Significance of a Daily Routine
And tips for a healthy start to your day!
Most days are exhausting, and getting out of bed every morning is hard. I'm always running around and craving more time for myself. A mindful approach to ground my body, mind, and senses is what I need, at least for a few minutes each day.
If you are new to Ayurveda, it won't take long before you hear about the importance of doing many things—like eating, staying active, and sleeping—at roughly the same time each day, basically creating habits.
What is the best way to do this, and how?
Following the daily rhythms of nature from sunrise to sunset and seasonal variations working in tandem with these cycles can help keep a positive attitude and a key to good health.
In Ayurveda, the daily routine or practice is called Dinacharya, 'Dina' meaning day, and 'acharya' meaning activity, vital to help regulate, balance, and maintain suitable physical, mental, and emotional health. This consistent routine can aid digestion from absorption to the assimilation of food and controls the build-up of Ama (toxins) in your body.
Our body is like a clock with gears depicting our organs that need recharging, energized, cleansed, refueled, and relaxed for optimum functionality.
Your mind and body seek regularity, and sticking to a daily routine can often be tricky. Irregular sleep, and eating times in a day (too much or too little), stress at work, hyperactivity, too much exhaustion mentally and physically, negative thoughts can unsettle us more. Understanding why your body craves the recommended routines and which qualities they promote will help you decide which ones are the most crucial for you, rather than getting overwhelmed and mindlessly following a strict daily way that does not satisfy your needs.
You wake up at a specific time before sunrise, enjoy a short nature walk, eat fresh vegetables, drink enough water, meditate for ten minutes daily, and exercise. Commit to yourself with one change at a time weekly, for a month. From here, habits develop, and your body sets that daily routine naturally as you go about it.
In Ayurveda, the two principles that create Dinacharya (daily routine) that focuses on physiology (when every organ is working at its best) and the doshic clock (when each dosha is working at its best at a specific time).
The three Doshas or the Ayurvedic body types - Vata, Pitta, and Kapha- constantly move things around, transforming and digesting, giving us energy and vitality. These metabolic processes create waste for elimination.
Dinarcharya comprises two daily cycles based on the doshas,
the Sun Cycle and the Moon Cycle:
The Sun cycle - Sunrise to Sunset: (6:00 am - 6:00 pm)
As we learn about our doshas (bio-energies) and understand which primary dosha category we belong to, we assess our physiology and actively change our routines.
Kapha dosha time: 6:00 am – 10:00 am (Slow, resting phase)
Pitta dosha time: 10:00 am – 2:00 pm (Dynamic, digestion phase)
Vata dosha time: 2:00 pm – 6:00 pm (Very active, movement phase)
The Moon cycle - Sunset to Sunrise (6:00 pm – 6:00 am)
Kapha dosha time: 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm (Slowing, settling down phase)
Pitta dosha time: 10:00 pm – 2:00 am (Sleeping but active digestion phase)
Vata dosha time: 2:00 am – 6:00 am (Active, early morning waking-up phase)
These cycles provide energy throughout the day, and it is best to do activities based on these natural cycles. We can also see these in terms of our body clock.
Gut health is Ayurveda's key to healing. Your gut health relies on regularity and well-being. The microbiome, intestinal flora, fauna, and bacteria get attuned to what you eat and retain information to break down those foods accordingly. If you eat on a schedule, the body knows how to prepare for digestion even before you eat, which is why regular eating habits are vital for gut health. Irregular eating habits and chemically processed foods will slow gut health and may get diminished over time.
Daily Routine Tips:
Beginning at Sunrise
1. Early Morning (Prathurathana)
Brahma Muhurta is called the moment of creation from an hour and 30 mins before sunrise. Waking up before the sun rises when nature is calm and serene brings peace of mind and refreshes our senses. As you wake up, set your intention for the day, look at your hands (open palms) for a few moments, say a prayer, and gently move them from your head over your face and heart to wake up the energy and mind before the day begins.
2. Wash your face and Rinse
Your sense organs are active once you awake, clean your eyes, rinse your mouth, and rub your eyes gently every morning. Massage your face briefly with your hands, stretching the face muscles. Wash your eyes with cool water, and gargle with sesame or coconut oil (oil pulling) to reduce bacteria in the mouth cavity.
3. Purify your senses
Every morning brush your teeth and clean your tongue to enhance your taste buds and stimulate digestive responses. Performing 'Jalneti,' a technique prescribed by Ayurveda to clean sinus and nasal passages using a tea pot-like vessel called a neti pot, helps with the cleansing process. After the neti-pot in the morning, apply sesame or coconut oil on a Q-tip inside each nasal cavity(Nasya) to moisturize and calm your senses. Another option, if pressed on time like me, is to clean your nose with warm water, blowing your nose gently and clearing all the nasal gunk, following with the Q-tip.
4. Drink warm water
Consuming warm water in the morning enhances peristalsis and flushes the kidney from harmful toxins and free radicals. A warm glass of water with a few drops of lemon juice can facilitate bowel cleansing, reduce inflammation, enhance enzyme function, aid in liver stimulation, and flushes out fat-soluble toxins.
5. Evacuation
Regular movement of bodily waste is necessary to maintain good health. The gut's health is robust when it has absorbed all usable nutrients from the food you eat and expels the debris or unabsorbed food particles along with the toxins out from the body, and it's essential to get rid of it.
If the elimination process is not smooth daily, slow digestion can sometimes cause constipation, leading to the settling of harmful toxins in the body and chronic diseases.
Therefore, evacuation and elimination of stools are essential pillars of Ayurveda's health.
6. Body Oil massage
Massaging your body with essential oils (sesame, coconut, almond) will keep your body moisturized and prevent your tissues from getting dry, ensuring good blood circulation for a calmer and healthier nervous system. Regular massage is grounding and relaxing, nourishing the entire body. Abhyanga with essential oils (based on your doshas) can help with circulation, restores the balance of the doshas, and enhances well-being and longevity.
7. Exercise and Simple Stretches
Exercise will remove stagnation, improve circulation, and bring energy and alertness to the mind and body. Yoga asanas, daily stretches, and Surya Namaskar (sun salutation) rejuvenate our body and mind enhancing all the srotas (channels) to start your day actively.
8. Bathe
A warm bath will refresh, remove excess oil from the surface of your skin and energize the senses with clarity. Activates those tired muscles, stimulating your body and mind for the new day.
9. Meditate
Setting your intention with a focus on the day's goals and balancing mind, body, and soul as you close your eyes. Meditation for just a few mins can enhance concentration and calm you mentally throughout the day bringing peace, clarity, and grounding.
10. Warm Breakfast
A hearty warm breakfast for a compelling start to your day will keep the body satiated, focused, and active throughout the day.
Slowing Down at Sunset
Unwind after a day's work.
It is essential to unwind and relax your body. Sleeping early, reading a book, taking short nature walks, or spending time with loved ones releases all the stress and tension from the body and mind, calming your nervous system. Shut your eyes, lie down, light some scented candles, listen to soulful music, and do simple breathing exercises to end your day with happy and positive thoughts.
Stay mindful of your body and breathing. A simple stretch or yoga asanas will help relieve muscle tension and mental fatigue.
Daily routine or Dinarcharya helps you connect with nature by making you conscious of your natural surroundings and body. Aligning with the rhythms of nature with a healthy lifestyle routine strengthens your immunity and protects you from diseases. Meditating and massaging with essential oils release all the stress and tension from your body and mind. Regular meal times and the amount of food eaten help in digestion and nutrition absorption. Maintains specific discipline in the mind and body, brings positivity and happy thoughts, and helps to achieve a peaceful state of mind.