Greetings friends!

Thank you so much to those of you who responded to last week’s Wednesday Wisdom. It is a joy to hear from you and know that the wisdom is being received.

This week’s wisdom pertains to sleep and sleep habits. The message is simple. If you want to be healthy and well:

PRIORITIZE SLEEP.

In Ayurveda, the call to sleep comes from Kapha dosha, the dosha of earth and water elements. Kapha is dominant between the hours of 6pm and 10pm. She’s there, in our ecosystem, encouraging us to close out our day, feel our fatigue, and surrender to the heaviness that supports deep rejuvenating sleep.

During Kapha time, many people do the opposite. Some will turn on lots of lights, turn up tvs, tune in to social media, and stay connected to the glowing blue light of phones and tablets. This allows overstimulated minds and nervous systems to become even more stimulated. Then, we turn off the lights and wonder why we can’t go to sleep.

The price for being under rested is paid by the immune system. Ideally, it reboots while you sleep, which is also when the body detoxifies. In addition to a weakened immune system and higher risk of autoimmune disease, the toxic build up of a lack of rejuvenating sleep can result in weight gain, cognitive decline, and hormone disruption. So, let's get you sleeping like a baby.

What does it look like to prioritize sleep?

To prioritize sleep is to prioritize evening activities that allow you to feel, and surrender to, your fatigue. Primarily, you need to empty your mind and relax your body.

• Empty the mind: Stop consuming information that needs to be processed by the mind. Instead, do the opposite. Sit in silence, journal, color, practice restorative yoga, watch the sun set, or talk with a dear friend or partner.
• Relax the body: Start earlier in the day by getting sufficient exercise. Brief periods of movement throughout the day, coupled with a walk after dinner, will burn off excess energy and render the body fatigued. Dim the lights in your home after dusk. Take a warm bath or hot shower. Sip a cup of tea. Diffuse essential oils. Give yourself a foot massage.
• Aim to turn out the lights no later than 10pm. Sleep before midnight is worth double, and sleep entered during Kapha time is deeper and more rejuvenating. Staying up late borrows from tomorrow to fuel tonight. If you are a night owl, try dialing your bedtime back a little at a time.

Try some of these tips, start sleeping better, and watch what happens to your energy.

Sweet dreams my loves!

Much love,

P