Love posts like that. Reminds me of when I first felt the full magic of kava.
Grind question
- Thread starter Vinestal
- Start date
Get horizontal for 20-30 minutes and close your eyes if you can. Usually pulls me back from nausea.
@Vinestal it will take a few goes to get some kind of idea of how much you need to hit that sweet spot without going too far into nausea. It will probably take a few months to really get to grips with it. One thing to definitely remember is that kava has a delayed reaction so what you drink now you won't feel fully for 15 to 30 mins and levels of effects build over the first hour. If you add too fast then it's easy to overdo it. That's why it's important to let each shell sit for a while and do it's thing. It wouldn't be a bad idea one time to just drink one good strong shell and then not top up with any more. Note the effects and how they build over the first hour and then wain. This will give you a good insight into how much and when you need to add.
Ooof, yeah, I've had nights like that. At least it's an experience you can learn from.
fait
Position 5 Hard Support
This is interesting, these first experiences people are having are more or less the opposite of what I had. I could taste the earthy, spicy-dirt flavor of the kava, and I could feel it numbing my tongue and throat, but I usually just felt super relaxed and at ease. I'm wondering if my dose could be turned up a dial or two. I of course don't want to get to the point of going horizontal because I had too much too fast!
Take your time...no rush
Vinestal
Kava Curious
Well Im likely done with Kava. If I make it in an Alu ball it taste bad and does nothing for me. If I use the blender method it has marvelous effects when I can choke it down. My body now instantly realizes what I'm trying to put into it and I get terrible gag reflex and dry heaves when I try to swallow it. Just the thought of drinking it makes me feel nauseous. Even when I've been able to get a shell in me it's not long before my stomach feels like one of those guys in the alien movies that have been impregnated. The positive feelings and vibes I get are far outweighed by the pure feeling of sick from drinking and digesting this stuff. I envy those of you that can handle it because I do love the effect I just can't get through the negative side of it. These forums have been a huge help with suggestions of cutting it with different things but nothing seems to change the yucky effect of this for me.
Sad to hear that. I'm guessing you've tried alternative flavourings and maybe watering it down quite a bit more so you're still getting it in but your body doesn't notice so much? How about a load of ginger root straight in with the kava?
Vinestal
Kava Curious
What are you doing with milk Edward? Add it to the Kava mixture? I'm finally working up the nerve to try Kava again, likely because I've forgotten how truely vile the taste is and how hard it was for me to get down. I really loved the feeling I got from Kava but not enough to get through trying to down it or the nausea that accompanied the process of drinking it. I still have a good stash of Kava so I'd like to find a way to use it, I just can't find a way to get it to my stomach lol.
recentreturn
Kava Enthusiast
Just a thought: some kavas taste better than others. Also, drinking kava weak (like it is said the Fijians drink it) can make a difference too. When I first tried kava many years ago, I was shown to make it in a strainer bag and knead until when you stir it, scoop some up and pour it back into the bowl you see only a little, but not a lot, of light can pass thru it. That is, to drink it at the darker side of translucent, not opaque. I have a feeling that many on the forum drink it MUCH stronger than that; but a mix like that with a lighter tasting kava might be helpful and be sure to take some time between shells. I've only recently come back to kava, but I can definitely say that there is a WORLD of difference between, for example, the flavor of Kavafied's Kava Supreme and the Kava Bati. I've probably been making the Supreme too strong (very opaque) so I can't say I'm making an equal comparison, but I can say that between a weaker mix of Bati and a strong mix of Supreme, the Bati tastes almost good to me, and the Supreme is a heavier more bitter taste (which my stomach kinda baulks at). I even react differently to the two smells of the powdered root. [not sure if the Bati is the effect you are seeking; but the point is that not all kava will necessarily trigger your gag reflexes in the same way]. Years ago I used blender method a couple times, thought it was gross.
Vinestal
Kava Curious
Yeah, I have the 2 types of Kava mentioned earlier in this thread. My problem with drinking the weaker dose is that it's almost has hard for me to down but it really has very little if any effect for me.
I add milk to my kava mixture because it helps my body to use the kava better. If I don't I can drink milk in the morning and get a kava rush! It doesn't help that much with the taste though.
I'm sorry that you are struggling with the kava so much. Especially after you had such a nice initial experience with it. I wonder, have you tried any of the flavored kavas like Kava Time's? The flavoring agents they use are really very good but each glass is as strong as a shell in effects. Just an idea. Good luck to you. I hope you can find a way to make kava work for you. 