Powdered Kava Review Savusavu Waka

[sɥɐʞɐs]

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Savusavu Waka
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This is an excellent kava, coming from the Savusavu region of Fiji's 2nd largest island Vanua Levu. The effects are very calm, soothing & hypnotic, offering great anxiety relief and peace that is quite noticeable even after one strong shell. A nice balanced kava that offers a bit of both worlds, without being overly nauseating or sloppy like something heavier would be.

It's a pretty standard medium-grind, with a mix of fine powder and few longer shards mixed in. The scent is a crisp familiar kava aroma, with a touch of all the most common kava smells. The taste is relatively mild, with a hint of a pepper bite at the end...but it's thin and washes away quickly, without inducing my gag reflex.

The orders are currently being fulfilled from Florida, so it actually ships in the standard time-frame us Yanks are accustomed to. Shipping costs are a little more than usual, but this might be because it comes in a square box rather than the standard USPS 'Flat Rate' envelope.

I've probably had more kava from Fiji over the years than any other region. They can range from being junk, all the way up to being on par with the best kavas from any region. This kava falls into the latter category and is among the small handful of truly proper Fijian kavas I've come across.

Overall, great kava and if it were available at my local Indo-Fijian market, I would certainly buy it regularly. I definitely recommend giving it a try, especially for those who like balanced, dreamy, 'floating on a soft cloud' types of kava. This one really seems to encourage some outdoor evening appreciation time....sit on your patio, chug some shells, tune in and drift off.

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[kilakila]

Great review. Got mine today and mixed up a batch as soon as it arrived. Just had one shell and first impression is darned good kava! Going to sit with this kava for a while - on my patio watching the sun go down behind the hill - and give it time to speak to me.
First shell in and it appears to be a well-balanced kava. I don't do well with heady Kavas and so far no unwanted effects. Definite anxiety reduction. I'll likely do a review later but so far savusavu is high up on my list of fave kavas

 

[Groggy]

Well Fijian kava is my favorite too, definitely on my to try list. Nice review @sɥɐʞɐs, I always enjoy reading them.

 

[Kava Time]

Guys please do like my facebook page when you can <Click Here> and share your reviews with your kava drinking friends I'm glad you're enjoying the kava @kilakila

 

[kilakila]

Guys please do like my facebook page when you can <Click Here> and share your reviews with your kava drinking friends I'm glad you're enjoying the kava @kilakila

Certainly. And done!

 

[kilakila]

As it looks as though Kavafied isn't coming up with my beloved 'Eua kava, I've just gone and depleted my bank account and bought another bag of Savusavu! I SHOULD be good to go for a while!

 

[Joannerd]

Guys please do like my facebook page when you can <Click Here> and share your reviews with your kava drinking friends I'm glad you're enjoying the kava @kilakila

Is this more or less sedating than your. Ambae? I emailed earlier today and I was told that was the heaviest, but this is in stock now, and it has 4 shells for sedation. I’m looking for relaxation to help me sleep at night.

Perhaps I need a balanced kava to help my mind relax. I am often very sleepy, but I get anxiety and have trouble relaxing my mind.

 

[recentreturn]

Is this more or less sedating than your. Ambae? I emailed earlier today and I was told that was the heaviest, but this is in stock now, and it has 4 shells for sedation. I’m looking for relaxation to help me sleep at night.

Perhaps I need a balanced kava to help my mind relax. I am often very sleepy, but I get anxiety and have trouble relaxing my mind.

You weren't asking me, but my two cents is that if its like the batches I've had, I would drink it well before bedtime as it has a pretty powerful headiness at the start.

 

[Joannerd]

You weren't asking me, but my two cents is that if its like the batches I've had, I would drink it well before bedtime as it has a pretty powerful headiness at the start.

Ok so not good for an insomniac check!

 

[Krunkie McKrunkface]

Is this more or less sedating than your. Ambae? I emailed earlier today and I was told that was the heaviest, but this is in stock now, and it has 4 shells for sedation. I’m looking for relaxation to help me sleep at night.

Perhaps I need a balanced kava to help my mind relax. I am often very sleepy, but I get anxiety and have trouble relaxing my mind.

I find them both very sedating but the Savusavu a bit more so. You certainly couldn't go wrong with either, IMO. It is also very good for pain relief, in our experience.

 

[Krunkie McKrunkface]

Is this more or less sedating than your. Ambae? I emailed earlier today and I was told that was the heaviest, but this is in stock now, and it has 4 shells for sedation. I’m looking for relaxation to help me sleep at night.

Perhaps I need a balanced kava to help my mind relax. I am often very sleepy, but I get anxiety and have trouble relaxing my mind.

fwiw, what you want is kava.Accept no substitutes. But any kava which is at least halfway decent will do what you want if you drink at least a liitle every day for 6 - 8 months. What can I say? Insomnia is a bugger, and there is no quick fix. Not usually, not safely. For my wife, after suffering from insomnia for decades, waiting 6 - 8 months wasn't so bad in comparison. But for emergencies she likes valerian and kava. I've never tried that, though, so I can't say one way or another. I do know that 8 hrs every night is both our birthright and an exquisite luxury. Bula!

 

[Joannerd]

fwiw, what you want is kava.Accept no substitutes. But any kava which is at least halfway decent will do what you want if you drink at least a liitle every day for 6 - 8 months. What can I say? Insomnia is a bugger, and there is no quick fix. Not usually, not safely. For my wife, after suffering from insomnia for decades, waiting 6 - 8 months wasn't so bad in comparison. But for emergencies she likes valerian and kava. I've never tried that, though, so I can't say one way or another. I do know that 8 hrs every night is both our birthright and an exquisite luxury. Bula!

I almost ordered valerian. She takes them together? I actually fell asleep last night but it only lasted a short hour. The cat startled me because she started jumping around, so I couldn’t fall back asleep.

I have been reading more and I think I understand the RT concept now; I’ll just stick to 4 TBS a night instead of consuming 8 like I have been; it’ll get expensive and reading some of your advice, it seems that the 4tbs will eventually feel stronger. I’ll probably order this and the Ambae when it’s in stock next week so I can also rotate Kavas. If it’s heady, it’ll still help relax my mind.

 

[SelfBiasResistor]

I almost ordered valerian. She takes them together? I actually fell asleep last night but it only lasted a short hour. The cat startled me because she started jumping around, so I couldn’t fall back asleep.

I have been reading more and I think I understand the RT concept now; I’ll just stick to 4 TBS a night instead of consuming 8 like I have been; it’ll get expensive and reading some of your advice, it seems that the 4tbs will eventually feel stronger. I’ll probably order this and the Ambae when it’s in stock next week so I can also rotate Kavas. If it’s heady, it’ll still help relax my mind.

Any sufficiently heavy kava will give you immediate results regarding insomnia. You want to look for products with DHM in the #3 or #4 spot. My sleep issues have been quite severe and while the Savusavu waka is a good product it is of little use for me when it comes to sleep. If you are going days without sleep you would probably benefit from an ISA product, starting with a low dose of a couple of tablespoons.

 

[recentreturn]

I almost ordered valerian. She takes them together? I actually fell asleep last night but it only lasted a short hour. The cat startled me because she started jumping around, so I couldn’t fall back asleep.

I have been reading more and I think I understand the RT concept now; I’ll just stick to 4 TBS a night instead of consuming 8 like I have been; it’ll get expensive and reading some of your advice, it seems that the 4tbs will eventually feel stronger. I’ll probably order this and the Ambae when it’s in stock next week so I can also rotate Kavas. If it’s heady, it’ll still help relax my mind.

Do we actually know that Ambae is going to be restocked? Wasn't the Island covered with volcanic ash or something and evacuated?

 

[Joannerd]

Do we actually know that Ambae is going to be restocked? Wasn't the Island covered with volcanic ash or something and evacuated?

I wrote to them last week, and asked about their heaviest kava; they said ambae and to check next week.

 

[recentreturn]

I wrote to them last week, and asked about their heaviest kava; they said ambae and to check next week.

Wow. Cool! That stuff was definitely their heaviest and crazy potent. It didn't really help me sleep; but I don't think any kava really helps me sleep. That's what cardio and avoiding LCD screens is for (and occasionally trazadone). I haven't been sleeping too well, which I attribute to LCD screens and lack of cardio; been lazy lately. Anxiety, of course, will cause it too; but kava also doesn't seem to take away my anxiety either; but I sure do think its fun sometimes (unless I overdo it, which I do often enough to have to use the word "sometimes")

 

[Joannerd]

Wow. Cool! That stuff was definitely their heaviest and crazy potent. It didn't really help me sleep; but I don't think any kava really helps me sleep. That's what cardio and avoiding LCD screens is for (and occasionally trazadone). I haven't been sleeping too well, which I attribute to LCD screens and lack of cardio; been lazy lately. Anxiety, of course, will cause it too; but kava also doesn't seem to take away my anxiety either; but I sure do think its fun sometimes (unless I overdo it, which I do often enough to have to use the word "sometimes")

What does kava do for you then? I’m not sleeping 8 hours, but I’m sleeping some, and that’s better than none! I’m still learning, so eventually I’ll figure out how soon before bed to drink it. Last night I started too early. I think I fell asleep around 11:30-12:00am and woke up at 4am. I drank two shells and ate a little bit of my leftovers from lunch the day before. Unfortunately, the food didn’t potentiate the kava, but sometimes it does.

I drank squanch’s Fiji Waka last night. It’s not supposed to be sedating, but it certainly was for me. Maybe because I overdid it too fast. If you need help sleeping, try chugging your first two shells.

If you use the aluball, what I did was drink the initial first wash with one ball, add a second new ball when making the second wash. I have been using hot water and coconut oil. I drink subsequent shells as they become ready.

It got me sleepy by 6-7 last night when I started at 5. I’m going to experiment again, because I want to see how it makes me feel if I drink it more slowly. I want to use kava instead of Ativan for a dental appointment on Friday; I want to be relaxed, but not passed out.

 

[recentreturn]

What does kava do for you then? I’m not sleeping 8 hours, but I’m sleeping some, and that’s better than none! I’m still learning, so eventually I’ll figure out how soon before bed to drink it. Last night I started too early. I think I fell asleep around 11:30-12:00am and woke up at 4am. I drank two shells and ate a little bit of my leftovers from lunch the day before. Unfortunately, the food didn’t potentiate the kava, but sometimes it does.

I drank squanch’s Fiji Waka last night. It’s not supposed to be sedating, but it certainly was for me. Maybe because I overdid it too fast. If you need help sleeping, try chugging your first two shells.

If you use the aluball, what I did was drink the initial first wash with one ball, add a second new ball when making the second wash. I have been using hot water and coconut oil. I drink subsequent shells as they become ready.

It got me sleepy by 6-7 last night when I started at 5. I’m going to experiment again, because I want to see how it makes me feel if I drink it more slowly. I want to use kava instead of Ativan for a dental appointment on Friday; I want to be relaxed, but not passed out.

For me, kava is, first and foremost, pleasurable. Also interesting and physically relaxing as well as having a number of other effects that depend on cultivar etc. I usually lose sleep because of an active mind, kava relaxes my body, but it doesn't stop the flow of thoughts and emotions that are already in my head. For me to fall asleep I have to a) go to bed and b) let go of my thoughts. Kava usually makes me not want to go to bed, because I am enjoying the pleasure and it initially perks me up in certain ways that I haven't quite teased out; For me, kava just doesn't seem reliably to shut my brain or flow of emotions down to let sleepiness take over. Trazadone, on the other hand, seems to shut my brain down pretty well. I don't want that long term, but my issues with sleep are mostly situational or just a part of my ADHD (when it comes to making myself actually go to my room).
FYI: alcohol also perks me up and usually doesn't help me sleep, no matter how much I were to drink. I need my mind peacefully unified to fall asleep; if its active and scattered... I've mostly only ever had luck with either alcohol (which I don't even keep in my house) or kava or benedryl only when I've taken it immediately before going to bed; then the moment where it takes effect can be interesting enough to distract me from my distractions and might thereby give me a little window to drift off.