How To Establish an Ayurvedic Daily Routine

Property of Healthy Ayurveda

Dinacharya, which is Sanskrit, is an Ayurvedic practice that looks at the cycles of nature and bases daily activities around these cycles. Ayurveda states that daily and seasonal routines help balance and promote optimal health. Routines covered by dinacharya include: waking time, elimination, hygiene, massage, exercise, bathing, meditation and prayer, meals, study, work, relaxation and sleeping, to name a few.

Once a daily routine is put into practice, it is easier to re-establish a connection to the rhythms of nature. Studies have shown that humans have lost the ability to tune into the rhythms of nature. Knowing this, we must be pro-active in balancing and connecting with nature. Dinacharya allows us to reconnect easily and with purpose, and this offers a sense of safety for easier growth and expansion. In addition to a daily routine there is also a seasonal routine, Ritucharya, which we'll discuss later on in the season.

According to Ayurveda, this is how a daily routine should look: 

MORNING

• Wake up in the morning before 6:00 a.m.
• Drink warm water with lemon or lime.
• Empty bladder and bowels.
• Wash your face.
• Eye rinse.
• Scrape your tongue, oil pull, brush your teeth, and rinse your mouth. 
• Neti - rinse the nasal passages.
• Nasya - oil the nasal passages.
• Dry brush the body.
• Perform abhyanga (warm Ayurvedic oil self-massage). 
• Perform Salutation to the Sun asana sequence.
• Practice deep breathing or Pranayama.
• Practice meditation for twenty minutes.
• Bathe or shower. Use warm rather than hot water.
• Have breakfast. 
• Take herbal food supplements.
• School or work.

MIDDAY

• Biggest meal consumed at noon time
• Lay down for 15 minutes, on left side, to aid digestion.
• Light walk after meal

EVENING

• Dinner
• Walk
• Self-Care (yoga, breath exercises, and meditation)
• Self-Reflection (reflect on the day and your actions, how did we achieve being our most loving self, how can we improve?)
• Go to bed by 10pm. 

Long list, right??!! Well you don't have to incorporate all of them at once, rather, pick one and start there. One will lead to two, and so on. You can pick which practices benefit you, and those which don't. 

I also have an Excel Spreadsheet for those interested. Email me and I'll send it over to your inbox asap. 

I'm also hosting a seasonal kichari cleanse over on Facebook starting next Monday - join us - it's FREE!!!!!!  

If you're feeling the need to chat, process, digest, or vent - schedule a chat with me - it's free! I wanna chat with you - Schedule your time here! 

Namaste

5 Ways to Calm Vata Dosha

It is that time again.

Fall is upon us, which means Vata Dosha is prevalent at the moment.

Vata Dosha consists of the Air and Ether elements. It is quite possible we are feeling brain fog and finding it hard to focus at this time, maybe feeling pain in our joints and back. Perhaps insomnia plagues you during this season, or is it constipation?

Vata governs movement, the activities of your nervous system, and our process of elimination.

Qualities of Vata Dosha are: Cold, Light, Dry, Moving, Rough, Irregular, Quick, and Changeable.

The goal is to balance these qualities and this element to avoid any and all aggravation of Vata Dosha.

1. Abhyangha - Ayurveda self-massage. Who wouldn't benefit from this? Simply take warmed up sesame oil and coat your body after the shower. You can also apply before your yoga practice or before entering the steam room. I never wash off the oil, I merely allow my skin to absorb the oil into my system.

2. Stay warm! Wear appropriate clothing and keep your head and neck covered when the weather is cold and/or wet.

3. Practice light exercise that focuses on balance and flexibility. Sitting and/or laying on the ground is very calming during this season.

4. Favor aromas which are warm, soothing, and spicy. These include basil, bay, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, frankincense, lavender, pine, and sage.

5. Move your bowels daily! I use Sama Digest every night before going to bed. I take 2 capsules at night and wake up and move my bowels. It works. Constipation is probably one of the worst symptoms of an aggravated Vata Dosha.

I am also inviting you to sit and chat with me for 30 minutes about anything. Connection is so elusive - we must make time for it. Schedule time with me and let's chat about empowering you!