Ayurveda is an ancient wisdom that originated in India. It is a beautiful science that focuses on various aspects of an individual when considering their health. Some of these aspects are sex, sleep, and digestion! I absolutely love it, so much so that I can't help but share some pearls here.
I live in the city that never sleeps so it only seems appropriate to talk about sleep!
I used to sleep like a log – you could NOT wake me up. My sister has stories of earthquakes in our home back in India where she would try to wake me up, but I would be happily asleep and unconcerned. Man, I miss those times when sleep came easy!
Ayurveda on insomnia
As per Ayurveda, our lifestyle choices (diet, movement, media consumption) can create imbalances. Some of these imbalances show up as insomnia or lack of quality sleep.
Over the last year, I was dealing with multiple stressors and my sleep was impacted big time. I had trouble falling asleep and when I did fall asleep my mind would race like a horse. Somewhere in the process, I forgot to apply my Ayurvedic education to myself – until recently. And guess what? It worked!
Ayurveda talks about doshic imbalances – Vata, Pitta and Kapha. We will go into detail about these three later. For this post, I want you to remember Vata. It is composed of two lightweight elements – Air and Ether!
Air that moves things and Ether that creates space. Together they create movement and spaciness/zoning out in a person. As per Ayurveda, when Vata is high in the mind, sleep evades us. Our mind is running amok (the 'Air' playing havoc).
Herbs for that Zzzzz
A simple herbal concoction can help provide our nervous system the support to counteract the airy mental chatter and fall into a peaceful slumber. We need just 4 ingredients (5, if you count water as an ingredient). Let me introduce the stars of this concoction – Ashwagandha and Nutmeg.
Ashwagandha! It is a powerhouse adaptogen that helps our nervous system better fight stress! It is a warming spice that helps reduce symptoms of anxiety, restlessness, and even cold feet!
Nutmeg! This is a wonderful spice that has a natural sedative effect. It is advised to use nutmeg in moderation, precisely because of this.
Steps for the recipe
Below is the recipe for a simple night drink that incorporates both Ashwagandha and Nutmeg to help you get snug as a bug in a rug.
You will need:
½ cup plant-based milk. Feel free to use regular milk. I prefer oat milk.
½ cup water
½ teaspoon Ashwagandha powder
¼ teaspoon or less of Nutmeg powder. I recommend using whole nutmeg and quickly grating it. It is the simplest thing to do and is more impactful than dried nutmeg.
Maple syrup or date syrup to taste (I recommend not exceeding 1/2 teaspoon)
Mix everything in a pot and bring to a boil. Mixing often. Pour and enjoy!
After 2 days of drinking this concoction, my sleep improved, and my mental chatter calmed down. Ashwagandha is very safe to use, and I use it daily. However, I recommend using nutmeg in moderation (2-3 times/week) because it is quite strong and can lead you to feel sleepy if you use it 5 or 6 days consecutively.
Above anything else, I recommend checking with your physician and discussing contraindications with any existing medications. This is not medical advice.
Let me help you - Ayurvedic way
Ayurveda has a lot of wisdom that can help us heal our body, mind and emotions from the inside out. If you are interested in a consultation contact me through my website or schedule a discovery call with me here. I would be honored to apply my 600+ hours of rigorous Ayurvedic education in your service!
Links
I bought my USDA organic whole nutmeg from Amazon and Ashwagandha from Banyan Botanicals. I do NOT earn any affiliate sponsorship and am sharing the link to their website just so that you can find the product easily.
Sweet dreamless peaceful sleep!
All images were created using Canva
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