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What does kava feel like?

The Kap'n

The Kap'n

The Groggy Kaptain (40g)
KavaForums Founder
I'll be compiling your responses and adding them to our frequently asked questions page.

So, what does kava feel like to you?

My experience:
(Keep in mind I drink kava as thick as eggnog)
I use around 40-45 grams of traditional medium grind kava w/ 400ml water (heated 120-140°F), and I use the knead, squeeze, and strain method (traditional) to prepare. I drink my kava all in one go.

About 5-10 minutes in I start to feel the kava effects. It starts out with spacial and auditory distortion. It makes me feel like the room has changed sizes. My attention to volume level immediately skyrockets. Anything at a reasonable volume before kava gets reduced to nearly inaudible after drinking. I begin to feel the subtle relaxation, but after drinking kava for a decade I've become a bit more attune to the effects of kavain. So depending on the night, energy levels, and how much I've eaten, the first 30 minutes of kava can be stimulating and relaxing at the same time. After the slight stimulation, I get the eye drooping heavy effects. It feels like kava's giant hand is then pushing me deep into the couch. This is how I know it's time for bed. Once my head hits the pillow I'm out in minutes (sometimes seconds)

That's my condensed version, please feel free to be as descriptive as possible.

We have tons of information on kava, but no real experiential data collected in one area. Help us out by providing your experience.

Thanks everyone!
-Kapm
 
VictoryRider

VictoryRider

Kava Enthusiast
For me, it works like this:

First, in addition to the immediate mouth numbing, I start to feel a warm, soft "glow" in my head and partly in my body, rather mild.

Then, the ear ringing: I've had tinnitus my whole life, but the quality of it changes. It gets a bit stronger, and I can "feel" it
(hard to describe). Note that it is in no way unpleasant, in fact it is pleasant, and I recognize it as a harbinger of better things
coming soon!

Then, the strong effects start in. A strong, soft, buzzy glow throughout my body. Kind of like sitting in a vibrating massage chair
for a while, then turning it off -- once the vibrating stops, your body has soft buzzy glow similar to this.

Then, a moderate, very pleasant euphoria kicks in.
Music sounds so beautiful -- it doesn't sound different, it just "feels" wonderful. Looking at scenery -- again, it looks the same, it
just "feels" good. Happy, happy thoughts. Very relaxing and peaceful. Some people want to socialize and connect with others.
I don't. I love drinking kava alone. No distractions, just bliss!

Heavier doses increase all of these effects, but also make the muscles rubbery and weak. Walking can become difficult,
not due to equilibrium changes, but due to the legs just not wanting to cooperate! At yet heavier doses it can be hard
to focus the eyes, leading to a sort of "double vision".

I tend toward nausea after drinking plenty of kava. I avoid this by eating a slice of fresh ginger root (or a couple pieces of
candied ginger) after each shell. Makes a world of difference. I rarely get an upset stomach anymore.

Then, after several hours, I descend towards normalcy, but it's very gradual. I go to bed, and fall asleep quickly, unless I've
had a heady kava (like Moi), in which case it can take a while to fall asleep.

Next day, I feel fine, assuming no tudei.
 
CactusKava

CactusKava

Phoenix, AZ
Kava Vendor
This depends on the type of kava I drink. I've always been into the heady varieties, since I started trying kava out for anxiety issues. However, I've been delving more and more into the heavy varieties, and just had a great experience with a 245xxx last night.

General Thoughts
When I first started kava, I would use @Kapmcrunk 's method of drinking thick kava in hopes that I won't have to drink much. I have found that it causes way more nausea for me, so I've started to make it pretty thin, normally around 1/2 cup of medium grind root to 2.25 cups of water, spaced out over 1 to 2 hours. I'll drink a 1/2 cup of the resulting liquid at a time.

Heady Kavas
I'll start out a heady kava with a double shell, which equates to a full cup of kava. This generally jumpstarts the process and allows me to chill out for longer without having to drink some more very soon. At this point, my head will start to feel a little pressure, and my eyes get a little droopy. After a few more shells, I'll have some ringing in my ears, and a slight bit of eye-lag. My muscles won't really feel much different, but sometimes I'll have some muscle lethargy. These types of kavas generally put me into a state of "I'm just going to watch some Netflix and relax".

Heavy Kavas
I have limited experience with heavy kavas, like I said before, but I've made it my mission to try as many great heavy kavas as I can. Heavy kavas are a different animal, and really help as a muscle relaxant. Yesterday, I took a quick business day trip to California on the smallest jet the airline could find, so my seat was probably the worst I've experienced on a plane thus far. Not cool.

When I got home, I mixed up a mysterious bag of 245xxx and got to drinking. What was funny about this experience, is that most of the effects I normally get from heady kavas weren't apparent. After two shells, I didn't feel much of a difference in my head at all. What I did notice though, was that the ache in my knee (which is nearly always there) was gone. Not only that, but I just felt incredibly relaxed. I had two more shells, and really felt that whole "melt into the couch" scenario. By that time, my entire body was relaxed, and I didn't have any of the knots in my back that were there earlier. My head was entirely clear, and I didn't feel any pressure or ear ringing like I usually get with heady varieties.

Woohoo! Yay, kava!
 
Zac Imiola (Herbalist)

Zac Imiola (Herbalist)

Kava Connoisseur
Well I just drank some mahaKea soo here we go !
I start off usually with 2 to 4 tablespoons into like 12 oz of water sometimes less
Drink all of it
Feel the dryness kick in.. :/
Then I start getting the joy in my tummy. Music becomes awesome, people less burdensome and social ness in general increased. I find myself cracking jokes, singing and sometimes dancing.
I typically become interested in random things in a joyfull way, and feel less need for most things. Obliterating my desire to smoke cannabis. Which is great. Then after that initial rush of enjoyment there's typically a dumb smile on my face and my ears slightly ringing. That wears down and I'm left kind of missing where I was so I drink more haha... when it's all said and done I am usually kind of tired and ready for bed lol. I sleep like a baby every night :)
 
avahZ

avahZ

YAHWEH Shalom
I will use both traditional prep (the one with the local virgins chew it for you! Yea right!), or blend with my Vitamix, pour in nylon sock and squeeze,

Heady kavas: i chug about 2 shells and wait 15 minutes then choke down the rest. After defeating my gag reflex, my mouth will go numb first. In about 5 to 10 mins my ears will start to humm. My body starts to relax and my over all mood gets a boost in about 20 mins. 30mins I begin to feel my face begin to grin and my head starts to feel like it's swimming (in a good way). I can get a bit dizzy and unsteady when I walk and my vision can get blurred. Thus I have entered the krunked state. I have had this get too intense so if it does I will get a small bite to eat to knock it back abit.

Body Kavas: I approach these differently, I try to slow down my shell intake. These I dilute a bit more and take my time. Generally one large shell every fifteen minutes. The effect hits my knees first. They will tingle in about 15 mins. This feeling then goes into my other joints after about 30 to 40 mins. I will get a sence of calm and could sit in one spot the whole session. These do to varying degrees stop my joints from aching and my muscle cramps have all but disappeared because of these body kavas.

My morning Moi: I add about 1/4 tsp instant into my morning cold brew coffee, and I get a good boost for the day. This lifts my morning fog much better than coffe alone. If I don't have moi on hand I will use a kava candy and let it dissolve.

Some kavas can hit in the middle (like PK,s Strait Laterals and GHK,s Mahakea).

Kava has a mind of her own and if she wants to be a fickle mistress, there is very little you can do. I have had some of my best kavas act different some times. One constant that keeps me coming back, is that I know the next day will be brighter and less stressful because she is also a kind mistress.
 
blindy107

blindy107

Kava Lover
image.jpeg


It starts typically with a desire to chat. I find myself using my hands more when I talk. I start to get a bit of "eye lag" after 3-4 shells. This is accompanied by some cranial pressure and feelings of ease.

After 5-6 shells it's usually yawning time. I quickly find somewhere to park my ass. I will occasionally try to play some Xbox or watch a show but I don't last long and find myself crawling into bed.

Sound sleep most nights and I awake easily with a good "clean slate" feeling.

These are just the general effects I get. There are more specifics based on chemotype or my attitude going into the session.
 
Sacred Journey

Sacred Journey

Kava Curious
To me kava feels like being drunk with the Divine Mother, as opposed to alcohol which makes men drunk with the Spirit of the Father. My muscles relax and I feel much pain relief and my mind becomes calm and clear and silent. It is great for meditation.
 
Sacred Journey

Sacred Journey

Kava Curious
Well, in certain spiritual traditions we have the notion that reality, while singular can be thought of as possessing two polarities. Perhaps the most well known illustration of this concept is the ying/yang symbol of Taoism:


These two basic forces are opposite but complimentary and correspond to male and female in humans. In Hinduism they are understood as Shiva and Shakti and in Christianity they are called Alpha and Omega. All of life is a dance, or play between these two forces. Plants and drugs, like all things, possess aspects of both forces with some of them being more masculine and others being more feminine. I find kava to be more feminine.

Many natives peoples throughout the world have worshiped the divine mother goddess (represented by the Virgin Mary in Christianity) and in so doing kept up a healthy relationship with mother earth, which is feminine and father sky which is masculine. But white people have for the most part, denied the feminine aspect of the divine and only worshiped the masculine. This is out-pictured by our unhealthy relationship with nature and the earth and our tendency to rape and destroy everything we come across. Only when the two forces come into balance, can we live in sustainable way in alignment with the principles of nature and divine law.
 
Krunked up Tong

Krunked up Tong

Kava Enthusiast
The Kap'n said:
I'll be compiling your responses and adding them to our frequently asked questions page.

So, what does kava feel like to you?

My experience:
(Keep in mind I drink kava as thick as eggnog)
I use around 40-45 grams of traditional medium grind kava w/ 400ml water (heated 120-140°F), and I use the knead, squeeze, and strain method (traditional) to prepare. I drink my kava all in one go.

About 5-10 minutes in I start to feel the kava effects. It starts out with spacial and auditory distortion. It makes me feel like the room has changed sizes. My attention to volume level immediately skyrockets. Anything at a reasonable volume before kava gets reduced to nearly inaudible after drinking. I begin to feel the subtle relaxation, but after drinking kava for a decade I've become a bit more attune to the effects of kavain. So depending on the night, energy levels, and how much I've eaten, the first 30 minutes of kava can be stimulating and relaxing at the same time. After the slight stimulation, I get the eye drooping heavy effects. It feels like kava's giant hand is then pushing me deep into the couch. This is how I know it's time for bed. Once my head hits the pillow I'm out in minutes (sometimes seconds)

That's my condensed version, please feel free to be as descriptive as possible.

We have tons of information on kava, but no real experiential data collected in one area. Help us out by providing your experience.

Thanks everyone!
-Kapm
Click to expand...
Sorry to dig up an old thread, but I find it interesting that you drink all your Kava in one go. How much liquid do you use to root ratio? Maybe I need to try this.
 
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