Some Do's and Dont's for that deep soulful n soundful sleep ...Zzzzz

Sleep time - 8 hrs (10 pm to 6 am, same time will help with the biological clock settings, Circadian rhythm, REM)

To take off into a soothing, relaxing and a peaceful world of natural healing and rejuvenation for your body and mind, you need to ~

#Place your phone on FLIGHT mode! 

#Get away from all electronic devices/ white light/ anything loud for the senses/ fluid consumption one hr prior going to bed.

#Keep a gap of minimum 2 hrs to max 3 hrs between dinner and sleep time. That said, also don't go to bed empty stomach. 

#Dinner should not be very heavy, salad, no curd, a small portion of only one type of grain (either rice /roti), 1 dal and one veg. Can include a small cup of warm Turmeric date milk/ Chamomile tea as per the Prakriti (Body's constitution) one hr before going to bed.

#Keep the last hr of the day for reading some good book, doing some light bedtime exercise, a short 15 min of spiritual practices with cross legged and eyes closed (Nadi shodhan/ Brahmari/ full yogic breath/ Meditation/ Om Chanting) preparing yourself for bed and maybe writing about the day's learning. Mudra breathing for sleep - Shakti Mudra (Also relives back and hip pain due to prolonged sitting).

#Sleep on your back. Not on sides or stomach. With hands at the sides or on stomach, head should be raised up from shoulders to avoid blood accumulation in the head region.

#Take a warm water bath with a light fragrant essential oil or body wash to cleanse all the days dirt and soothe any muscular aches. Could include moisturizing your body as a relaxing massage.

#Foods for good sleep - increase food items in your diet which are rich in Magnesium(leafy veg, sweet potato, dates, banana, nuts and seeds), oats, soaked almonds, avoid white sugar, caffeine after 5pm or forever if possible! 

#Feet should be warm naturally. If they are cold, it means low healthy and won't let you have a good sleep. Sleep with a pair of warm socks. 

# Don't cover the face while sleeping, keep the fan at a low speed and windows open enough for well ventilation. 

#Sleep with the head pointing towards the South. If not possible, place it towards the east. Never in the south direction.

#Keep your room clean, neatly arranged and clutter free to have more free space and clean air. You could make use of some light fragrant candles. Avoid using the underneath area of bed as a means of storage. 

#Do not hit the snooze button and try to oversleep. Your body has woken up. Don't let it start controlling the mind first thing in the morning!

#Every place has its purpose and energy. You cannot sleep on the dining table, similarly you should not eat on the bed.

#Don't sleep in the afternoons. Let the afternoon siestas be for old people. Also if you do something very frequently, it loses its charm and doesn't feel exciting when the right (night) time arrives!

#Health is 30% exercise 70% food and 100% sleep.

Good Night, Sleep tight, Don't let the bugs bite, Wake up light :)

Keep a green tree in your heart and perhaps the singing bird will come :)

Common name - Aloe Vera

Scientific name - Aloe barbadensis

Cultivation - I have been nurturing Aloe plants from past four years, transferring and replanting the newer pops that come out so as to avoid over crowding. Have researched a lot and these links might be helpful if you are onto something similar.

For transferring - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soPqKLHhrG0
         https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fbe2jxc9aVA

Aloe Vera plant - Grown best in full sunlight, little water and a large pot.

Benefits - Very effective as a medicinal applicant on open wounds like cuts and burns, healing without leaving a mark, as a natural skin moisturizer, lengthening the hair and treatment of scalp allergies.

Flowers - And I have been gifted the fruits (read flowers) of my efforts. A rare sight to see the Aloe Vera flowers bloom...that happens so beautifully and meticulously. Not all Aloe Vera bloom, and when it does, it's once in it's lifetime. I have two window full of Aloe Vera plants...And in both the windows during the rains, the flowers bloomed one after another..Maybe pollination?!

Aloe Vera Bird - There is a typical bird which sits and sucks on the Aloe Vera flowers. And upon surfing on the net, I realized that the bird which had come in my window earlier that day was the same one!and the shades of the flower and the bird are the same! it also has long beak to penetrate well into the long narrow tubular petal arrangement of the flowers. So intricately beautifully well planned the nature is!

Below is the little fellow who set my heart aflutter when I saw him hanging upside down drinking nectar from the Aloe Vera flower, on my terrace. I ran for the camera praying he would not fly off. He was there! Not only that day, was he there but every day till the flowers lasted. It is the male Purple Rumped Sunbird. Mark its maroon breast band and yellow belly and the characteristic long curved sunbird beak. 

Fact File: Purple Rumped Sunbird leptocoma (Nectarinia) zeylonica 10cm. 

Resident: Widespread in C and S India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

             

Gel preparation - Pulling off the ripe succulent leaf blades, cleaning with water,Cut off the lower leaf part which oozes out yellow bitter irritant latex sap, removing the thorns by cutting off the edges, peel off the top layer and extract the pulp by scrapping off the skin of the leaf with a sharp spoon. It's a million dollar herb, don't waste it..not even a drop of it: D blend the translucent pulp in a mixer and store in fridge up to 1 week. Transfer in spray bottles for ease of application. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oO6EjhFpO9c