Sleep is a pillar of health!

Sleep is a pillar of health!

The 2017 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine reveals the precise mechanisms governing circadian sleep/wake cycles and the direct impact of the light of the sun. These modern understandings confirm the Ayurvedic teachings about the relationship between Agni (digestive and solar “fire”), internal tejas, and sleep.

This Year’s Nobel Prize In Medicine Puts Fresh Focus On Ayurveda

The key findings of Jeffrey C Hall, Michael Rosbash, and Michael W Young nobel prize winning research give us important clues about how our body responds to the light of the sun, in Ayurveda a concept referred to as tejas. When tejas is depleted, we become depleted and illness results. The precise mechanisms uncovered by modern research amount to three main take-away points:

1. The gene that controls the daily biological/circadian rhythm responds to light by degradation of the protein accumulated in the cell during nights
2. Hence, our inner clock adapts our physiology to the dramatically different phases of the day with great precision
3. There are also indications that chronic misalignment between our lifestyle and the rhythm dictated by our inner time-keeper is associated with increased risk for various diseases.

While the scientific community has yet to discover how to control or manipulate these mechanisms, Ayurveda recommends that you simply adhere to ideal sleep/wake schedules coordinated with seasonal adjustments to encourage excellent sleep.

Sleep is one of three pillars on which to build excellent health and wellness. The others are diet and relationships.