Sleep & Detox: What’s the Relationship? ; your SV Ayurveda Newsletter Nov 21, 2024 – #47, Vol 14

Sleep and Detox

What’s the Relationship? 

There simply are not enough hours in the day to accomplish all we want or need to do, that’s why many of us end up cutting back on sleep: either sleep later or wake up earlier to get done all we need to. Is sleep a not-so-necessary pause that disrupts our creative life flow? Would it be possible to sleep less everyday so we could do more? Ayurveda teaches us that sleep is so much more than a mindless pause that helps restore the physical body for continued activity…It is much much more! 

Modern science agrees on this as well, and it is easy to find countless research articles that cite the innumerable benefits of sleep. What’s the most interesting of the findings? It is proven conclusion that the brain needs sleep to wash off toxins created during the day’s activities. Yes, you read that right: sleep is detox! What does this mean? How is this sleep detox done? 

Pioneering research has found that brain cells – glial cells – shrink during sleep  to open up the interstitial gaps between neurons to allow fluid to flush out neurotoxins in the brain through a network of plumbing pipes - the glymphatic system. If the brain is not allowed this detox process through a proper continuous 8 hour cycle of sleep, toxic proteins may be formed and/or left behind – and these proteins may be playing a major role in chronic brain disorders such Alzheimers, Parkinson’s, or dementia. 

So then sleep is so much more than a daily restorative pause. It is more of a necessary housekeeping where lethal neurotoxins are flushed out. 

Did Ayurveda also talk about this? It sure did!

Shodhana and Rasayana

Vaidya Mishra not only emphasized the importance of regular sleep, he further elaborated not only on the “shodhana” or detox properties of sleep, but also on the “rasayana” or rejuvenative values of good sleep. 

The detoxing and rejuvenative functions of sleep (“shodhana” and “rasayana”) have long been known in Ayurveda. The Carak Samhita Sutrasthana says that sleep or “svapn”, along with a healthy diet or “ahar,” as well as ethical balanced behavior or “Brahmacharya” are the 3 sub-pillars of life, or “traya upastambah:

 The sutra states that with proper regular sleep the body gains “bala” or physical and mental stamina; its overall immunity is enhanced; complexion improves; digestive and post-digestive activities are optimal; the mind gets more balance and nourishment from the physiology ; there is overall improvement in the assimilation and transformation of activities on the cellular as well as vibrational levels.

So what does Ayurveda say about the relationship between sleep and detox?

Daily Detox through Sleep

Our bodies are deeply attuned to the environment we live in. In modern terms, we speak of the circadian rhythm: a 24 hour biological cycle that keeps organs and organ systems running in our bodies, in relation to the environment, and particularly the the day-night cycle of 24hours. Our cellular metabolic processes respond to and are regulated by this cycle.

In Ayurveda, the daily biological rhythm of the body is discussed in relation to dinacharya and ratricharya: day-time and night-time protocols respectively. The understanding of daily metabolic cycles in Ayurveda also relates to light, but goes beyond as well.

We know that ayurvedically speaking different portions of the day are said to carry distinct properties that affect our bodies and minds in different ways. The day is structured in portions that carry more or less of the 3 cosmic energies that make up everything under the sun. In Vaidya Mishra’s lineage these 3 cosmic energies are emphasized as key players for understanding and managing health. They are: Soma, Agni, and Marut.

*Soma: the creational principle of support and sustenance best symbolized by the Moon or lunar energy

*Agni: the principle of transformation best exemplified by solar energy

*Marut: best exemplified by space and air, this is the principle of movement

Ayurveda structures the day in sequential portions that carry more or less properties of Soma, Agni, or Marut. This is translated as the  tendency to have or accumulate more or less imbalances of Kapha, Pitta, or Vata during a given day. This is how an ayurvedic day looks like:

*early morning, from 6am to 10am is more soma, it is kapha time

*from 10am to 2pm is agni predominant when the sun’s effect is highest on our physiology, and that is pitta time

*from 2pm to 6pm is more marut predominant, and that is vata time

The 24 hour day cycle is divided into mirror parts, but they oscillate between rest and activity. 12 hours of activity vs 12 hours of rest – this includes a couple of hours prepping up for and then coming off of high activity or deep rest. An ideal day is balanced between the 2 strokes of rest and activity.  

While the early morning soma time from 6-10am is necessary to rev up the body to accomplish the day’s activities, the evening soma time extending from 6-10pm is to be used to calm it back down, unwind it, and ground it, prepping it for deep rejuvenative sleep.

When the evening time is properly used to calm down the nervous system, giving rest to the organs and organ systems, then the ensuing Agni predominant portion from 10pm to 2am, will be successful in performing its task of detox and transformation.

Ideally, our days are meant to be structured to alternate between rest and activity. During the day, when the sun has risen, our minds get engaged in our senses, our bodies become busy carrying out activities, our brains are fully aligned with our dynamic senses.

When the day wanes, if our awareness is attuned to Nature’s rhythm, our fatigued physical body and brain will understand that it is time to shift gears and ready the body for sleep. The sutra says:

 When “manas” or the mind gets “klante,” fatigued, from activity or”karma,” enjoying the objects or “visyayebho” of the senses, then it wants to release itself (“nivartante”) of those objects by going into sleep or “svapiti.” This is the definition of sleep according to Ayurveda.

But do you find that sleeping through the night a problem? Can Ayurveda help? 

Sometimes sleep can be the most elusive thing. No matter how tired we feel and want to sleep, we are not able to wind down, fall asleep, nor stay asleep. There are different ways to correct sleep imbalances, based on external and internal factors.

Sleeplessness occurs when the brain is unable to disconnect from the activities of the senses. When the brain remains engaged in the objects of the senses – something that happened during the day – either extremely exciting or stressful; a task that was unfinished; an emotional charge that remains unprocessed; a stressful thought that won’t leave you. Your mind keeps running the episode over and over again. Due to different hetu-s or original causes, people are not able to disconnect or detach their minds from their senses, and then sleep eludes us. There is not one way to correct a sleep imbalance, because there is not one reason that may cause insomnia. In SVA, Vaidya mishra insists on following the  ”hetu ling aushadi gyanam” principle: first investigate and isolate the actual cause of the sleeplessness to be able to correct it fully and effectively.

In this sense, based on one’s physiology, there can be 3 distinct ways of approaching problems in sleep, each is based on one of the 3 cosmic energies, Soma, Agni, Marut, that get reduced to imbalances in our physiologies as Kapha, Pitta, and Vata, based on our body’s preference to receive more or less of each energy.

In general, it is good to turn down the lights, reduce the use of TV and computer, turn off the wifi in your home, and do gentle yogic exercise or meditation to ease the body into the rest period of the day. But here are specific guidelines for those who need a little more pacification.

VATA

Sleeplessness that is caused by too much Vata, or air and space accumulation, can result from:

*the overuse of EMF devices such as computers, cellphones, etc.

*from eating or drinking too much dry or drying foods or drinks (snacks, caffeinated drinks);

*from skipping meals or not eating enough, or eating on the go;

*eating too much pungent and spicy meals; or cold food; 

*over-engaging in physical or mental labor without taking proper breaks;

*traveling for long hours (flying, driving too much) without a break to recover and reset the body

In this case, the mind gets overwhelmed, it needs a nourishing nurturing break to relax and recover, so that it can detach itself from the senses in order to be able to fall asleep.

Sometimes, even if one falls asleep, they wake up fatigued and foggy – sleep is scattered and not grounded enough. In this case, one should adopt one or more of the following steps:

*proper vata pacifying foods that are more unctuous and grounding in nature;

*may drink a milk date shake before sleep (boil milk with a couple cardamom pods, a stick of cinnamon; take off the heat,  pour into a blender and add 1-2 pitted medjool dates and blend. Drink warm before bed).

*do self-massage with SVA Vata oil with Vit D and Magnesium;

*Drink Soma Nidra Tea half an hour before sleep;

*Use the Soma Nidra Oral spray

*Shower with Soma Nidra Soap;

*Take a bath with Soma Nidra Sleep Pouches

*Apply Soma Nidra Aroma oil blend on your wrists and behind your ear lobes, or put a couple of drops in an aroma diffuser to release the aroma in your room during your sleep

*Apply Mastishk Shamana transdermal cream on your lower spine.

PITTA

All of the above Vata pacifying recommendations can be done to help with sleep by an individual of any constitution, but sometimes things need to be addressed specifically for Pitta problems. Pitta imbalance prone individuals may experience lack of sleep primarily due to food related imbalances. If they do not eat a proper meal that has high protein content, their fiery high metabolism will not settle down enough to allow soma to ground them in deep rejuvenative sleep. They will wake up during high pitta time, between 12am and 2am, restless,  emotionally strung, and unless they pacify their pachak or digestive pitta with a sweet juicy pear, they will not be able to fall back asleep. Not addressing pachak pitta or digestion and trying to fall back asleep through transdermal, transmucosal, aromatherapeutic, or yogic means will fail to work for a high pitta individual!

High Pitta individual must also make every effort to go to bed no later than 10pm, as they will receive second wave when pitta time kicks in, making them prone to engage in creative activities instead of allowing the physiology to rest and detox. As the night ages, it will become harder for them to fall asleep, accumulating more pitta, and resulting in pitta related imbalances – mood swings, excess heat in mind and body that can result in imbalances in different ways.

Pitta organs become more active during pitta time: liver, spleen and  pancreas. During the night shift of Pitta, these organs’ activity amounts to detox and transformation of the whole body, including the brain.

If the person is in a sleeping state between 10pm to 2am, then transformation based detox and rejuvenation is not impaired, waste products go into proper detox pathways and the outcome is the body’s nourishing nurturing substance known as Ojas. The shastras or ayurvedic texts highlight that proper sleep produces Ojas as well as toxin-free cellular system.

If pitta types consume alcohol or meals that are high in spices as well as pungent, their physical brain will need an extra-boost of Soma to reset itself. Soma is the raw material for neurotransmitters. When there is not enough soma, the brain starves and it becomes difficult for it to get disconnected from the horses or the senses, resulting in poor sleeping patterns.

What to do?

*Eat protein rich light meals before sleep

*Consume some Rose petal preserve with/after dinner

*Have more squashes during the day or for dinner and reduce pungent spices

*Drink the milk/date shake recipe given above (Vata imbalance section)

*Make a cup of Soma Nidra tea and sip slowly 30 minutes before bedtime.

*Apply DGL transdermal cream on your liver and stomach area, gently massaging

*Take a shower with Soma Nidra soap, spray the Rose Body Silk lotion after shower

*Give yourself a gentle calming massage with Pitta oil with Magnesium

*Laugh every day, specially in the evening, at the end of stressful day!

KAPHA

Lack of sleep related to kapha imbalance can result from eating heavy clogging meals; not having enough exercise; consuming yogurt at night; sleeping during the day. In all these instances, the physical channels  between mind and body get clogged, and the mind cannot communicate properly with the senses, making it difficult to disconnect the senses and mind.

If you are prone to kapha imbalance – your body tends to have a slower metabolism and accumulate more Soma – you can balance things by:

*Incorporate daily exercise/yoga into your life

*Eat spice rich food for lunch and dinner – you may also add fresh ginger and Thai green chilies if your pitta is not off and your agni needs support

*Apply SuperSport roll-on or cream on arms legs as well as your lower spine morning and evening

*Use Soma Nidra oral spray – 2-3 squirts before bed

*Drink a cup of Soma Nidra Tea or use any of the other Soma Nidra products to help induce sound sleep, however, all these will work best when you incorporate exercise and balanced meals into your routine

*most important is to make sure you do not sleep beyond 6am as that will accumulate more Soma in your physiology resulting in more clogged channels

Sometimes, you may need to pacify both pitta and vata, or pitta and kapha. You will learn to understand the signal that your physiology is giving you as ayurvedic knowledge unfolds in your awareness once you invite it to be part of your routine. We invite you to explore the full line of Vaidya Mishra’s exquisite formulations that support deep rejuvenative sleep. Try the Soma Nidra tea, or the Soma Nidra roll-on. Everybody has their personal favorite. Discover yours!



Wishing you blissful somagenic nights…

NEW ONLINE COURSE

watch from the comfort of your home at your own pace…

It’s true! We finally understand that nothing can help or cure us unless our digestive system is working optimally; reversely: nothing can ail us when our digestive system is working optimally! Ayurveda gives us beautiful details about how we can accomplish this. The details are beautiful because they restore our connection to Nature and its incredible complex detailed structures. For example: Ayurveda teaches us why it is important to Eat at certain times and fast at other times; eat specific things at specific times and avoid those same things at other times; eat with attention on the food; eat pranic food; eat foods prepared a certain way; etc – you get the idea!

In this light, Vaidya Mishra not only shared amazing recipes with us but he also taught us all those little details that make a world of a difference for more balance and bliss! The knowledge he shared with us was not only sublime and beautiful but it was also enlightening… So many would adopt new structures and routines in their diet, along with recipes, and sure enough, they would contact him back saying how not only their mind-set had shifted, but how their practice of yoga and meditation had improved tremendously AFTER they adopted SVA dietary guidelines and recipes.

Vaidya Mishra gave us so many delicious spice blends to use in the kitchen, specially the Mom’s Masala – a-ready-to-use pre-toasted blend of 20 herbs and spices that you can sprinkle on your food (no cooking needed) or even in your drinks (lime water, lassi, etc) or on top of fruit. If you have not tried them all out, you can order our rosewood sampler box to get a taste of each one.

But in case you are interested in learning more about food being your primary medicine, we now have available a course Vaidya taught in 2008 in Florida. Scroll down to see the content of the course. If you would like to sign up, click on the image below or here

What Will You learn in This Course?

BONE HEALTH WORKSHOP NEWS

If you missed our Bone Health Workshop with Elizabeth Innes, you can now watch it HERE

200 people enrolled for Elizabeth’s Bone Health Workshop. After the presentation we had an hour long Q&A session.

Elizabeth’s training as a pharmacist coupled with her ayurvedic expertise made for a super informative and insightful session on bone health. There is so much information out there about what to do, supplements, protocols, etc. It becomes very hard to distinguish between what works and what can even harm. Sometimes you just need to adjust your daily routine and dietary protocols do get better results. And some time-tested ayurvedic wisdom always comes in handy!

Want to find out more?

Schedule a one-on-one with Elizabeth and discuss what’s going on with you, and receive more tips on a healthy SVA diet, bone health, and other ayurvedic topics, email her: info@elizabethinnes.ca

www.elizabethinnes.ca

also www.ayurvedheals.blogspot.com

Explore SVAyurveda

at your own pace:

Here ARE our latest uploaded courseS…

You can sign up for the Yakrit Course here: courses.svayurveda.com/p/yakrit

Yakrit

Your Body’s Dynamic Powerhouse 

Yakrit, the Sanskrit term for the ‘liver,’ literally means ‘where every process happens.’ The liver – the largest organ in our bodies – carries out hundreds of actions, primarily detoxifying and creating new blood; filtering out toxins/chemicals; building immunity. But did you know that it also has an amazing capacity to regenerate itself? Without the liver we wouldn’t be able to transform food into energy, by breaking down fats and proteins. Here are some of the liver’s most vital functions:

• Produces fresh blood AND cleans toxins out of the blood: the many cells of the liver, known as hepatocytes, accept and filter this blood. They act as little sorting centers, determining which nutrients should be processed, what should be stored, what should be eliminated via the stool, what should go back to the blood; it also gets rid of old red blood cells; the liver thus regulates/maintains healthy amount of blood in the body;
• Produces bile, a fluid that helps the body digest (break down) fat: the liver stores fat-soluble vitamins as well as minerals such as copper and iron, releasing them when the body needs them. It also helps to break down fats in a person’s diet: it either metabolizes fats or releases them as energy. The liver produces an estimated 800 to 1000 ml of bile each day. This bile flows into the small intestine where the fat gets broken down and absorbed – extra bile is stored in the gallbladder.

As if these functions weren’t enough, the liver also plays a major role in the following:

• Metabolizes proteins and carbohydrates so they turn into energy and your body can use them; 
• Creates immune system factors that help fight against infection;
• Create proteins responsible for blood clotting – otherwise we would bleed to death! 
• Breaks down old and damaged red blood cell; 
• Balances energy metabolism by converting glycogen to glucose and storing extra glucose by converting it to glycogen. Glycogen is a form of glucose that your body stores mainly in your liver and muscles. Your body needs carbohydrates from the food you eat to form glucose and glycogen.
• Makes toxins less harmful to the body and removes them/detoxifies the bloodstream

So you can see how and when, for any reason, the “intelligence” of the liver gets compromised, different kinds of dis-ease may emerge. A compromised liver can mean compromised health on many levels… 

In Shaka Vanshiya Ayurveda, we pay special attention to making sure the liver does not get “cranky” – as Vaidya Mishra would jokingly explain. Having taken the pulse of thousands of people who had “cranky hot livers,” he put together a gentle yet effective protocol to help cool things off and optimize its functions. 

Learn How to Care for the Liver – from the SV Ayurveda Perspective

In this online course you will find 12 ½ hours of in-depth SV Ayurveda knowledge on how to care for the liver. Taught live at Arsha Vidya Gurukulam (Saylorsburg, PA), Vaidya Mishra takes us on a journey inside the yakrit (liver) – the body’s dynamic powerhouse. Teaching from the ancient sutras & the perspective of medical science, he elaborates the functions of the liver and all the etiological factors impacting it. These factors include diet and digestion; AS WELL AS emotions; PLUS environmental toxins; EMFs; and synthetic ingredients in most personal-care products. Vaidya Mishra also teaches us how to keep the liver healthy and manage its disorders through food, herbs, marma therapy, detoxification, rejuvenation procedures, and vibrational medicine, including the use of mantras (primordial sounds with specific known effects).

Some of the Points of SVA Liver Management Covered in this Course

• Ayurvedic physiology of the liver
• Definition of ‘Yakrit’ 
• Sub-doshas of Yakrit
• Dhatus and Yakrit
• Physical channels (shrotas) & their connection with Yakrit
• Vibrational channels (nadis) & their connection Yakrit
• Gaps (sandhis) & the liver
• Tri-sutra Ayurveda and the liver
• Etiological factors (hetu-s) responsible for creating liver imbalances
• Mind-Prana-Ranjaka connection
• Spine (Sushumna nadi) and liver connection
• Role of liver Detox
• Foods and spices to avoid
• Pro-biotics effects on liver with scientific references
• Scientific research on herbs, liver supporting foods, and liver detoxifying foods
• How coral calcium & loha (iron) support the liver from perspective of modern science
• How sunlight affects the liver
• Apana – colon and liver connection
• Marma-s connected with the liver
• Herbs for the liver - Guduchi, Maha Sudarshan, Bhumi Amla, Bhringraj, Kutki, Neem, DGL, and more!
• Liver supporting spices: Turmeric, Fennel, Coriander
• Liver supporting vegetables: Loki, Mooli, Moringa
• Liver supporting fruits – ppineapple, pear, papaya, pomegranate, blue berries, black berries
• Lentils good for the liver– Mung dhal
• Grains supporting the liver – quinoa, millet, amaranth, etc.

AND MUCH MORE KNOWLEDGE!

This course has a total run time of approximately 12 hours and 30 minutes. It also includes a printable PDF Booklet.

CAUTION

If feeling unwell or experiencing any disease, always consult with your primary medical physician before using or adding any complementary approach or herbs.

Disclaimer

This product and statements have not been evaluated by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and are not intended to be used to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. All the information above is intended to be used for educational purposes only and may not be used to replace or complement medical advice.

Take Vaidya Mishra “With You” Everywhere You Go!

if you ever had the opportunity to meet Vaidya Mishra in person, or have encountered him via his many youtube videos or online courses, then you know what we mean! We all want to have him travel with us in this earthly journey, to help us in our decisions along the way, through the timeless wisdom and knowledge of SV Ayurved. And now we can! If you have not discovered our podcast channel yet, we invite you to look it up and explore the timeless teachings of SVAyurveda, as well as fabulous talks by other SVAyurveda doctors and educators.

Shorty but Witty!

The wit of Shaka Vanshyia Ayurveda is timeless and immutable, but time itself mutates… So, we are catching up with the changes and trends which challenge us in these modern times!

To adapt to this day and age when we seem to get frequently immersed in rushed routines and schedules with little time for learning, but when we need more than ever to acquire the knowledge that leads to the health, balance, and bliss that our rushed lifestyles want to take away from us, the SVA Podcast is delighted to announce “SVA Shorts”.

We have begun to produce brief, abridged, episodes for those of you who have little time or are too tired after a long day of work to listen to a full-length format, but don’t give up on the quest for the jewels of ancient ayurvedic knowledge.

The new SVA Short episodes are under 10 minutes in length but, as usual, are packed with deep knowledge and wisdom.

And to inaugurate our new short format, we have a playlist that will rejoice all of you. During the month of November, to learn all about Doshas and Sub-Doshas: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha, plus Soma, Agni, and Marut, we are releasing a Trilogy.

What is Vat? (Friday, November 1st)

What is Pitt? (Friday, November 15th) and

What is Kaph? (Friday, November 29th)

This is the knowledge at the center-most pivotal point of Ayurveda and it is presented to you in a way in which only Vaidya Mishra can explain it; from the origin of Prana and its components Soma, Agni, and Marut.

Have you felt disarmed when listening to an explanation about a particular imbalance because you couldn’t wrap your head around the functions of a Sub-Dosha or felt confused when reading about the healing and balancing properties of our SVA formulations?

Not anymore! Tune up to our November podcast’s Shorty but Witty episodes… We’ll see you there!

We want to help you protect your purchase – there’s been an increase in lost/stolen packages.

To protect your shipment – in case your shipping address is not secure – we have now added the “signature delivery” option upon check-out on www.chandika.com and we highly recommend you select it to ensure your package is guaranteed to reach you after it leaves our warehouse. Kindly note we are unable to replace stolen/misplaced packages once they are confirmed delivered by the carrier of your choice.