he is going to stay up. Ask for support!* Start the knitting and shows ritual a bit earlier if you can... think about doing a nighttime ritual with hubby. You'll likely need to treat yourself like Vāta at bedtime {soothing, ritualize, calming} and like Kapha in the morning {early rise time, stimulation}. Set a bedtime alarm, just like a morning alarm. Vāta will like to feel like you have a range of opportunity, between 9:30-10:30. On the one hand, I don't want you to "overachieve" your bedtime and force it earlier... on the other hand, you may be truly tired closer to 9:30, and are "missing the sleep train" by 10pm. But I think if you just continue to be consistent with 10pm for now and NOTICE if you find sleep trying to take over earlier though, and then you may start to shift to an earlier bedtime. As for the wake up... if you LOVE the snooze alarm {classic kapha!} then set it EARLIER. If you wake up EARLIER on a consistent basis, your bedtime should fall into place more consistently as well. EARLIER THAN YOU THINK! {watch the Q at the end of last week's call}
Here is my fave recommendation for couples:
Oil massage each other's feet in front of a lighthearted entertainment. You can even drink a nighttime sleepy tea during this time frame as well. Sit on opposite ends of the couch with your feet toward one another and massage.
*The Pitta types will often have the "strongest" bhāva {vibe} and it is easy to get pulled into their world. This is why I suggest you ask for his support! You can't expect to change his habits, but you can ask him to help you with yours. {of course if bedtime is naked that can be a good way to get your partner to join you earlier!},
Q ~ On nights when I have trouble falling asleep, what do you do as it's happening? My MD recommended if I'm not asleep within 20 minutes I get up and do something like read or knit, listen to an audio book (no screens) perhaps only a dim light, and try again. What is the yogic/Ayurvedic perspective on what to do at the actual time of insomnia and do you recommend what my MD recommends? Sometimes it feels like I *do* fall asleep but it's a light sleep, and I go in and out of sleep for a couple hours.
Kaya's Response: Yes getting out of bed / changing scenery is the current science perspective on this. Because you don't want to create a situation where you associate bed with wakefulness. From the Yogic / Āyurvedic perspective, this is about "saṃskāra" {conditioning}. So I would agree. Get out of bed and go in a dimly lit room to listen to something, like a boring yoga philosophy talk {haha!}, or a book {nothing exciting}. Otherwise, STAY in bed, and listen to Moksha Nidra {from last week's class materials}... I designed it to get you into the "effortlessness" of sleep described in the Mandukya Upanishad. It works for me! I also recommend Passion Flower for you. My favorite for falling asleep + staying asleep is 5 sprays at bedtime of Kind Life Sleep Spray {it's also linked in Week 1 products}. You can also look at the other vāta recommendations ~ such as Jatamamsi.
Q ~ I saw that you recommended triphala for kapha types, and triphala is something I take every night to help keep me regular. My bowel movements are all over the place, very vata. Is it ok for me to continue to take the tripahla or could it be reducing my kapha and soma?
Response from Kaya: Triphala can be drying, so I generally don't recommend it for vāta unless you had some slippery elm or something. I would take a break from it. I also don't like to see someone taking it for more than 60 consecutive days max. I would want to do a consultation to choose something for you. But you can also try this recipe for sleep + bowel movements:
RECIPE:
In the morning, put 10 black raisins in a mug of organic whole milk or plant mylk and store in the fridge {I like unsweetened hemp, almond, or cashew}. Before bed, put the mixture in a pot, bring to a boil, and return to the cup. Add a 1/2 tsp of ghee. Drink it and chew up the raisins at the end. This is also great for constipated kids!
Q ~ My 7 year old has a lot of trouble falling asleep, but in my Jyotish reading for him Michael says his main constitution is all Pitta. LOL If he has trouble falling asleep does that mean he has some vata symptoms with sleep? When he's asleep he has all the Pitta sleep symptoms. Which of the sleep suggestions are ok for kids for supplements? Massaging his feet with oil does't seem to help.
Response from Kaya: As you know, a pitta person can still have vāta derangement or symptoms. It is also vāta season and you live in a vāta place {mountains in northern CA}. Pitta types can tend to get vāta because the heat dries them out. I would think about these things to support him:
- The Kind Life Sleep Spray {1-2 sprays for kids}
- Ritualizing Bed Time with him ~ yoga, prayer, gratitude practice, drawing, talking {is he stressed?} reading to him {even though he may be able to read... reading a more advanced chapter book to him in bed is very soothing. If he resists, you can tell him that YOU want to read it}
- Working on pitta throughout the day with him. Is he hard on himself? Type A? Over-doing? Too busy? Stressed about school or friends? Eating a high pitta or vāta diet? Or does he NEED more for his pitta to do! Give him more home responsibilities... sometimes pitta doesn't have ENOUGH to achieve and then is bouncing around and causing vāta derangement. Give him a PROJECT!
Q ~ Does Ayurveda/yoga have a perspective on using CBD or THC for sleep aid, and/or pain relief? If so, what is it? I did see where you said that alcohol and marijuana will prevent REM sleep and though may cause sleepiness will cause disrupted sleep. I'm wondering if just a CBD edible or something would be beneficial.
Response from Kaya: The Āyurvedic perspective on marijuana in general is that over-use over an extended period of time for non-medicinal purposes will increase ALL the doshas. Short term use for medicinal purposes is good and beneficial. I do not see that CBD alone without any THC is effective for pain or sleep. It should have some THC in it. If you are getting "high", then indeed it will actually disrupt your sleep, like alcohol. The dosing is very person specific and something you need to sort of play with on your own.
Q ~ I had been feeling like my Vata had calmed down significantly, but lately it's been feeling very frenzied, and it feels defeating. I'm trying to be patient with myself and the process but it's annoying that I was doing so well until we hit the Vata season, and then I'm experiencing so many more excess Vata symptoms.
Response from Kaya: Yup. Welcome to the recognition of reality. There are patterns that we each have that we just interface with again and again. Having Āyurvedic knowledge and tools doesn't make these patterns disappear. It helps you to recognize them, predict them {eg. with vāta expect it to go up in vāta season, or when you travel, or when certain planets configure in particular ways in your horosope} and then use the tools you have to balance. The 100% best thing you can do for vāta is ROUTINE ROUTINE ROUTINE. All year, all the time, as much as possible. xo