I'll just add that I have looked at every possible angle when I was a newbie because like most the taste was hard to bare not to mention drinking the sludge.. Very quickly I learned that the only way to feel effects was to drink it. I over drank kava many times in the first few years because I was always chasing that initial euphoria, I learned (like with most other things) moderation was the key, of couse I am an addict and moderation is not what I am known for, lol.
Kava is not for everybody.
You will not get so rooted that you'll somehow "break-through" the next level, I have tried, I puked and or ended up with dermo faster than usual. After 6-7 years of trying the next best thing, I learned to just keep it simple; (and even recently buying a portable washing machine
). There is no better way, maybe more convenient ways, but the dried root, mixed with cool water, passed through a 75-100 micron strainer is really the best (and most effective) way to go. I am passing the 10 year mark this year in my kava journey and I have never felt so grounded, kava is an excellent addition to my routine. It is NOT a solution for my anxiety, it is however an excellent addition to the arsenal available to me. I have come to love kava to the point the taste is pleasant and welcoming, every sip feels like seeing an old friend.