The Ayurvedic daily routine recommends good hygiene, moderate exercise, healthy diet, efficient elimination of wastes and a positive mental outlook. Ayurveda states that in order to be optimally healthy we should tune our bodies to nature’s cycle. Every day there are two cycles of change:
From 6am to 6pm and from 6pm to 6am.
Within each cycle there are three 4 hour periods that are dominated by vata, pitta or kapha energies. We also have vata, pitta and kapha energies within our bodies in various strengths and combinations so it is good if we can prevent activities that aggravate the cycle of vata, pitta, kapha.
Therefore Dinacharya is basically an ideal daily schedule for us to follow, which analyzes the master cycles of nature and suggests optimal times for carrying out our daily routine.
Taking the above into account the daily routine should look something like this:
1. Morning
- Get up early, 2 hours before sunrise is recommended, if you can’t manage that try 30 minutes before. This is the time that Vata is dominant, and is the most fresh and pure time of the day and it helps to tune the body to nature.
- Drink 1-2 glasses of warm water one hour before and one hour after each meal this will help to stimulate your bowels to move. Make a habit to pass urnine after each meal.
- Clean your teeth and scrape your tongue, ayurveda considers a coating on your tongue as an indication to toxins in the colon.
- Massage your scalp, forehead, temples, hands and feet for five minutes.
- Bathe in warm water
- Do some brief exercise 10 minutes is plenty, yoga and breathing exercise is good.
- Meditate for about 15 minutes.
- Eat breakfast consisting of a diet balanced according to your personal requirements.
- Do not start your work or business activities before breakfast. After breakfast allow 5 minutes to plan your day in your diary, prioritize your work load.
2. Noon
- Lunch should be eaten between 12 noon and 1pm as this is the peak Pitta period and Pitta is responsible for digestion. Ayurveda recommends that lunch be the largest meal of the day.
- Try to eat fresh food and make an effort to eat consciously, concentrate on how the food tastes and on fully chewing your food.
- Take a short walk to aid digestion.
3. Evening
- 6pm – If you do physical type work you should spend 20 minutes doing relaxing yoga or meditation, if your work is not physical then 20 minutes physical exercise would be beneficial.
- Evening meal, this should be lighter than lunch and should be taken at 7pm.
- A short walk to help digestion after dinner.
- Sundown is the time for prayers or meditation it is a special time of balance between night and day and is the best time of the day for reflection.
- Before bed open your diary and tick off the work which you have completed, anything which has been left or not completed add to another day. This will help unclutter your mind to allow you a more restful sleep.
- Bedtime around 10 PM is best.