If you wish desperately to have a strong Amritvela but struggle to wake up on a consistent basis (or at

all), OR if you’ve thought about starting an Amritvela routine but have found it to be too daunting, then
this guide is for you.

I’m here to tell you that Amritvela does NOT need to be difficult. In fact, I believe that Guru Sahib
intended it to be quite natural and easy. Alarm clocks, after all, did not exist during the times of our Guru
Sahibaan.

So how did Gursikhs wake up for Amritvela in the past?

It all comes down to lifestyle. While we are asleep we don’t have the power to decide to wake up. That
decision has to be made when we are awake and alert, when we have actual agency and control over
our actions.

In fact, the process of waking up for Amritvela starts the day before, from the very time we wake up.
That is when our circadian cycle – our biological clock – starts ticking. What we need to do is guide that
clock to “bing” again the next morning at exactly the time that we need it to.

All of the tips in this guide are scientific, well-researched, and proven to be effective. I might not bother
to give you the research behind them, but I’ve looked into all of these methods and have tried them
myself, and I can promise you one thing:

If you incorporate all of the tips I’m giving you in this guide into your life, you WILL succeed in having a
consistent Amritvela. Guaranteed.

So are you ready to change your life?

If you are, then turn the page and let’s get started.

Contents:

1. Cold face plunge

2. Cold bath (Ice bath if possible)
3. Exercise
4. View the sunrise
5. View the early morning sun
6. View bright white light when you wake up
7. High-protein low-sugar breakfast
8. Eat fresh and clean
9. Eat according to Guru Sahib
10. Decide your bed time
11. Create a wind-down routine
12. Optimize your sleep environment
13. Record your sleep
14. Meditate before sleeping.
15. Set your intention to wake up at Amritvela, mentally or by writing.
16. Do Ardaas
 1. Cold Face-Plunge

The scientific literature on the benefits of cold water has exploded in recent years, but obviously Sikhs
have been taking cold baths for hundreds of years. It’s also an enormous part of why Sikhs have been
waking up for Amritvela successfully for hundreds of years. That’s because when your body is exposed to
that cold and forced to warm itself up first thing in the morning, it kicks up your circadian rhythms and
lets your body know to wake up earlier the next day. On the other hand, if you plunge yourself into a hot
shower first-thing in the morning, it is signaling to your body to wake up later the next day.

It might be hard to force yourself into that cold water right away, but here’s a trick that’s easy: do a cold
face-plunge in ice-cold water (I mean literally put your face in bowl of ice and water). Just putting your
face in ice water is going to ramp up all those right signals going to your brain. Make sure to hold for a
while; don’t just go for a quick dip.

Don’t skip this!

2. Cold Bath (Ice Bath if possible)

There’s a reason why Guru Sahib said to do cold ishnaan every morning. If you want to be successful at
waking up for Amritvela every day, then this is essential. Not only does it wake you up, but it tells your
body to wake up earlier the next morning, which is exactly the point!

Don’t be afraid of cold water. It’s not going to hurt you. In fact, the colder the better, and if you can do an
ice bath every morning it is going to do wonders for your health. Think of those Gursikhs doing Ishnaan
in the dead of winter in the freezing Sarovars of India. It’s in your blood – you got this!

If you are doing an ice bath in the morning then please just make sure you are safe about it. Moving from
ice cold water into a hot shower is not safe, so please do not take risks. (A regular cold shower is pretty
much always safe, just not as effective).

Also, be sure to do a full bath from head to toe (don’t skip your head).

3. Exercise

Studies have shown that the single most important factor in waking up refreshed and energized is
exercising the morning before. This is a huge hack for battling our inner snooze-monster in the mornings.
You can do your exercise before you do Ishnaan to help you warm and get ready for the cold water, or
you can opt to do it after Amritvela. But it should be some time during the morning.

Avoid intensive exercise late in the day when it might disrupt your sleep - obviously!

4. View the Sunrise

Guru Sahib has given us all of the tools we need to wake up for Amritvela already. One of them is the
sun. Even though Amritvela is the time before the sun rises, the sunrise is actually a majorly effective
tool in helping us wake up for Amritvela. When we view the sunrise it helps to stimulate our circadian
rhythms. You can think of it this way: being locked inside our houses, away from nature, slows down our
biological clock. It’s why we are more lethargic and tired as a society, and why waking up is such a chore
for most people. The sunrise is an incredibly effective stimulator for our circadian rhythms.

But there are a few rules. For one, viewing the sunrise through a window doesn’t count. That will do very
little for you. You need to get outside and see those beautiful early red and purple rays breaking from
the horizon. For at least 3 minutes. And even if it’s a cloudy day, you need to still get your butt outside
during sunrise because those special photons are floating around wanting to be absorbed and give your
inner clock a revitalizing boost. You will just need to be outside a little longer in order to absorb the
needed amount (at least 10 minutes).

Also: it doesn’t count when the sun is already high in the sky. Sunlight during the day is also great for
regulating our circadian cycles, so you definitely should be trying to get plenty of daylight every day as
well. But the sunrise time is special; those red rays carry some sort of special magical photons that hack
our bodies to wake us up earlier the next day.

Like I said, I’m not bothered to dig up the scientific research, but you can search it for yourself if you’re
interested (Dr. Huberman has been my go-to source of information on all of this).

The point is, make sure you view that sunrise daily and make it an essential part of your daily routine.

5. View the early morning sun.

Once the sun has escaped the horizon, you want to make sure you soak in those morning rays for at least
5-10 minutes. If it’s cloudy, stay outside for at least 15-20 minutes. Again, it doesn’t count to try to get
sunlight from behind a window. You need to be outside. Those morning photons will increase early-day
cortisol release which will help your body sleep early that night, which of course will help you wake up
for Amritvela.

It’s important to do deep meditation after we wake up, because the time we view the sunrise in relation
to the time we wake up is relevant here. The effects of getting sunlight are more potent the earlier we
get it. Since we are aiming to be awake several hours before we even see the sun, we won’t get that
optimal timing unless we are in deep meditation up until sunrise, in which case it has the same effect as
waking up to the sun.

6. View bright white light when you wake up.

When Sikhs were doing Amritvela back in the day, they were doing it by the light of the moon. That
white moonlight was actually another natural tool that was helping them wake up early every morning.

Now we can use white light devices to get those benefits. Getting that white light when we wake up will
help our bodies with that essential early-morning cortisol release. Get yourself a 10,000 LUX white light
therapy lamp from Amazon, keep it on next to you while you do your Paath every morning. Try it place it
on top of a high surface, since you ideally want the light to be shining down on you from a high angle.
You can keep this white light on while you work during the day. By late afternoon, however, ou want to
start to dim your work environment. Turn off overhead lights, use softer-light lamps, dim your computer
and phone screens.

By early evening, you want to be getting ready to plunge yourself into complete darkness!

7. Avoid sugar in the morning; opt for high-protein

What we eat during the day has an enormous impact on our energy levels and our ability to wake up.
Having sugar in the morning contributes to us waking up with less energy the next morning. Opt for a
high-protein breakfast, or no breakfast at all. Personally, I fast until late afternoon, and I have found that
this has had an enormously positive effect on my energy levels. Intermittent fasting may or may not be
for you; but definitely avoid sugar in the morning (or late evening – as a matter of fact, sugar in the
daytime isn’t great either, but if you have to then that’s the time to have it!).

8. Eat fresh and clean foods & avoid junk food

Be sure that your diet is composed of fresh, minimally-processed, chemical-free foods. Something that
SadhGuru talks about is “sleep quota” – the idea that we can increase or decrease the amount of sleep
that our bodies need. This is certainly true; when we eat crap, we put our bodies into overdrive trying to
process all those toxic foods, which makes us more tired, which in turn increases the amount of sleep we
need, which makes it harder to wake up for Amritvela.

Processed junk foods eat away our energy. Fresh foods, on the other hand, energize us and fill us with
life and vitality. So always be mindful of what you eat.

9. Eat according to Guru Sahib

This may well be the single-most important contributor to your Amritvela. Guru Sahib has given us Rehit,
or the Sikh Code, for a reason. These Rehitnamay outline for us a lifestyle that is optimised for spiritual
advancement. If you are not keeping Rehit, then you are also not reaping the benefits of this well-laid
out “Diet Plan” which Guru Sahib has created to help us.

It is very clear that Sikhs are forbidden from eating meals prepared by anyone who does not follow the
Sikh way of life. This means: no processed foods like store-bought granola bars and cereals; no
restaurant foods; no Cokes and Pepsis and ice creams from the ice cream truck.

If you are really, truly serious about having a strong Amritvela, then listen to Guru Sahib. Cook your own,
healthy, homemade meals. The best part of cooking your own food is that you can fill your food with the
power of Naam, by reciting Gurbani when you cook. This is an absolute plus in terms of helping you
wake up for Amritvela.

If you are new to cooking, try these recipe books. They are filled with simple vegetarian recipes that are
perfect for new and novice cooks:
The Easy 5-Ingredient Indian Cookbook: https://mybook.to/i2kzjD

Really Easy Baking Recipes: https://mybook.to/y687

Pretty Simple Cooking: https://mybook.to/fzNr4

10. Decide on a sleep time

Once you have settled with your morning routine, you need to figure out your sleep time so that you can
plan ahead and ensure a routine that puts you to sleep at the optimal time.

Most scientists will shake their fists at you if you were to suggest that you don’t need 8 hours of sleep a
night. I’m here to tell you that if Amritvela is important to you, you can forget about that 8-hour night
sleep. It is NOT going to happen, so get that in your head to start.

Amritvela starts at 3 am, so you want to up a little bit before that to get ready. If you are aiming to wake
up at 2:30 am, then 8 hours of sleep would mean that you would have to be asleep by 6:30 pm every
day! Believe me, life is not generous enough to let that happen.

Expecting to sleep 6 hours at nighttime is more reasonable. This allows for the 90-minute sleep cycle to
complete itself a solid 4 times over the course of the night. If you play your cards right, you can wake up
right when the last cycle has completed in order to wake up when you will be the most alert and ready
to go.

So figure out what time you need to be asleep – not going to sleep but already knocked out snoring –
and then write it down in big letters and stick it on your wall. If you are aiming for that 6-hour sleep cycle
as I’ve suggested, then your bedtime will be 8:30 pm so that you can wake up at 2:30 am.

*If 6 hours is not enough sleep time for you, you can take a nap after Amritvela – but ensure your nap
time is not more than 90 minutes, and that you do not have that nap late into the day.

11. Create a wind-down routine

Now that you have a sleep time, you need to have a wind-down routine which begins at least 1.5 hours
before that time.

During this wind-down time you will need to do the following:

- Dim all lights in the house. Make your house a cave of darkness and avoid light as much as
possible. Even a little bit of light can disrupt that precious sleep of yours.
- If you aren’t a bat and can’t see in the dark, then use red lights to help you find your way to your
bed. Red light is not as disruptive as other coloured lights, and some say it might even help you
sleep.
 - Once you are in bed, start a relaxation routine. This can be reading books, doing Paath, doing
Simran, or journalling. If you have kids, reading Sakhis to them can help you all relax. You might
want to take a warm bath at this time as well.
- Don’t eat or drink. You can have some warm milk to increase melatonin, which will help you fall
asleep, but be sure to do this right before you start winding down. Now is the time to let your
body take a break, so you can get the best rest possible.
- Turn off your phone!!! This is absolutely crucial, and you need to do this at the start of your
wind-down routine. The blue light from your phone is not only going to disrupt your ability to
sleep, but also your ability to wake up in the morning. So let your family and friends know that
you are out for the night, and do not turn on that phone.

12. Optimize your sleep environment

Since you are getting less sleep than a lot of people, it’s going to be important for you to get the best
sleep possible. You can do this by following the tips above, and also by optimizing your sleep
environment. Your room should:

- Be completely dark. Get rid of any night lights and make sure the windows don’t let in light.
- Be cool. A hot, stuffy room will decrease the quality of your sleep.
- Open the window. It will cool down your room and also get some more oxygen into your room,
something which may be important if you are sleeping with someone else.
- Make sure the room is quiet. Personally, I like sleeping with Kirtan on but some experts say that
your room should be completely silent, so see for yourself.

13. Start recording how much you sleep

Sometimes we think we are getting enough sleep but still waking up late, when the reality is that we
aren’t getting enough sleep at all. Sometimes our sleep is disrupted; sometimes we go to bed later than
we think we did. By keeping a record of how much you sleep, you will be able to take control of when
you wake up. Don’t underestimate how invaluable this data can be in helping make the changes you
need in order to take control of your Amritvela routine.

14. Meditate before sleeping

Focused, quiet meditation – whether it be via Simran or Paath – is a scientifically proven tool to help us
get more restful, quality sleep, and to therefore wakeup more energized. It can be easy to rush through
our Sohila Sahib and plop on the pillow, but this meditation is important.

15. Set your intention before you sleep

Part of your sleep routine should be setting your intention to wake up. Take a minute to say aloud when
you are going to wake up. Say it like you mean it, not like you’re hoping you “might” wake up. Also – and
this is a really big one – visualize yourself waking up at that time. In your mind, go through the steps of
getting out of bed, awake and energized, and heading to the washroom to do Ishnaan. See yourself
doing it but also internalize the feelings you expect to feel in that state. Visualization is super effective, so
do not skip this step! If you are not good at visualizing then you can write it down in a journal. The idea is
to prep your mind to get you up. You’d be amazed at how accurate our internal mind clock is. If your
mind is determined enough that 2:30 am is the time you HAVE to wake up, you will wake up even
without an alarm clock! Believe me, your mind has an astonishing ability to track time without visual
cues, if we let it.

Another part of setting your intentions is preparing for the morning. Take out your Amritvela clothes the
night before. Let them be a special set of clothes which you keep specially for Amritvela and do not wear
at any other time, and put them out, ready to go. This tells your brain to take this seriously.

16. Do Ardaas

Finally; last but not least: do Ardaas. By this point you have done all that you can do. The rest is up to
Him.

Do a sincere Ardaas and rest satisfied that you have made every effort on your part to wake up for
Amritvela.

• A Note on Alaram Clocks:

Never use your phone as an alarm clock. Ideally, keep your phone out of your room when you sleep.

The very best alarm clock you can use (if you must use an alarm clock at all) is a light clock – an alarm
clock that wakes you up by gradually filling the room with light. Believe, I’ve done the research, and I’ve
used every different type of alarm clock that there is. This is the best.

My top recommendation is the Philips Somneo Sunrise alarm clock (https://amzn.to/3wj5PBw) but if you
are looking for a more economical option then I would go for the Philips HF3500
(https://amzn.to/3I1KWgT). A great in-between option is the Philips SmartSleep clock
(https://amzn.to/3OMty3f).

Remember, it’s about routine and consistency. Work to integrate all of these tips into your daily
routine, and stay consistent – you WILL see results, I promise!

You can print the checklist out on the next page to help you with your goal of waking up for Amritvela.
We have also integrated all of these things into our Jeevani Journal already, to make it easy to
seamlessly incorporate all of these tips into your routine. If you’d like to buy the Journal, go here:
https://mybook.to/JeevaniJournal
 Amritvela Prep Checklist

☐ Cold face plunge

☐ Cold bath (Ice bath if possible)

☐ Exercise

☐ View the sunrise

☐ View the early morning sun

☐ View bright white light when you wake up

☐ High-protein low-sugar breakfast

☐ Eat fresh and clean

☐ Eat according to Guru Sahib

☐ Decide your bed time

☐ Create a wind-down routine

☐ Optimize your sleep environment

☐ Record your sleep

☐ Meditate before sleeping.

☐ Set your intention to wake up at Amritvela, mentally or by writing.

☐ Do Ardaas