Are You a Dreamer?

A dreamer can be defined as one who lives in a world of fancy and imagination. On a more positive side a dreamer could be called a visionary.  Yet, dreaming is something we do in both our wakened and unawakened state.  Dreams are crucial to our lives in both states. Really they are both connected and necessary for the other one to exist.

Ayurveda seeks to balance health on a both a physical and emotional level.  To feel emotionally healthy, people like to feel happy and live a life of meaning and purpose.  Discovering what these things are varies with each individual (as it should!). To think and determine such important concepts requires a strong, healthy mind. People who are feeling fatigue, stress or confusion will not be very successful at it. Moreover, people who are experiencing mental difficulty like dementia or Alzheimer’s will lose this ability to dream a vision for their lives.

Ironically, our sleep dreaming can help us maintain our mind despite fatigue or stress and even prevent dementia and Alzheimer’s. The random series of thoughts, images, or emotions in our sleep state occur during the REM stage of sleep. Studies show that a lack of REM sleep and the dreaming in that state are associated with an increased risk for dementia and Alzheimer’s.

Ayurveda and modern medicine teach that sleep is necessary for body rejuvenation and detoxification.  Diseases like dementia and Alzheimer’s are associated with the buildup of amyloid plaque in the brain. Proper sleep keeps us healthy in our mind and body.

Go ahead be a dreamer in both your conscious and unconscious state. It will make you happy and healthy, which is what we all dream of.

Stay healthy & well,
Lisa