This blog series, written by Dr. Millet, was originally posted in a Las Vegas-based yoga magazine called Vegas Yogi at vegasyogi.com.
This month’s theme is non-greed, non-hoarding, and letting go. I want to explore how these ideas relate to our ability to both receive and respond to the subtle impressions involved in what I call “Listening to the Body.”
THREE KINDS OF IMPRESSIONS
I find that our choices are shaped by three kinds of impressions: thoughts, emotions, and intuition. When none of these override the others—when they are in balance—something remarkable happens. The material aspects of our lives begin to work in harmony with the spiritual ones.
RELEASING GREED
Greed and hoarding, however, create imbalance. In these states, thoughts or emotions dominate, and our deeper, more soulful impressions—our intuition—grow quiet. This pulls us toward materialism and distracts us from our true needs. We lose peace, purpose, and a sense of connection.
In my teens and into my twenties, I was intensely driven to succeed. I finished medical school, started a family, and bought my first home all during that period. Nearly every moment of my schedule was planned weeks or months in advance. I even loathed sleep. I saw it as wasteful—unproductive time where nothing meaningful happened.
That belief was shattered when I read a paper by a neuroscientist showing that sleep is foundational to success, health, relationships—everything. Some years later, I pivoted my practice and became a sleep specialist.
IMPROVING SLEEP
Since sleep is such a powerful form of “letting go,” I’d like to share five pointers for improving both the quantity and quality of your sleep:
- Follow consistent daily rhythms—retire, wake, eat, and exercise at the same time each day.
- Make your bedroom pitch black and keep electronic devices at least 10 feet from the bed.
- Avoid alcohol, caffeine, and sweets for four hours before bedtime.
- After sunset, dim the lights and limit screens as you ease toward rest.
- Allow sleep to happen naturally—avoid forcing it with sleep aids such as medications, melatonin, or cannabis.
True sleep is the ultimate daily act of letting go. No amount of yoga, meditation, or breathwork replaces it. When your body is well-rested and your nervous system is calm, your daytime efforts become more effective. You are less likely to injure yourself in yoga, more resilient when pushing your limits, sharper mentally, and more emotionally steady.
Most importantly, you become much more capable of hearing your intuition.
When thoughts, emotions, and intuition work in harmony, our choices become aligned and peaceful. They lead us toward richer, more meaningful, and more joyful lives.
