Optimize Health and Well-Being Through Restorative Sleep
By integrating cutting-edge science with the ancient wisdom tradition of Ayurveda, Dr. Suhas Kshirsagar and Dr. Sheila Patel, authors of Awakened Sleep: An Ayurvedic Approach to Getting Deep Rest and Unlocking Optimal Health, share how we can have a balanced, restorative sleep that can unlock our full human potential.
#kriyayoga #ayurveda #insomnia #sleep #awakenedsleep
WEBSITE FOR THE BOOK: Awakened-Sleep.com
Dr. Suhas Kshirsagar
Dr. Suhas Kshirsagar (BAMS, MD, Ayurveda) is one of the most prominent Ayurvedic physicians in the United States with over 35 years of clinical experience. He is the director of Ayurvedic Healing, an integrative wellness clinic in Santa Cruz, CA. Dr. Suhas is also the author of several books including The Hot Belly Diet and Change Your Schedule, Change Your Life and is a sought-after speaker at Ayurvedic and wellness conferences both nationally and internationally. He is an advisor and consultant at Chopra Global and Chopra Foundation and has chaired and designed curriculums for several Ayurvedic schools. You can find out more about Dr. Suhas at his website AyurvedicHealing.net
Dr. Sheila Patel
Dr. Sheila Patel, MD, FA, AFP is a board-certified family physician and former Chief Medical Officer for Chopra Global. For more than a decade she practiced full-spectrum family medicine in rural communities, and currently maintains an outpatient primary care practice in Southern California where she combines the wisdom of Ayurveda with the tools of modern medicine to help patients heal from a variety of acute and chronic conditions. Dr. Patel is certified as an instructor of Ayurveda, yoga, and meditation and is current Chief Medical Officer for the Gaja Collective where she is lead educator for the Chopra Ayurvedic Health certification program. She also served as the clinical research director for the Chopra Foundation and has co-authored multiple published research papers on the benefits of meditation and Ayurveda. You can find out more about Dr. Patel at her website DrSheilaPatel.com
THE YOGA HOUR TEAM COMMENTS: Through their understanding and practice of Ayurveda, both Dr. Suhas and Dr. Sheila offer a unique perspective on the issue of sleep that is a problem for so much of our western population. What I really appreciated is their discussion of how good, restful, restorative sleep is not only important for our physical bodies but is deeply connected to our experiences of spiritual enlightenment. Dr. Suhas quoted the Bhagavad Gita and the Yoga Sutras saying that deep restorative sleep can bring us, each night, closest to the highest state of consciousness-nirvikalpa samadhi and we shouldn't waste the opportunity. Dr. Patel shared that these sleep rhythms are natural to us and the techniques they share in their book let us get in touch with the natural part of our self. She says that these small practices reconnect us to who we really are. I highly recommend this conversation.
DR. TRUJILLO’S COMMENTS: I appreciate how Drs. Suhas Kshirsagar and Sheila Patel include all three aspects of ourselves in their discussion about the importance of sleep: physical, mental/emotional, and spiritual. This conversation illumined the importance of our dosha, or Ayurvedic mind-body constitution, on our ability for restorative sleep. Advice for improving our sleep was discussed, including a brief bedtime ritual where we can settle our thoughts from the day, plant positive intentions for the night and next day, and end with gratitude. Listeners will benefit from this conversations framing of how to make our sleep part of our spiritual practice.