Unlock Your Best Sleep

TOGETHER WITH:

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In Today’s Email:

• Unlock Your Best Sleep: Tips & routines from yogis…

• Our Gift To You: Crystal Reference Cheatsheet…

• Yogapedia: Garland pose….

   

IMAGE OF THE DAY

TODAY'S LEARNING
Sleep Tips & Night Time Routine From Yogis

Cool foot bath: If you run hot in the middle of the night, thoroughly rinse your feet with cool water before bed (and if you wake during the night). Ayurveda connects the feet with the fire element, and cooling down the feet is a time-tested way to refresh the mind and return to restful sleep. (I’m a pitta constitution, in the pitta stage of life, and in the pitta time of year—so cooling down is key!)

Early supper: Eating a big, late meal demands more of your digestion than it can handle at that time of night—reducing digestive strength and preventing sound sleep. Ayurveda recommends making lunch the biggest meal of the day (when the pitta fire of digestion is strongest), eating a light meal around sunset, and allowing at least two hours to digest before bedtime.

Reducing alcohol consumption: If you wake in the middle of the night with sweltering feet, night sweats, or hot flashes, the sharp, pitta-provoking fire of alcohol may not be helping. Alcohol often initially helps people fall asleep, but then overstimulates the liver—a pitta organ—and causes a restless, fiery body and mind. Reduce or avoid alcohol at night and see how much better you sleep.

Adding weight: If Vata has you feeling restless or fidgety, try putting an extra blanket or pillow on your legs at night. Vata governs the legs, and excess lightness or movement in the legs can disturb sleep. In the same way that using sandbags on the legs helps some people settle into Savasana, putting a little weight on the legs can be a simple, effective way to ground Vata at bedtime. This is one of my favorite tips when traveling—I toss a pillow on my legs and fall right asleep.

Self-massage: Both Vata and pitta are supported by a simple massage before bed. Key areas to rub are the feet, low back, ears, and head. Use slow, soft strokes for vata, and a bit more vigorous rubbing for pitta to dilate the blood vessels and release heat. Generally, warming sesame oil is best for Vata types, and for the cooler months, and cooling coconut oil is good for pitta constitutions, or for the warmer times of the year.

Herbal Formulations: Brahmi, Ashwagandha, Jatamansi, Manasamitra Vatakam, Vacha, and Mandukaparni may be recommended by an Ayurvedic practitioner.

Nighttime Routine

Sleep with the setting sun and awaken with the rising sun. (If this is not practical create a setting with dark light and white noise to simulate nighttime).

Have dinner early (2-3 hours before sleeping) and try Turmeric or Ashwagandha Milk. Don’t eat past 7 pm. Avoid late nights and late-night snacking.

Keep your bedroom uncluttered, clean, and comfortable. Wear loose, comfortable pajamas.

Avoid stimulating activity; try a relaxing shower, foot massage, gratitude journaling, self-reflection, white noise, soothing books, and...calming breathwork…

Unplug: Avoid devices and blue light after 8:30-9 pm that can disturb natural rhythms. EMF disrupts melatonin production; keep phones away or on airplane mode and wifi routers far away or turned off.

Wake early to feel rested and alert, when Sattva (the truthful, clear quality of the mind) dominates (at Brahma Muhurt; about 1.5 hours before sunrise).

Sleep position: Generally, Ayurveda recommends sleeping on the left side; physiologically this aids digestion and lymphatic drainage. Bothered by a million thoughts? Try sleeping on your right (left nostrils open corresponding with the cooling energy channel, Ida Nadi).

Sleep Direction: South-North (head towards south) and East-West are ideal (read details here). Avoid sleeping with your head towards the west or north.

TOGETHER WITH TRIGGER POINT
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DEAL OF THE DAY
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TODAY'S POSITIVE NEWS

At Walker State Prison in Georgia, nine inmates who completed 60 credit hours of coursework while incarcerated will receive their associate's degrees in caps, gowns, and perhaps even "blues."

3 are graduating with highest honors (3.9 – 4.0 GPA) while the other 6 are gradutaing with high honors (3.7 – 3.89).

The courses, which were put on by Geogria State University as a part of their Prison Education Project, covered a range of topics like environmental science, English, philosophy and ethics, and geology.

ZEN STORY
Old Habits That Don’t Serve You

A blind man stayed with his friend for a few days, and then started for his hometown in the night. His friend gave him a lit lantern, but the man protested, "Why do I need a lantern? Everything is the same for me. For someone who is blind, what is the use of carrying a lamp?"

"My dear friend, this is not for you; this is for the person who comes in front of you. If you have this lamp in your hand, the person who comes in front of you will not bump into you."

"In that case, I will take it," the blind man said.

He took the lamp and started walking in the dark. In spite of that, someone collided into him head-on down the road. The blind man lost his balance and fell down. He got angry and asked, "Why did you bump into me? I had a lamp with me - can't you watch where you’re going?"

"What lamp? I don’t see anything," said the man who bumped into him and looked around.

Then he found the lamp and said, "Oh yes! There is a lamp here, but the flame had gone out long ago, my dear friend."

The lamp represents habits/rituals that people continue to do even though they don’t serve them anymore. Think about what habits you should remove that no longer help your life.

OUR GIFT TO YOU

Every now and then we will be giving away free digital goods to our community. In order for you to see our digital gifts, make sure that you place our emails into your primary folder. Our goal is to give away something awesome at least once a week!

Today you get our Crystal Reference Cheatsheet.This amazing and colorful Crystal Cheatsheet poster will become your favorite wall décor piece. It contains some of the most essential, powerful and healing stones in existence. It also contains beautiful realistic images of each crystal, their healing abilities and their full name.

To download please click on the button below called “Download”.

CRYSTAL OF THE DAY

YOGAPEDIA
Garland pose

Garland pose, or malasana in Sanskrit, is a squatting posture that builds flexibility in the ankles, hips and knees. It's an excellent pose to weave into a weekly asana practice, especially for those who spend a lot of time sitting in chairs.

Instructions

• Begin standing with the feet slightly wider than the hips.

• Exhale and bend the knees, lowering the hips so that they hover just above the floor. Widen the feet if needed.

• Bring the palms to meet in prayer position in front of the chest and press the elbows against the knees.

• Breathe while holding the pose.

DAILY MEME