Recipe: Calming Sleep Elixir
This calming sleep elixir is a beautiful addition to any pre-bed ritual and can help guide you in to a restful night of deep rejuvenating sleep!
This recipe is a jazzed up version of my Ayurvedic speciailist’s suggestion to calm excess vata dosha. This drink features a teaspoon of Ashwagandha. This calming herb is popular the world over to soothe the nervous system and alleviate tension in the body. Having said that- superficial research shows ashwagandha doesn’t always suit everybody, people who are pregnant or breastfeeding, have hyperthyroidism or diabetes are best to consult a physician regarding regular consumption of herbs with sedative qualities.
I notice a definite difference in my sleep quality when I take this in the evenings before going to bed, in Ayurveda it is important to look at the vessel the herb is mixed in to- in this case it is a milk-substitute (or milk if you enjoy dairy) to increase it’s relaxing effects.
Ashwagandha has a nutty flavour quality and can be enjoyed boiled in your milk of choice on it’s own- this is a great no-fuss option I thoroughly enjoy, especially if you like things simple.
RECIPE NOTES:
Serves One- takes 3minutes to make!
I use an metal stove-top Turkish coffee pot to make this but you could use a small pot :)
It is suggested you drink this an hour before sleep for best results
I use oat milk for this recipe as it has similar qualities to cow milk but other nut milks are also fine carriers
Ingredients
1 cup of oat milk
1 teaspoon of ashwagandha root powder
1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1 small pinch of sea salt
1/4 teaspoon quality vanilla extract/ vanilla bean
Optional:
honey or rice-malt syrup (it’s a gentle low GI sweetener) to taste (max 1 teaspoon)
Method
Place all ingredients (except the honey if it’s your chosen sweetner) in your coffee pot and mix
Heat gently until the milk begins to froth and lightly boil (just like making Turkish coffee!)
Stir to ensure everything is blended evenly, take off of the heat (you may add your honey here)
Slowly poor into an insulated cup
Sip slowly an hour before bed
Feeling inspired? Let me know if you make this! Send a picture of your sleep elixir or tag me on instagram with your creation @_annie_Johns_ to go in to the draw to win a free private lesson 💖
