What does Ayurvedic say about Restless Sleep?

Ayurveda says that restless sleep is usually a vata-pitta disturbance.

Vata is the energy of movement and if vata is increased, that zippy energy can keep us awake and amped when we should be sleeping.

Pitta energy is the energy of transformation and that also has a mobile quality in it because when something transforms, it changes from one to the other.

Between these two energies the root cause of the sleep problem could be weighing more on a vata side, or a pitta side or a combination of both. Because of this interplay between vata and pitta, we can get insomnia, and there's actually two different kinds of insomnia.

#1 Vata-Type insomnia. This type of insomnia is when we can easily fall asleep but around 2:00 AM or 3:00 AM, we *wake up!* and we're not able to fall back to sleep (until the sun is about to come up...and then we get drowsy). If hat happens to you, that points...

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One of you wrote to me and said,

"Hey Monica B. What is one small change that I can make based on Ayurveda, that would achieve great results?"

And I was like, "That's a good question. I have like five, maybe eight things that she could do!" and then I was like, "Dang, she said one, I've got to think of one."

So I did it. I thought of one thing that is hugely impactful, and achieves great results and I'm excited to share it with you!

Something important to note, the one thing is not very exciting. In fact you might be like, "Meh, that's it?" but I want to understand the benefits you'll notice because that's where the goodness is!

My one recommendation for the small change to make is, to make lunch the biggest meal of the day. 

And why do I say that? Because usually we're at work, or we're in the middle of our day, we're rushing here and there. We grab...

Who just got back from spring break or is going on spring break soon? *raising my own hand!*

We did an impromptu quick trip down to LA for a few days to reset and it was awesome! Warm weather, our favorite foods, flip flops, no real agenda except to enjoy ourselves as much as possible (and avoid rush hour).

It's always hard for me to leave LA and as we were heading out I said to my husband, "How can we feel like this all the time?"

And isn't it true? We get back from a wonderful vacation and after 2 days back in daily life, we've already lost our bliss and relaxation. What the Fruit?!

But WAIT! How sad is that?! LIFE is WAY longer than vacation! So, let's learn how to bring joyful aspects of vacation to our every day — daily enjoyment is what life is all about.

While taking time to luxuriate daily might seem impossible (or makes you roll your eyes), it's not. It just requires a little prioritization and focus. We work hard — we all deserve to take an every day vacation....

 My friends, for those of you who feel consistently sluggish, moving your body is the key to get energized. We are not meant to sit for hours on end in front of a computer or tv - it's just not natural! Since we are little beings of nature so we need to move, sweat, and tone our bodies. 

Moving is essential to keep disease and sickness away (immunity booster) and it tones all the tissues of the body. Food and exercise are the building blocks for the physical body. So if we're only doing one of those things right, we are only half way. That said, I know it can be frustrating when you know you need to do some sort of exercise, but you're not sure exactly what is best for you. But that's what I'm here for!

Since Ayurveda is individualized, each dosha does better with certain exercises.
Not sure of your dosha yet?  Take the quiz.

Exercises for vata

Vatas, you need to slow down. Slooooooooooow dooooooowwwwwn. Okay, even slower. ;) Because vata is so wiggly, windy,...

It's dark at dinner time now! It's easy to "hooray!" for an extra hour of sleep and "hooray!" because it's easier to wake up. But it's more than just a switch of an hour. 

Time change in Ayurveda affects vata (energy of movement) because, well, we've made a fast change. *Poof* just like that, we gained extra sunlight in the morning and lost it at night. It can take some of us weeks to adjust but the 6 Ayurvedic tips below will help you slide back nicely into nature's rhythm quickly.

6 Ayurvedic Tips to Survive the Fall Time Change

1. Wake up before sunrise. For those of you who are not a super-fan of this highly effective ayurvedic recommendation, your opportunity is GOLDEN right now! This should be easy! Of all times of year to start practicing, now's the time. Waking before the sun as a daily habit, gives us an extra energy boost because we rise in the energy of vata, the energy of movement, which keeps us going all...

You might be wondering why Ayurveda uses oils so much and talks about oils so much. Well, I've got five tips for you on why you it's a good idea to use oils on our insides and on our outsides. 

Below are 5 Reasons to Include Oils in Your Diet and On Your Skin

1) Use oils in food because it lubricates our insides. One of the ways we prevent disease is to avoid getting very dry and brittle because then the body breaks down. Oils help prevent that breakdown as it seeps into our deepest tissues. Oils get digested and they actually turn into nourishment for all of our seven tissues (or, seven dhatus in Ayurveda). They help keep the inside of the body nice and stretchy, pliable, smooth, and unctuous. Oils bring a nice heaviness too, because we want our bodies to stay warm, and supple, and flexible. 

If you are a vata person, you will need some extra oils in your diet. In fact, oil is vata's number one food because vatas...

*warning! When I filmed this, I was feeling overwhelmed myself, hence, the quick entry into my crazy breathing. haha!*

Transcription below
Have you ever been in a situation where you're humming along, feeling really good, taking on projects, and then all of a sudden, *WHAM!*

You're hit with this overwhelm of, "Oh my gosh. I just said yes to all these things. I have so much other stuff that I have to do. And now I'm kind of paralyzed in not knowing what to do first, or how to get out from under this. I feel so panicked that I feel like I want to move really fast, but I actually feel stricken, like I can't move at all."

I've got 5 tips that can help you overcome that feeling of overwhelm.

The fix starts with our breath and our mind because, really, we're not physically sitting underneath a pile of overwhelming stuff. Our mind is going and going and going, and telling us, "Oh my gosh. We have so much to do!" But the pile is not physically there so we...

Oil-pulling is getting all kinds of attention and several folks ping'ed me to find out what the dealio is. Unless the info comes from a trusted Ayurvedic source, it can be hard to know what to believe.

I'll make oil pulling simple and trusted.

There are two daily practices in Ayurveda to help nourish and purify the mouth:

1) Gandusa (filling the mouth with oil and holding it) 

2) Kavalagraha (swishing oil slowly between the teeth and gargling = oil-pulling). The ancient texts call for sesame oil, but you can also use ghee or coconut oil for high pitta types. When I searched online, all the recommendations I found call for coconut oil (from non-Ayurvedic sites)...and that worries me because it might not be the best for everyone. 

Since I was concerned about wrong messaging and also certain that sesame is the oil of choice (I like to worry and be right = vata-pitta), I emailed my dear trusted teacher to be sure:

My dear trusted teacher (I can't...

Vata season is windy, cold, light and dry. Brr. Don't forget your oil massages in the morning! Before your shower, warm some almond oil and give yourself a head-to-toe massage for about 15 minutes. Daily in winter is ideal, but at least once a week.

Benefits of applying warm oil to the whole body
• Brings strength, tone, and suppleness to the body and all tissues
• Makes our skin more elastic so we look younger (anti-aging!)
• Strengthens and improves vision
• Gives the body nourishment inside and out
• Increases longevity
• Helps us have sound sleep!
• Strengthens our ojas (immunity)
• Tones our tissues, bringing vigor and vitality to the body
• Improves circulation to extremities and internal organs
• Calms vata and pitta while helping kapha flow

Benefits of applying oil to the scalp
• Helps hair become soft and glossy, sometimes thickens it
• Works directly...

In Ayurveda we love the benefits of a good daily oil massage. *all cheer!*

Now, raise your hands if you are thinking, "Yeah awesome for the people who who have time for luxury but pssshhht, there's no WAY I can do that in the morning! I'm so busy — I can't even remember to bring my lunch much less do a massage before work!"

Um. Perfect! That's why we are talking about oil massage, or abyhanga, for all you folks that are super busy. Because that's you—and that's me! In my busy world with a full time job and full time life, I still do it and I'll tell you how.

YOU'LL NEED

• Sesame or Vata oil (for vata)
• Coconut or Almond, or Pitta oil
• Sunflower oil or kapha oil
{Psssst...if not from Banyan, you can get these oils from any grocery store in the oil section! Get the organic cold/expeller pressed kind.}
• 1 small plastic squeezy bottle. Like a travel size shampoo bottle or a mini ketchup bottle with a tiny...