Cate talks to Jennifer Allen about her sleep issues. Jen is struggling with staying asleep throughout the night. Cate points out that her cortisol levels are waking her up at the wrong time and not waking her up at the right time. Jen knows she needs deeper sleep to maintain her busy daily lifestyle.

Cate mentions doing a hormone reset to change Jen’s balance from a cortisol stress hormone to a sex hormone balance. She recommends using hormones in combination with urine therapy as a way to create a feedback loop. The goal for Jen is to lower her cortisol levels to get her out of the fight or flight response.

What you’ll get out of tuning in:

• How to fall asleep and stay asleep.
• How to naturally lower cortisol levels.
• How to use urine therapy to create a feedback loop.

Show Highlights:

• If the body produces stress hormones, its at the expense of sex hormones, and then you are in fight, flight, or freeze mode.
• Your cortisol is waking you up at the wrong time and not waking you up at the right time. 
• After using UT, my sleep is so deep, no issues at all!

Links:

• Pee workshop
• How much sleep do I need for healing?

Timestamps:

• 3:04-3:35   My sleep issues started 20 years ago.
• 7:26-9:21   Resetting hormonal balance through urine therapy and upcycling.
• 18:01-19:00   How cortisol is waking you at the wrong time and not waking you at the right time.        

Quotes:

• I wake up to an alarm because I am so tired from not sleeping all night. Jen
• My sleep issues started 20 years ago after I had a child. Jen 
• On a scale of 1-10, how tired are you? Cate
• Your hormones will upcycle from drinking urine. Cate
• If your body produces stress hormones, its at the expense of your sex hormones and you are in a fight or flight feedback loop.Cate
• I am afraid I won’t be able to do my daily life because of lack of sleep. Jen
• Your mind generates more worry, fear and anxiety – get out of the feedback loop! Cate
• Hardcore people would tell you to do a urine fast for a week to create a feedback loop to reset your hormones. Cate
• Your cortisol is waking you up at the wrong time and not waking you up at the right time. Cate

I relish my flannel sheets and my comfy pillow. My nightstand has all that I need at my fingertips; ear plugs, mouth guard, lavender oils, lip balm and of course my headphones. Listening to an inspirational talk, music, story or mediation is something I look forward to every night.

Of course—not being entirely perfect—I do break down and sneak in some Seinfeld or Scrubs some nights. Once the pillows are in the perfect position, my earphones are in (or at least one of them in and an earplug in the other ear—I’m usually on my side). I can relax and wind down with some Yoga Nidra or a good night-time story to lull me to sleep.

However, there are nights when the “insomnia beast” rears its ugly head. That’s when I am in an endless mind loop of things I should have done…things I shouldn’t have said…things to do tomorrow and other stuff crashing around in my brain distracting me from the rest I need.

I recently listened to Cate Stillman talk to Meaghan Minogue, who had great advice for when your mind starts to do this. Just say NO. NO! I will not let my brain take me down that road and NO I will not let my mind take over with these distracting thoughts.

Like I said, sleep is my keystone habit. When I sleep well my day starts right. It’s a fact. I’ve struggled with insomnia for more years than I can talk about. However, with the 10 Habits I am slowly able to call myself a “former insomniac.” And that feels good.

Knowing your self from the inside is self-care.  Can you think of three self-care practices that you do regularly? Looking at your list are they extrinsic, meaning does it require someone or something else (ie massage, pedicure, glass of wine)? What would it be like to take your self-care practices to the next level by learning intrinsic self-care?  Personally, before I can integrate a new practice I need to know where I am starting from, what my current behaviors and triggers are and why do I want to evolve them. For the holidays, acknowledging my comfort eating style was a good start.

I tend to be introverted and shy away from holiday gatherings.  When party tasks are delegated I am the one that signs up for cutlery.  This is my way of staying accountable and actually attending, as I know that the hostess and persons who brings a big bowl soup would be terribly annoyed with me if I did not show up with spoons.

Getting ready for a holiday affair, my old self would drink a few glasses of wine (liquid courage), then grab the Cutlery and head for the car.  I would take a deep breath and tell myself, everything will be okay. You only have to stay an hour. My senses would be overstimulated with holiday lights, sounds and smells.  My digestive system greeted by soda pop, Chex mix, and holiday themes of cheese, gluten and white sugar.

In large groups, I tend to accommodate.  Why? I want to socially fit in with the tribe.  To be accepted and liked. I would eat food I didn’t want to eat because I wanted to fit in, knowing that I would be rewarded with a distended belly in the morning.  I would smile and listen to conversations that really weren’t that interesting. I would experience a sleepless night due to the digestive mix and worry that I said the wrong thing. Late at night my inner voice spoke to me in a loud critical voice, rewinding the night’s events.

Know Your Comfort Eating Style

Ali Shapiro, MSOD, CHHS, holistic nutritionist and health coach and founder of True with Food explains binge eating through the lens of three comfort eating styles: the Accommodator, the Competitor and the Avoider.  I like the way she breaks the styles down because I easily identify with all three of them.

Everyone has experienced all three eating styles at one time or another.  Like the three doshas, we identify with the one style or dosha that is the most dominant.  For the Ayurveda perspective, I turn to Brodie Welch, health coach and self-care strategist. She describes the Accommodator as Kapha, the Competitor as Pitta and the Avoider as Vatta.

Kapha:  The Accommodator:  Do you eat to please others and/or keep the peace?  If yes, you are an Accommoder. Scenario:  You are at a family gathering.  Aunt Clara proudly displays the holiday table and feast she has been preparing for days for you and others.  When you take a small portion of each dish you are greeted with: “You eat like a bird. What is the matter with you?  Eat more I prepared this for you!”  What do you say to yourself and then Aunt Clara?

Pitta: The Competitor:  Are you a competitive eater?  Do your eating patterns fluctuate between strict and binging? If yes, you are a Competitor.  Scenario: At the work party you are feeling super fit and toned in your new slinky little black dress.  The strict diet and workouts have paid off! You are enjoying holiday toasts when suddenly, the topics turn political.  You feel yourself becoming angry as you do not agree on the political nature or tone. Listening to the supportive cheers you feel more and more disenchanted with the evening.  You walk to the wine table to refill your wine glass and are greeted by mouth-watering cheeses, salty crackers and delectable chocolates. Does the voice it your head say, awe screw it and you start binge eating?

Vatta:  The Avoider:  Do you eat absentmindedly on the run?  Are you hungry after you eat because you did not chew, smell or taste the textures of your food? If yes, you are an avoider.  Scenario: You made it to the party and you suddenly realize how tired you are.  You find yourself in the kitchen next to the holiday Chex mix. As you unconsciously put you hand in the bowl and begin eating, you review your day and check off the boxes, suddenly realizing that you have not eaten all day.  You look down at the bowl and the Chex mix is all gone. What is the voice in your head saying after you ate all the Chex mix?

Developing a Relationship with the Voice in Your Head

Working with the voice in my head, my inner critic, is a daily practice.  I have learned strategies and some of the best are from Acharya Shunya. She is a master and spiritual teacher of Vedic Yoga and Ayurveda.  From Vedic Philosophy there are 4 guidelines when speaking to yourself or others.

1. Do no harm (nonviolent communication)
2. Speak your truth
3. Speak in a pleasant tone
4. Rein in your ego.  Is what you are about to say contributing to the conversation?

Using the 4 guidelines of Vedic communication as a base, you can decrease the anxiety and tension which can arise during conversation while speaking your truth in a kind and caring way. We can all begin with acknowledgment.  Hosting a party and food preparation takes time. Many men and women work full time, juggle household duties and have responsibilities caring for children or aging parents. They may also have financial or medical struggles we don’t know about.

Kapha:  What do you say to yourself and then Aunt Clara?  Take a breath and get centered. Begin with acknowledging her for her efforts and complimenting her on the savory food.  You can tell her that you are taking smaller portions because you know that each dish was prepared with love. You want to take the time to enjoy the smell, texture, and taste which will fill you up faster.

Pitta: Does the voice in your head say, “Awe screw it” and you start binge eating? When alcohol is flowing people tend to become ungrounded.  Everyone has their own opinion which is based on their perspective to life.  What would it be like to be curious and ask questions with no judgement?

Vata:  What is the voice in your head saying after you ate all the Chex mix?  What would it be like to say in a  gentle, kind voice, “Opps! Hummm, I can’t undo that and I am still hungry.  I think I will sit down, slow down, and breathe. I will nourish my body with some warm vegetable soup.”

Holiday Action Plan: I want you to have a healthy and nourishing holiday season.  Now that your clear on the three styles of eating, grab a piece of paper and brainstorm on how you will change your patterns. Tell me below in the comments.   

References:
http://brodiewelch.com/how-we-eat-is-how-we-live-unapologetic-feminist-self-care/
https://alishapiro.com/about-ali-shapiro/
https://yogahealer.com/?s=acharya+shunya
https://www.acharyashunya.com/

*Special thank you to Elise, Kari and Alec for your encouragement on writing this blog.

They all looked very relaxed and cheery. Even in those old sepia pictures, I could see that their eyes were clear and glowing. Although most of them were probably octogenarian, they all exuded vitality which is not commonly seen at that age.

I was entranced, quite curious, and admittedly – I thought they were all a bit crazy! Who in the world would wittingly subject themselves to the freezing water, however good it might have been!

I knew I would not be silly like that any time soon, for sure

The very idea of feeling cold is very off-putting to most of us. The thought of standing naked in the frigid weather, surrounded by solid snow, and then of plunging into the freezing cold pool is enough to make the hairs raise up your back.

But they were doing it. Daily. Happily. Me? I was sure that I’d have an instant heart attack if I even tried one second in a cold plunge or a shower.

Wind the clock a few decades later, and here I am, taking cold showers daily!

And here’s why.

Benefits of Cold Water Showers/Plunges

I began finding out more about the effects of cold plunges many years later when I was learning Naturopathy.

Traditionally, cold showers or cold plunges are done after the body’s core temperature has been raised first – either by steam baths, sauna, hot baths or strenuous physical activity, such as an intense running session which draws up sweat.

Research shows that being cold, and especially getting immersed into a cold water, has a highly beneficial impact on our body.

Cold showers/baths benefits:

• Improve the Immune System
• Stimulate Production of Brown Fat
• Support Weight Loss
• Reverse Type 2 Diabetes
• Prevent Aging
• Improve the Circulatory System
• Reduce inflammation
• Provide Pain Relief
• Improve m\Mood and Fight Depression
• Help with Symptoms of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Let me break it down in a bit more detail for you.

Cold water bathing stimulates our immune system, causing a form of evolutionary stress which makes it work harder and more efficiently to protect us not only from the effects of cooling in cold weather but also from infection by bacteria and viruses like flu, passed on by other people. The immune system becomes more robust, effective and much quicker to respond to such attacks, and more effective overall when dealing with any other illnesses.

It affects the production of brown fat. We have three kinds of body fat – the white fat, beige fat, and brown fat. The two main fat types that interest us here are the white and the brown fat. (See image comparison here.)

The white fat is associated with obesity and a number of chronic conditions –  type 2 diabetes, hypertension, atherosclerosis, heart disease, stroke, cancer, infertility, and so forth. It is notoriously difficult to lose, particularly when we lack the brown fat in the body.

The white fat cell is quite big, and it comprises of a nucleus (its genetic material), one predominant solid oily mass and very few mitochondria.**

The brown fat cell is usually smaller than the white and contains a large number of mitochondrial cells in addition to a nucleus, and a number of small oily droplets. The brown fat helps our body to break down the white fat, due to the presence of a large number of mitochondria in it. Effectively we are replacing the white fat with a thin layer of protective brown fat which uses the stores of white fat for its production and metabolic processes.

So if you are trying to lose weight, you will help your body utilise unwanted white fat for energy through exercise by including the cold bathing into your routine.

The brown fat can even reverse type 2 diabetes, through its utilisation of body’s triglycerides and sugars stored in white fat cells.

The brown fat produces a number of natural antioxidants, thus preventing ageing and other degenerative processes.

Cold showers or plunges improve our circulatory system too. This is particularly useful for those people who are constantly suffering from feeling cold, having cold extremities, and those who are not exercising regularly. This improvement also helps decrease any inflammatory process and reduces the pain in the body.

Cold showers are very stimulating, and they are beneficial for those with depression due to the endorphins released during cold water showers naturally improving their mood. They are even helpful to those diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome as they regulate hormones leading to more energy, lessening of pain, and increased mobility.

That is some list there! The practice of cold bathing has a huge positive effect on our system.

So where do you start?

The best place to start is to begin courting and contemplating the idea of the cold shower first. Try to imagine what it would feel like.

To me, it is an exhilarating experience! It feels fresh and invigorating as the cold water hits the skin. It starts to produce a shiver all over my body. Then it draws the warmth from deep in the body to the surface and makes me feel really warm. It clears the mind completely, makes me feel focused and relaxed. I feel the increased elasticity in all my muscles and tissues as the blood circulates freely. I feel no pain associated with the current injury to the tendon in my wrist, and there is no swelling. My eyesight improves, and the light and colours appear more vibrant. My hearing is acute.

Does it sound good to you? Could you imagine what it would feel like on your skin if you had one? Try thinking of it when you are in your bath/shower perhaps… try to entice your body to move into it… and remember – when you come out of your hot shower, it always feels cold, even if it’s warm in the house….After a cold shower, you come out feeling nice and warm! Ideal for the winter months, great for summer months too when you wish to manage the heat better. Gently build up your own excitement and expectation.

When you’ve been courting this idea for a while, one day after your hot shower, or a hot bath even (I like my hot baths), switch on that cold shower and just go for it – perhaps only for a second or two, and then see what happens!

And then do it again, the next day, and the next, increasing the length that you stay immersed each day.

I really love the cold showers now. My first one was accompanied by a piercing shriek and lasted about ¾ of a second at most. But now I can not imagine having a day without it.

Once I forgot to do a cold shower after my bath, I was too busy planning the day ahead and not fully present, and it was halfway through toweling my body that I realised it, so I jumped back in and had my cold shower – to me it’s like a desert after a fine meal, just so yummy! My mind became focused too.

A few tips for cold showers/plunges:

• Don’t shower your head – you can shower the face, but don’t immerse your whole head.
• Don’t shower at all if you feel that you’ve ‘picked up’ a virus, or getting a cold sore, and your body is trying to ‘shake it off’. I found that on one day where I felt I was ‘coming down’ with a virus, I felt the urge to avoid the cold shower, so I didn’t plunge in, and the next day I resumed with my practice as I felt back to my full health, no virus lurking inside me.
• Avoid cold showers during your menstrual period and pregnancy – you can do a lukewarm shower instead
• Do it on empty stomach, before your breakfast is the best time
  

And what about Vata types, surely they get aggravated?

Vata is responsible for all movement in the body: the flow or breath, the expression of speech, the circulation of the blood, the elimination of waste, and the regulation of the immune and nervous system. It moves the diaphragm, muscles, and limbs, and also stimulates the intellect.

When Vata is out of balance, you can feel more anxious, flighty, or forgetful than usual, you may lose weight, experience pains or spasms, numbness, dry skin, dehydration, excessive bloating, erratic digestion or insomnia.

The cold showers will not further imbalance your Vata, they will ground it instead. Their stimulating effect is not stimulating in the same way as the stimulating foods are. It is balancing, it restores the natural function and balance in our system, and it will help you anchor your Vata, and harness it for a calm mind and inspirational creativity, comfortable movement, deepened breath, a consistent appetite, normal bowel function, positive enthusiasm, healthy desire, and good energy all round.

For Vata types, I would recommend that you have a hot bath instead of a shower before your cold shower, and to increase the duration of immersion very slowly over a time.

Give it a try!

Enjoy the process of discovery of beneficial changes in your own being. Let me know what you find out.

**Mitochondria are essential for the maintenance of normal physiological function of our cells, and mitochondrial dysfunction, as well as lack of mitochondria,  is implicated as one of the reasons for pathological changes, e.g. contributing to the development of disease states in the human body.

If you are in any way a progressive thinker, you’ve tried your utmost to make an improvement to ‘those days’. You are familiar with practices of mindfulness. You’ve tried recommended natural products.  You’ve talked to lots of people – heck you talked to the professionals too! You might have even taken big-boy pharmaceuticals promised to make a huge difference to your mental well-being.

Little has changed over the years. Most likely ‘those days’ are still a common feature of your life and you just cope, not allowing yourself to consider the possibility of genuinely enjoying this day.  The day seeps into your week, month, year, and the heart silently weeps, in spite of the smile on your face.

You wonder if this can EVER really change… if this mind of yours can ever become a true buddy on this journey of life, and not continue to trip you up, often when you least expect it.

Ayurveda and Mental Health

Western medicine considers mental health as separate from our overall physical health. Yogic and Ayurvedic traditions see the two as inseparable.

For the last 4000 years, through self-inquiry and practice, yogis (yoga masters) and vaidyas (the ayurvedic healers), came to realize one simple but powerful fact: there can be no peace and clarity of mind, or stability of our moods, in a body experiencing disharmony, discomfort, pain or stress.

More recently even Greeks come to the same realization – their now famous motto was:

“A healthy mind in a healthy body.”

Ancients knew that incorporating self-nurturing habits of yoga and Ayurveda into our daily routine would help heal the sick, and make those that are healthy stronger and at ease, more resilient, full of energy, and vitality.

In yoga we talk of ‘bliss’ often. It is a bliss of the mind, for sure! But it is a result of deeper levels of innate comfort emanating from the depths of our physical being. The yogis and vaidyas realized that there can be no true happiness & contentment if the body is suffering. The way we feel in our body will determine our mood.

The Power of an Ache

For instance, remember the time when you had a headache or a toothache. If one suffers in acute pain, you quickly realize how much your mood, and emotional mental well-being are affected.

We feel cranky, irritable, and uncomfortable – and not just in that affected body part.

Our whole being will be ‘squirming’ with discomfort, suffering greatly. And so will our mind. We’ll have difficulty concentrating or focusing our mind on little else but our pain. We’ll feel tired,  exhausted in fact. We will want to avoid all unnecessary contact with others, or we may feel particularly needy and unsupported.

Isn’t it strange how a ‘small thing’ like a headache or toothache can affect our well-being on such a deep level?

Although, it’s quite simple and logical, when you look deeper within our body.

Everything in our body is connected via the huge web of neural pathways. Whenever one nerve fires, this whole web lights up, firing the signals of discomfort through the whole body-mind system.

Funnily enough, those instances of sudden or short-lasting pain, such as toothache or headache, are much more remarkable and memorable much more felt than the seemingly small niggling pains, aches, and discomfort. We become tolerant to low level chronic inflammatory processes, digestive imbalances, immune & hormonal disorders, circulatory issues that go on over a long period of time which seem to become a part of our backdrop.

Surviving by Dampening the Pain

Why? Well, the body-mind system just learns to settle into, and to dampen down signals of distress that are coming from affected parts and systems. The body-mind system always looks for homeostasis,that innate balance, and this is geared by our own survival mechanism.

If we learn to ignore our discomfort on the conscious level, we may be able to function – and in this case, simply plod on, for a little bit longer, hopefully.

But the pains and discomfort are still there, even when we’ve learned to dampen their signals from our immediate consciousness.

And we begin to feel low in our moods, we begin to accept this low as ‘normal’. As we continue to spiral down, we forget how it actually feels to feel great!

Or maybe we step up, and decide we will try to redress these ever-present low moods, so we try the talking therapy, or mindfulness, or pills, or supplements.

But it doesn’t work. After all these years, it still leaves us feeling down, defeated again.

Until we begin to re-balance our body and attune to our circadian rhythms all else will be an uphill struggle. Allow your body to heal the layers of discomfort – in your joints, gut, lungs, belly, skin, and all of your more subtle systems by simply adjusting the rhythm of your day.

The mind will be low, our moods betraying us: feeling stressed, grumpy, moody, tired – as our thoughts endlessly ‘catch’ onto the signals of discomfort emanating from the central channel of our nervous system. Continually creating stories & patterns that will keep us mentally spiraling down in spite of our best efforts.

That feeling of Bliss that yogis always speak of is not a concept of the mind. Bliss is the physical sensation of the calm and quiet nervous web, which then spills into the well-being of our mind. We feel refreshed, relaxed, at ease. Our mind becomes joyful & light. Our thoughts are filled with generosity, patience, tolerance, gentleness & peace. And our heart is steady, brave and determined, opened with the wonder that the world holds for us all.

How to HEAL YOUR MIND with the 10 Habits of Yogis

These seemingly simple practices will revolutionize the way you feel within and without! Rooted in ancient Ayurvedic wisdom, they have the power to transform your life in ways that you can’t possibly even dream of now!

Imagine sleeping well & waking up early each day, with a smile on your face, even before your alarm goes off. Having plenty of time for self-nourishment, exercise, enjoyment of nourishing foods. Plenty of time for reflection and play with your loved ones. Feeling energized, happy and joyful, no niggling aches or pains, at your optimum body weight.

As we automate our daily practice of 10 Habits, we allow our body, and particularly our nervous and hormonal systems to re-boot and heal, and by default our mood and our mind-set will change drastically.

Start Here

Begin on this journey by taking little steps each day – start by simply going to bed a bit earlier.

Trust me – this was a BIGGIE for me – I always identified with being a Night Owl type – for many many years, going to bed at 2 am was considered an early night here! Now I am regularly fast asleep by 10 pm – catching that first and most important part of the night when our bodies detox and rebuild.

During the hours of 10 pm until 2 am we use the power of our internal Agni/Digestive Power to do do some serious housekeeping. When we wake up in the morning, our mind feels fresh and clear.

A TIP for better Sleep and more effective overnight detox: commit to eating a bit less and a bit earlier each evening.

On The Road to Bliss

You will soon notice that your mind feels rather chirpy and optimistic each morning. There is this lovely feeling bubbling up from the depths of your heart, making you feel very positive about the day ahead, and even the week ahead of you, without any particular cause… Just a sense of joy starting to surface and integrate itself into your daily perception.

As you deepen and automate your practices of the 10 Habits, you will soon be coasting in Bliss, your mind at ease, joyful & light, and feeling refreshed, relaxed, and brimming with deep vitality and zest for life.

Did you know this leads to anxiety and depression?

According to Ayurveda, this behavior is associated with a Vata imbalance.The wisdom teachings of yoga teach us that the balance of the 5 elements in our bodies will help us maintain our health and well being.

The air element is  wonderful for moving energy, stoking new creativity, stirring up your enthusiasm. If the air element combined with the space element you can become spacey, ungrounded, and easily distracted. You will find yourself going from one project to the next never completing anything. You will often feel overwhelmed, anxious, and have trouble sleeping.

Usually this imbalance occurs more frequently after women go through menopause or are pregnant. But it also can also occur for everyone as they move into Vata time of life after age 50. Shifting levels of hormones, change of seasons, transitioning into Vata season (Fall) and travel all cause a Vata imbalance.

Lack of Energy & Focus

Your lack of groundedness is causing you to have sleep disturbances which leads to unevenness of energy throughout the day. You can have moments of total clarity and focus followed by feeling spacey, tired, dull or exhausted.

By constantly depleting your body you will feel like you are always running on empty. Napping is said to really improve your heart health. 15-20 minute power naps are really wonderful for rejuvenating your energy. If you need more than a 10-20 minute nap a day you need to get more rest.

The effects of sleep deprivation over time are scary.

The lack of quality rest and not enough REM cycles or deep sleep will adversely affect your memory, focus and concentration.

According to Webmd.com here are the effects of sleep deprivation over time.

• Heart disease
• Irregular heart beat
• High blood pressure
• Stroke
• Diabetes
• Kills your sex drive
• Causes accidents
• Dumbs you down
• Can contribute to causing depression
• Ages your skin
• Messes with your memory
• Puts on extra weight and makes it hard to lose it once it is on.
• Impairs your judgement (you might think you can get away with 6 hours of sleep…. NOT!!)

How Your Belly Disturbs Your Sleep and Mind Focus

What throws a lot of us off balance is chronic inflammation in our microbiome. Digestive issues will contribute to brain fog and sleep deprivation. If you have ever tried to sleep on a full belly you will get how important it is that you eat early and lighter in order to get a good night’s rest.

What causes inflammation in your gut?

• Processed Foods (breads, pasta, chips, cookies, candy ,cakes) anything that does not grow in nature.
• Any food that has been treated with radiation, chemicals, hormones, antibiotics.
• Meat and fish that has been given food that is not in the animals natural diet.
• Heating foods with microwaves in plastic containers.
• Eating too heavy late at night, past 7:00 pm.
• A diet that includes refined sugar.
• Having the same foods every day.
• Gobbling down your food too quickly while walking, standing, or driving.
• Taking a huge amount of supplements instead of eating wholesome fresh organic foods.
• Sitting down for a meal when you’re upset.
  

Ignoring The Problem Won’t Make It Go Away

What if you are complacent or apathetic about your lack of energy and focus?

This syndrome if left unattended over decades will eventually lead to some serious health issues down the road like: immune disorders, chronic fatigue, weight gain, diabetes, heart problems, chronic depression,  anxiety, memory loss, or dementia.

4 Secrets To Solve Your Foggy Mind And Low Energy

1. Early to Bed Early to Rise…

Going to bed at 10:00 pm or earlier every night consistently will help you break this pattern.

By staying up late and being on blue screens (TV iPhones, iPads, laptops), you rob yourself of essential deep rest that will help you keep your mind sharp and help you sustain your energy during the afternoons and early evening. Taking the TV out of the bedroom is the first step.

Watch for Signs of Tiredness. Yawning, eye rubbing, and heavy eyelids. If you find that you are reading the same sentence 10 times without comprehension close the book and turn off the lights!

2. Avoid Drinking Alcohol During The Week & Caffeine After 10:00 am

Drinking alcohol will cause you to wake up in the middle of the night disturbing your REM cycles and preventing you from being on top of your game the next day. Save it for the weekends.

3. Practice Daily Meditation And Yoga 5 Days A Week

Doing 10-20 minutes of body breath practices will help you oxygenate your body and help you keep you mind clear and your energy even throughout the day. Even five sun salutations will help regulate your energy.

Would love to exercise but have no energy to get yourself off the sofa?  Daily exercise will give your more energy so that you can exercise and improve your health and mental clarity.

Daily meditation helps you floss the mind and increases your grey matter!  You get smarter! Read this great blog about Meditation. Meditating before bed helps you process your day and give you a deeper sleep.

4. Eat Earlier lighter dinner for better sleep.

Closing the kitchen after an early dinner and fasting on water between meals will also help you get to bed earlier, leave you well rested and energized the next day.

Stop eating at 7:00pm

Do Intermittent fasting by putting 12-16 hour between the last meal of the day and breakfast. For example, if you eat at 6:00 pm dinner you would fast until 7:00-8:00am the next day.

If you are hungry before bed try making warm Golden Milk recipe with either milk or Almond milk.

The Next Right Step

If you have had it with losing the plot and low energy, invest in your health and well being. Get to know why your daily habits can make a huge difference in how your mind and body ages. You will be able to have the energy to step into your Swa Dharma (the next right step for you and your family).

I have seen folks in their 20’s dragging themselves through the day and elders in their 90’s full of beans still working because it so so much fun. It has nothing to do with age and all do do with your daily habits.

I am a 65 year old yoga teacher and teacher trainer. I just added a new career as a Yoga Health Coach four years ago. I see students adopting this healthy lifestyle and dropping years off their physiological age. I am working with folks 20-80 years young. They are active and sharp as a tack!

You can avoid serious health issues by following the healthy habits that are recommended by Ayurveda. These habits  help to regulate your personal clock so that you are in tuned with the daily rhythms of nature. Read here about  Dina Charya.  

An insightful quote from the Dalai Llama when asked what surprised him most…

 “Man. Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health.”  Dalai Llama

A Challenge

Vibrant energy is your birthright! I invite you to share with me how you are investing in your well being and any challenges you have with adopting a healthier habits. Wherever you are in your life, you can always get this party started!

Let me know what you are doing to keep you mind clear and to have vibrant energy throughout your day.

Today I woke up groggy. It sucked. My alarm went off and it wasn’t even that early for a Yoga Health Coach anyway. 5.57 am to be precise. I hit snooze. Then again. And again. I knew exactly why I had such a rough time getting up. I made poor choices the night before.

Finally, I dragged myself out of bed, cursing my stupidity while at the same time giving ensuring words to my body. “Dear Body, I still love and appreciate you.  I just had temporary brain fog about how to treat you well”.

Today Was A Good Day

Here is what happened. I had a productive day yesterday, doing all kinds of necessary office work, like accounting, talking to my virtual assistant, ordering graphics and corresponding with clients. I gave a massage in the afternoon and then went to Kung Fu for some physical activity. I had a full and productive day all in all.

When I came home, I had a cup of golden milk since I had missed my early dinner time (necessary for a good night’s sleep FYI) and took a hot shower. So far so good. Then, my night went south.

Then My Downward Spiral Began

I could have snatched a book, snuggled up in bed, read a few pages and fallen asleep, but instead, I chose to pick up my computer to watch a tutorial that was still on my to do list. That in itself would have been fine (maybe) if I had stopped at a reasonable time. But I didn’t and ended up feeling too wired to fall asleep. You know that feeling? A second wind kicks in and falling asleep is a possibility of the past. I lay in bed tossing and turning restlessly, so I decided to get up and watch more videos ( even worse idea); I opted for the Daily Show (which is funny and keeps me informed) but isn’t exactly sleep medicine. Arrrggg!!!!

I ended up staying up far later than my body wanted to. And I had fed myself a computer and phone EMF’s that didn’t make me sleep as well as I would have otherwise. I woke up the next day – today that is – with a foggy brain and feeling not much excitement for anything. I had much less energy than I would like and I had this weird pressure in my forehead that I always get when I am not rested enough.

Having had to hit the snooze button several times this morning was the like being hit on the forehead “Alexandra girlfriend, you are a dumb butt”.

Personally, I am coming out of a time over the last few months where I was really diligent about my evening routine and going to bed early. My sleep was epic, I had tons of energy, was super efficient at work and  got tons of stuff done. I would naturally wake up before my alarm went off at 4.55 am. I had enough time for meditation, yoga, self massage, chanting and whatever else I do to get a good start to my day. I LOVED IT!

 

How Did This Happen To Me?

Then I started a new teaching job started that overtook my life. I had underestimated the amount of time I needed for prepping and I took the evening hours to make up for it. That prompted me to get into a vicious cycle of going to bed late and waking up late. BAD, folks. It’s BAD!!!…for the health in my body and more so for my peace of mind.

Now I could blame my never ending to-do list for my bad choices. Or the teaching job. Or I am sure I could find someone or something else outside myself to blame. Does that sound familiar?  But the truth is, I could have made better choices to keep me going and operate from a full gas tank.

Yesterday I was abusing the sweet and heavy energy of the evening hours to do work. Instead of winding down and letting the energy carry me to bed, I chose to amp myself up with devices and study. No wonder I woke up groggy.

My Ideal Morning

The ideal scenario for me: Wake up early – I like 5 am. I prefer not to use an alarm and wake up naturally, with tons of energy. That shows me that I have slept enough and am ready for the day. I have a natural enthusiasm and zest for life. Going to bed late robs me of all of that enthusiasm and zaps my productivity, efficiency and focus. From today onward, I am re-committing to my early bedtime. My body is worth it, I am worth it.

Sleep Is Critical

You see, according to Ayurveda sleep is one of the 3 pillars of health. That means is that sleep is mega important. If we don’t get it, our health declines. Western medicine agrees. The US center for disease control has termed lack of sleep a public health epidemic. It causes endocrine dysfunction – which means your hormones are off – and lack of sleep is a major contributor to weight gain.

Reverse Engineer Your Urge to Hit the Snooze Button

Here are Three important messages I learned from the snooze button. When you have the desire to hit the snooze button, it is a warning that tells you one or more of these three messages:

1) I have not slept enough.

2) I did not wind down skillfully the night before.

3) I need to make better choices at night.

We all need occasional reminders to go to bed early AND to wind down more skillfully. I made a wisdom sheet for you (and me) to remind all of us to ditch the bad wind down choices and instead choose ways to wind down that leave us feeling rested and refreshed. My Wisdom Sheet hangs near my desk to remind me to make wiser choices. Even Yoga Health coaches need to be reminded 🙂  

Download the Better Sleep Wisdom Sheet

I have learned that getting enough sleep is one of my most critical self care habits.  If I don’t get to bed early enough, my day is one of overwhelm and ineffectiveness in all aspects of my life- at home, at work, and in my relationships.

In a recent chat with one of my yoga health coaching clients  our conversation centered on the idea of getting enough sleep- and the difference between getting into bed (which she is good at) and falling asleep (which she resists).  There are many reasons why we might resist falling asleep- the belief that we won’t be as fun if we have a 9pm bedtime. Or that we are missing out on something we could be doing to make our life more satisfying.

In her case, though, it was because there was a lot of mental chatter happening as she tried to juggle a massive shift in responsibilities in her personal life. Our conversation became one about a real and practical issue: sometimes our resistance to letting go of the day is because we have not effectively closed it off- we are still carrying ideas, thoughts and to-do’s with us as we hop into bed. This open loop prevents us from fully embracing our fatigue, surrendering into the sweetness of being rather than doing, and falling asleep.  

So I taught her a trick- how to do a “mind dump”.

The Mind Dump

Over 10 years I was introduced to the work of David Allen. Allen’s book- Getting Things Done– spoke to me so much that I spent a weekend in Seattle in one of his seminars.  One of my biggest learnings from my studies of his work was David’s version of the mind dump- what he calls a “brain dump.”  Allen says that one of the key ways we can reduce stress is by learning to capture “everything-little or big, personal or professional, urgent or not. Everything.”

My initial work with this tool was purely in the professional realm- I saw the benefits solely in the context of how they could improve my ability to manage my growing list of projects as an Executive Director of an expanding non-profit organization.

Now that most of my work is with clients in the realm of self care, wellness and health, I see that my “mind dump” nets me much bigger benefits. It is one of the key tools I use to close off my day and create the best-case-scenario for getting enough sleep. When I know everything is captured in one place I can step away from my day and rest easy for the night.  

So how do you get started?

Creating Your Mind Dump

1. Set a time each day to sit down and capture everything.  As David Allen says- “Get it all out of your head.” This might be at the end of your work day before you leave the office.  It might be after dinner- before you start to wind down for the night.  Or- if you need extra rest like my client or need to be clear before you move onto the next part of your day- it might be after lunch or before your next appointment.

The time of the day doesn’t matter, but scheduling it in DOES. Set up a trigger to instigate a new habit – an alarm on your iphone, a reserved spot on your google calendar, or a stop at a coffee shop on the way home from work that is reserved solely for this purpose. Give this habit some dedicated time each day and set up the structure so that you don’t miss the opportunity.

2. Create ONE place where you capture everything.  A spiral bound notebook dedicated to your mind dump. An online system in Evernote that syncs with your phone. A dedicated project in Basecamp or your favorite project management tool.  What is the most practical, accessible, useful tool for you?  

Me? I tend to be a paper girl- as much as I love my electronic tools, the fastest way for me to capture quickly is a notebook. A big capture might be 2-3 pages long.  A shorter one half a page.  I use Moleskin notebooks- their design makes me appreciate the importance of what I am capturing.

The one no-no: scraps of paper, post it notes and multiple capture tools.  You need to have everything in ONE place- a place you can reliably access both to capture and then to later process your mind dump.

Which brings us to the next tip…

3. Let go of the need to process what you are writing as you are capturing it.  How often have you sabotaged yourself by getting distracted by your to-do list?  In our effort to lessen our overwhelm, we often trick ourselves into dealing with the lowest hanging fruit in the belief that crossing things off our to-do list will net us the biggest benefit.  

If this is your deal then staying focused on capturing rather than processing will require effort AND potentially net you the biggest gain.  Why? Because if you fail to capture effectively, you will not effectively close off the day.  And closing off the day is one of the most underutilized techniques for getting better sleep.

So when do you process your mind dump? Creating dedicated time to process is key.  You have to create a system for emptying the bucket regularly. There are MANY different ways we can organize ourselves-  if these ideas have captured you check out David Allen’s book “Getting Things Done.” This website is a great resource for best practices. Finding a system that works for you takes time- but to start, the mind dump- capturing- is a good way to start clearing space for yourself.

The one tip I can offer?  This one again comes from David Allen:  when you DO take the time to process, if the task it will take you less than two minutes do it right then rather than transferring into an organizational system.

Getting to bed. Getting to sleep. Staying asleep. If more sleep is one of your keystone habits, and making it happen is a struggle, consider the benefits of a mind dump.  Every other sleep trick I can offer you- eating earlier, self massage, a walk after dinner, going to sleep before 10- will be amplified by this ONE trick- getting your thoughts, ideas and inspirations out of your head.

With my daughter, in a state of fatigue never before experienced by my husband and I, we went with the Ferber method (otherwise known as “Cry-It-Out”). And you know what? It worked like a charm! After two nights of crying, that little baby girl figured out how to fall asleep on her own, and slept 13 hours, and has done ever since.

Now my son is a different story. We tried to follow the same path as we had with our girl. He was having none of it. He’d cry for… for.. forever. He’d cry until he fell asleep, and then wake 2 hours later to cry some more. This method just plain didn’t work for him. And it left me feeling devastated.

Let’s talk about why we ‘sleep train’ our kids. Did I want to do it because they were always tired, or cranky, or seeming like they weren’t well rested? No. But my lord that’s exactly how I would’ve described myself in those days!

Halfway through my son’s first year I was a complete train wreck. I walked around with this look on my face – resting bitch face doesn’t even describe it. It was like resting sad and hateful face. From the moment I woke up, I felt painfully overwhelmed. I spent the days waiting for night, and the nights…. just wishing to speed up time and get past this chapter of our lives. The baby took all my energy, and I had zero left for my daughter or my husband, let alone myself.

This lack of self care manifested into anxiety, constant negative thoughts, lack of control. It felt like I was on the edge of a mental breakdown.

The world – my world – revolved around me and my issues. I was so unhappy that it was impossible for my family to be happy. My mental state left me short of patience for my sweet daughter. Expectation after expectation was put upon her to act beyond her years, to help mommy. Fatigue and overwhelm fostered feelings of resentment toward my husband. We fought constantly. Every night was a struggle, which brought him to speak the very clear and very simple statement “I’m tired of hearing you say I’m tired.” And I was tired of it too.

I was in such a lonely place. So out of control, yet, as a mom, needing to be in control of everything.

As I sat in my son’s room that night, not making eye contact with him, just rocking and wishing he’d go back to sleep, and guiltily harboring the blame I put upon him for turning my family upside down, it finally dawned on me. The problem wasn’t them. It was me. I needed to get myself under control. I needed to find a way to get my energy back, no matter what my son was doing. There had to be a better way, because otherwise I was headed down a very dark path.

That was 9 months ago, but it feels like a lifetime. When I took control of my situation, and focused on changing some of my habits, it didn’t matter how often my son woke in the night. I figured out how to care for myself, how to fall asleep easier, and sleep deeper, I stopped struggling to fall back to sleep after each night waking. So here I’m going to share with you four keys changes I made to my sleep habits, that wielded immediate results.

Here’s a hint** it has nothing to do with your baby…

1 – Rest, Don’t Digest

The teachings of Ayurveda explain that our bodies function best when we are in tune with circadian rhythms, or ‘natural cycles of the day’. Part of that natural rhythm is to sleep when the moon is up, be awake when the sun is up, and eat our biggest meal when the sun is highest in the sky. Our digestive fires burn their hottest when the sun is burning it’s brightest, and as the sun sets, our digestive system slows, to give energy to other system functions in the body. Late meals and late nights disturb this cycle and compromise the body’s ability to detox and restore efficiently.

Of course, this is no big deal when it happens on occasion. But when it happens for years, the liver can become congested and the body can build toxicity levels in the fat cells in the brain and throughout the body, leaving us with a groggy, hungover feeling in the morning.

So here’s the tip:

Close your kitchen after dinner. Aim to be finished your meal at least three to four hours before you go to bed. The ideal time to eat is 5:00 – 5:30. See how close to that you can get. Going to bed when the bulk of your digestion has occurred gives your body an opportunity to restore efficiently, and you’ll wake feeling more vibrant and refreshed.

2 – Turn Off The Tech

This is probably no surprise for any of you, that this would be on my list. On the news, in the paper, on your facebook feed – we hear about the effects of screen time at bedtime a ton. And it needs to be said again, especially for moms who hang out in front of a screen during their ‘me time’.

I recently conducted a survey for new moms; Of the 165 women that responded, over 90% said they watch TV or browse social media to “relax” before bed. But here’s the issue with digital devices before dreamtime:

Screens Suppress Melatonin. The blue light emitted by screens on cell phones, computers, tablets, and televisions restrict production of melatonin, the hormone that controls your sleep/wake cycle or circadian rhythm. Reducing melatonin makes it harder to fall and to stay asleep.

Screens Keep Your Brain Alert. It may seem relaxing to unwind or zone out to your favorite movie or show before bed, but it’s keeping your mind engaged, and tricking your brain into thinking that it needs to stay awake. And if you’re reading emails that require a response, seeing something that evokes negative emotion on Facebook or in the news, or just pushing through to the end of this episode because what’s happening is so epic, those experiences can make it hard to relax and settle into sleep. Your mind needs time to unwind.

Poor quality sleep has been linked to obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.

Suppression of melatonin is a proven cause of an increased risk of cancer.

Basically, turn that sh*t off like your life depends on it.

So here’s tip 2:

Turn off your screens at least an hour before bedtime. If you still want an opportunity to zone out from your thoughts, reach for a book instead. Then at least you’re not staring at the blue screen of death. And if you’re having trouble parting ways with your tech, Do like I did and accidentally toss your tablet in the bathtub (That happened. And I was seriously devastated, and then had the best sleep ever. And then never bought a new tablet and never will).

3 – Listen to Your Body

Coming back to Ayurvedic teachings, between 6 and 10pm our energy hormones, adrenaline and cortisol levels, are coming down. If you’re anything like me (which I’m guessing most of you are), you feel a wave of fatigue sweep over you somewhere between 8:30 and 9:30, and sometimes earlier than that.

I used to feel completely wiped at 8pm sometimes. The kids had gone to bed by then, and I’d be just finishing up the evening tasks of tidying or lunch prep.

My brain would say “Oh my gosh I’m exhausted. Can’t wait to lie down and watch my show.” And my body was like “Umm hold up baby mama, did you not get the memo? I’M EXHAUSTED!”

For some reason we feel this need to ‘treat ourselves’ to these things that don’t serve us once the kids have gone to bed. We push down the tired feelings to get in a little more “me time”. We ignore the fatigue until we hit that 9:30 or 10pm second wind, that makes it even harder to fall asleep.

So here’s tip 3:

Pay attention to your body’s signals, and going to bed when your body wants to!

4 – No Talking Dirty!

And by that I mean no slinging mud ladies. The evening hours, from 6-10pm, are a sacred time – Kapha time. This time is best used for cohesiveness, for connection. A time for relaxed conversation, love and laughter. This is NOT the optimal time of day for bringing up your thoughts on your husband’s tendency to leave his wet towel on the bed, or for sitting down to strategize your financial future together.

Having potentially tense conversations at this time of day is likely to lead to an argument or debate, which could leave you feeling wired and tired and unable to calm yourself for a solid night’s sleep.

So here’s tip 4:

Save the budget planning and other more serious conversations for the weekend or daytime. Use the evenings for mini dates with your husband, creative play with the kids, relaxing laughter with a friend. Things that fill us up, without boiling us over.

Somehow ‘TIRED’ becomes a bad word, especially when you’re using it all day like I was. Now, feeling tired is one of my favorite things!

When I start to experience waves of fatigue in the evening, I know that bedtime is coming – and I lean right into it. I now have a bedtime routine that sets the stage for deep, restorative sleep. And it feels sooooo good. Delicious is no longer a word reserved for food. Tiredness is super delicious.

How are you finding rest amongst the chaos of motherhood? Leave your comments below!

And, to find some tips on creating a bedtime routine that works for you, follow me on facebook.

Yoga Health Coach Brodie Welch talks with fellow formerly sleep-deprived coaches Carly Banks and Kari Zabel about how they were able to radically transform their relationship with sleep. You’ll hear how Carly was able to overcome her sleep debt even while caring for a newborn, and how Kari overcame the lifelong insomnia she was previously resigned to dealing with. Learn how an identity shift coupled with simple tweaks in daily routine unlocked the secret to sound sleep for these formerly Hot Mess Health Coaches.

What you’ll get out of tuning in

1. Learn the one small shift that resulted in better sleep for Carly within 3 days
2. How you can get your “me time” and your sleep, even as a new parent
3. How Facebook might be sabotaging your sleep

Links

• Grace Edison’s website
• Bodythrive
• Headspace app

Show Highlights

• • 3:45 Carly finally realized that she wasn’t sentenced to sleep deprivation just because she had a newborn baby, and saw why she was inadvertently contributing to her own suffering
  • 5:30 Get both “me time” and rest, even with a newborn!
    • Digest, then rest
    • Turn off the tech
    • Listen to your body
    • Create your own bedtime routine
    • Trade in sharing space for a genuine connection
  • 12:35 Kari confronts the belief that it’s her lot in life to sleep poorly because insomnia runs in her family
  • 16:10 The enemies of good sleep: caffeine, alcohol, and that blue light we love so much

• 22:30 Reframing mindsets around insomnia can help overcome resistance and develop consistently sound sleep.

Favorite Quotes

• “We’re still living in a culture that prizes productivity, and if you’re not chronically busy and tired all the time, you somehow must not be doing enough. If being busy gives you bragging rights, being sleep-deprived and exhausted shows just how hard you must be working.” – Brodie Welch
• “Resentment tends to increase in proportion to our lack of self-care.” – Brodie Welch
• “[As a new mom], I was still externalizing all my problems…, not considering that there were things I could do for myself.” -Carly Banks
• “We need to recognize… that our bodies have gone through this massive job of producing a child and birthing it, and to say that we need 6 months to a year or more of time to rest and restore, I think that’s pretty fair.” – Carly Banks

• “I had this story that I inherited insomnia from my mother… like I inherited her brown, curly hair and blue eyes.” – Kari Zabel
• “It’s what you do in your daily life that’s so much more important than the [genetic] cards you’re dealt.” – Brodie Welch
• “It’s the melatonin-killing blue light that’s been your enemy!” – Brodie Welch
• “The realignment to a set [Ayurvedic] schedule… I get so much more done.” – Kari Zabel

Guest’s BIO

Carly Banks offers a light at the end of the parenting tunnel with her programs at Nourished Living. Through the birth of two children, postpartum difficulties, being a working mom, and struggling to find common ground with her partner, Carly learned the hard way that routines and self care are the path to family thrive. Now she’s shattering old patterns and false beliefs about herself to become the person she and her family deserve.

Suitable for pregnant women and mothers of all ages, Nourished Living offers programs that help us love ourselves fully, so we may love and foster the positive growth of our families.

Carly lives in British Columbia Canada with her family of four. Connect with her to hear more about how Carly shares her skills with the Mamas of the world. Carly’s website.Carly’s Facebook.

Kari Zabel has been teaching yoga since 2003, and is an Advanced Certified Jivamukti teacher who studied with founders Sharon Gannon and David Life. She teaches classes, workshops, retreats and immersions and has co-lead teacher training programs across the U.S., Asia, Latin America, and Europe. Kari is currently a Senior Teacher at the Jivamukti Yoga Centers in Munich and is regularly featured in Yoga Journal Germany as the model for the 108 Asana Finder. She is known for her light spirit, heartfelt teachings, creative sequencing and ability to inspire her students to live full, happy, and healthy lives.

Kari also studies Ayurveda and habit change and is one of Europe’s few Yoga Health Coaches. She helps clients improve their diet, sleep, energy, and mental clarity so they can feel kick-ass and ready to take on the world. Kari’s website.Kari’s Facebook.