Dinacharya

The Daily Routine: The Rhythm of Daily Living

A daily routine is essential to bring radical change in body, mind, and consciousness.

It is an exceptionally simple way to energize and relax the mind & body.

How you live your life determines your health and your experience of life and either builds you up or wears you down. In Ayurveda, misuse of the senses is considered one of the main causes of disease and imbalance in the body/mind. In Ayurvedic terms it is called prajnaparadha. The daily routine, dinacharya, offers simple practices to sharpen our senses and bring clarity to the mind, so that we naturally gravitate toward desires that are life enhancing. Moment to moment awareness and skillful action puts us in harmony with nature’s rhythms and creates a foundation for living a deeply satisfying life.

Arise & Shine! Wake Up Early in the Morning

Wake up before the sun rises. There are peaceful (sattvic) qualities in nature that bring peace of mind and refine and awaken the senses. Early to bed and early to rise is not just an empty saying—getting to bed earlier can improve the quality of your sleep and give your body the extra  rest you need to perform your best. Research shows that Americans are chronically sleep-deprived—getting 25% less sleep than they did 100 years ago—and sleep-deprivation depletes brain reserves and increases the stress response.

* While you are still in bed say a prayer, think about something you are grateful for, affirm the possibilities that lie before you (sankalpa), absolutely anything may happen on any given day!

Drink Water in the Morning

.First thing in the morning drink a big glass of warm water with a squirt of fresh lemon juice and a spoonful of raw honey. This helps you have a regular morning bowel movement and flushes out toxins. You’ll be amazed at how vital and energetic you’ll feel once your digestion and elimination are back on track.

Freshen Up!  Clean the Face, Mouth, and Eyes to Awaken the Senses

Splash your face with cold water and rinse out your mouth. The senses are how we take in information from the world around us. Sharpen and refine the senses to bring greater clarity to your perceptions and your experience of life.

Wash your eyes with cool water (or one of the eye washes mentioned below) and massage the eyelids by gently rubbing them. Blink your eyes 7 times and rotate your eyes in all directions.

Tridoshic eyewash: try triphala eyewash -¼ tsp. in 1 cup water, boil for 10 minutes, cool and strain.

Pitta eyewash: use cool water or rose water from organic rose petals – most commercial rose water has chemicals in it that will sting the eyes.

Kapha eyewash: try diluted cranberry juice, 3-5 drops in a teaspoon of distilled water.

Clean your Teeth

Always use a soft toothbrush and toothpaste or powder that is astringent (to strengthen the gums), pungent (to stimulate blood flow to the gums), and bitter (to kill bacteria).

I have reversed the condition of receding gums and avoided surgery simply by switching to an ayurvedic toothpaste. A few well-known brands that are relatively easy to find are Auromere and Vicco.

Gently scrap the tongue from back to front 10-12x using a tongue scrapper or a metal spoon.   This removes bacteria from the mouth and stimulates the digestive system. The tongue is the mirror of the intestines. When there is a white coating on the tongue that indicates toxins (ama) in the digestive system. If you wake up with a thick white coating on the tongue and bad breath skip breakfast. The body is still processing yesterday’s food.

Gargling

To strengthen teeth, gums, and jaw, improve the voice and remove wrinkles from cheeks, gargle twice a day with warm sesame oil. Hold the oil in your mouth, swish it around vigorously, then spit it out and gently massage the gums with a finger.

Evacuation

Sit, or better squat, on the toilet and have a bowel movement. Improper digestion of the previous night’s meal or lack of sound sleep can prevent this. Drinking warm water, followed by sitting on the toilet at a set time each day, helps to regulate bowel movements. Bowel movements are a great self-diagnostic tool. A healthy bowel movement is well-formed, shaped like a banana, floats, and has little to no odor. Look for undigested food, unformed or loose stools, mucus or blood, excessive dryness and a ‘BM” that sinks to determine the quality of your digestion. Herbal remedies and dietary changes will help restore your digestive fire.

Nasal Drops (Nasya)

Putting 3 to 5 drops of warm ghee or oil into each nostril in the morning helps to lubricate the nose, clean the sinuses, and improve the voice, vision, and mental clarity. Our nose is the door to the brain; nose drops nourish prana and enhance intelligence.

Apply Oil to the Head & Body (Abhyanga)

Massage is an excellent way to detoxify and nourish the tissues in the body. The rubbing and stroking actions dislodge accumulated toxins, which then move out of the body through the digestive system. Gentle daily oil massage promotes healthy aging, improves circulation, calms the nervous system, increases vitality, strengthens vision, prevents dehydration, nourishes the skin, stimulates the immune system, remedies insomnia, and restores balance in the body/mind. Massage oils are an ancient and effective medium for delivering plant medicine. Be thorough and don’t forget the bottoms of your feet, ears and hands. Let the oil soak in for approximately 20 minutes before taking a hot shower or bath.

Exercise

Exercise restores and rejuvenates the body/mind and alleviates stress and fatigue.

Take advantage of the abhyanga massage oil’s absorption time (20 minutes) with exercise. The heat you generate through movement will help the oils penetrate more efficiently & effectively.

Regular exercise, especially yoga, improves circulation, strength, and endurance. It helps one relax and have sound sleep, and improves digestion and elimination.

Exercise daily to half of your capacity, which is until sweat forms on the forehead, armpits, and spine. Do warming yoga postures like sun salutations, take a brisk walk.

Bathing

Bathing is cleansing and refreshing. It removes sweat, dirt, and fatigue, brings energy to the body and clarity to the mind. Cleanse with a gentle soap, without chemicals.

Perfumes & Aromatherapy

Essential oils can be used therapeutically for mental/emotional/physical well-being or for the sheer sensual delight offered by our plant allies.

For Vata Imbalance: Use earthy, calming & warming oils: vetiver, saffron, ginger, spikenard, bergamont

For Pitta Imbalance: Use calming & cooling oils: lavender, sandalwood, jasmine, rose

For Kapha Imbalance: Use warming & stimulating oils: cinnamon, orange, grapefruit, ginger, cedar, and sage

Pranayama

The breath, called prana, is a powerful tool for health and well-being. It is a conduit that unifies the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual bodies. Make part of your daily practice pranayama breathing exercises like kaphalabati (breath of fire), bastrika (bellows) breath or anuloma viloma (alternate nostril breathing). Poor oxygen in the body’s cells gives rise to muscle aches, poor digestion, dizziness, depression, irrational behavior, weakness, irritability, memory loss, circulation problems and stomach acidity.

Basic Nadi Shodana

Facing east or north, sit comfortably on the floor in a crossed-legged position, or upright on the edge of a chair with your feet flat on the floor Gently exhale all air. Close the right nostril with the right thumb and inhale slowly and deeply into the belly through the left nostril. Close the left nostril with the ring finger, release the thumb, and slowly exhale through the right nostril. At the end of the exhalation, inhale through the right nostril, then close it with the thumb and exhale through the left nostril. This makes one round.

Begin with 10 rounds and gradually increase to 40.

A great online resource is: www.divyayoga.com/freePranayamTraning.htm

Meditation

Meditate at sunrise and sunset for at least 15 minutes. Meditate to relieve stress, meditate for clarity of mind, meditate for your health & well-being, meditate to bring balance and peace into your life! There are numerous techniques. A couple of the more common techniques are focusing on the breath or repeating a mantra.

Conscious Breathing is a basic yet profound concentration practice. Simply bring your attention to the sensation of the breath as it enters and leaves your nostrils. Keep your awareness on the duration of each breath, and when the mind wanders from the breath, just notice that and bring your attention back to the sensations of the breath. If the mind seems very distracted, you may find it helpful to label each breath “in” or “out” and each thought “thinking.” Try not to control your breath or visualize it; simply note the sensation just as you feel it.

Eat Breakfast!   Eat Lunch!   Eat Dinner!

Eat when you eat. Most often people realize they have finished their meal because their plate has no food left on it. Eat with mindfulness, intention (to nourish the body) and gratitude. Follow guidelines to bring balance to your body. Your meal should be light in the hot months or if your digestive fire (agni) is low, and eat more substantial meals when the weather is cool.  Chew your food to stimulate your digestive juices. Remember, everything you ingest becomes part of you. Choose foods that will nourish and rejuvenate your body.

Go With the Flow ~ Ideal Daily Schedule

Wake up             6 AM

Breakfast             7-8 AM

Lunch              12 -1 PM

Supper             6 -7 PM

Sleep                        9:30-10 PM

Having trouble sleeping?

Understanding  Insomnia From An Ayurvedic Perspective

Vata, ruled by air and ether, governs movement in the body. Pitta, ruled by fire, governs digestion and the metabolism. And kapha, ruled by earth and water, governs your physical structure and fluid balance. Ayurveda categorizes insomnia as a vata imbalance, because vata is controlled by air—and air controls the nervous system. Calming yoga and Ayurvedic rituals reduce vata in the body.

Rituals for Relaxing
Creating a simple routine can be the most effective and safest road to a better night’s sleep.

The first step to feeling well rested is to institute a regular bedtime. Maintaining consistency will help keep your circadian rhythms—the biological changes that happen every 24 hours—steady. Eventually, your body will naturally understand and crave sleep during these hours.
How do you find that magic time? Ayurveda offers helpful guidelines.  Ideally, you should start your bedtime rituals during the slow kapha hours of 6 to 10 in the evening and head for bed before 10 p.m., which is when the fiery pitta time begins. Going to bed at 10 and waking up at 6, may be the only remedy you need.

Pratyahara :Withdraw your senses in order to turn inward
Turn off the computer by 9:00, Start winding down, soften the lights, listen to mellow music or silence.

Abhyanga
Apply warm, unfiltered organic sesame oil. to the head, feet & body. Be thorough and don’t forget the bottoms of your feet, ears and hands. Let the oil soak in for approximately 20 minutes and then take a warm bath.

Yoga
Practice forward bends, legs up the wall, savasana

Oelation
Rub warm sesame oil into you feet at night; wear old socks so you don’t stain your sheets

Nasya
Put 3 to 5 drops of warm ghee or oil into each nostril before bed.

Pranayama
Do slow alternate nostril breathing before bed

Yoga Nidra
After getting into bed, do a body scan as you lie in Savasana (Corpse Pose): Progressively tense and then relax each part of your body. If you have trouble doing this on your own, get an audio CD of meditations, guided imagery, or Yoga Nidra (yogic sleep), to help. This is particularly helpful if you have a busy mind. It helps to harness a mind that seems to have a mind of its own.


Ojas Milk Elixir Have some warm milk. This is a lovely tonic to have before bed. Hot milk induces a natural sound sleep, when enjoyed warm it aids the digestive system and nourishes the reproductive tissue in both men and women.


Milk, when digested properly, nourishes all the tissues, promotes balanced emotions, and helps to balance all the doshas. It is one of the most important foods to promote ojas.  Ojas is a refined substance the body produces from the most subtle level of proper digestion. Ojas brings strength, strong immunity, happiness, and contentment.

Bring milk, water, spices (except saffron) and herbs to a boil in a small saucepan.Reduce heat to low after 20-30 seconds, add the saffron threads   and let simmer for 5-10 minutes

For a more pungent tonic try adding a cinnamon stick or a few pinches of ginger to reduce the heaviness of the milk and reduce any mucous causing side effect.

In order to digest milk properly, one should avoid drinking cold milk right out of the refrigerator. Milk should be brought to a boil. Allow the milk to foam up and then bring the heat down so the milk is on a slow boil for about 5 to 10 minutes. Heating the milk changes the molecular structure of the milk making the milk lighter and easier to digest.

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Once you’ve chosen your specific nighttime ritual, repeat it every night to cue your body that it’s time for sleep. After a few weeks of practicing these bedtime rituals sleep will return as a natural part of your day.

Sweet Dreams!!

Ritucharya, The Seasonal Routine

Stay Cool This Summer

Summer is dominated by the fire element, related to the Pitta dosha in Ayurveda. As one might expect, the body and mind have a tendency to get overheated during the summer months. This is a wonderful illustration of a foundational principle in Ayurveda, ‘Like increases like and opposites create balance.’ Ayurveda provides us with simple and effective practices for keeping the fire stoked without letting it blaze out of control.

General guidelines for keeping cool & balancing Pitta

Your Yoga Practice should be done at a moderate place. Inversions increase pitta and should be avoided during the hot summer months. Spinal twists help release excess fire and toxins from the digestive system.

Coconut Mint Chutney

1/2 cup Fresh Chopped Mint Leaves, 1 cup Coconut Flakes, ¼ Lime, 1/8 tsp Salt, 1 tsp Raw Honey or Raw Sugar, 1/4 cup Water, * Optional 1 Tbsp Fresh Grated Ginger Root

Put mint, water and lime juice in a blender or food processor and blend first. Then add all other ingredients and blend until smooth like a paste. Enjoy!!!

Keep Warm During Autumn And Winter

In Fall the air element is dominant. In Ayurveda we call this the Vata time of year. Imagine a windy autumn day. The air is dry, cool and moving. Vata, like the wind, cannot be sensed directly. Its expression is more subtle. We experience Vata by the way it colors our physical, mental and emotional experience. As these qualities in nature increase during the fall and winter seasons these qualities in our nature increase as well.

How you care for yourself during the autumn will determine your body’s ability to maintain health through the winter. Ground yourself by supporting sensitive vata dosha with Ayurveda’s ancient wisdom. Now is time to keep warm, nourish yourself and protect your vitality in preparation for the months ahead.

Follow General guidelines for balancing Vata

Your Yoga practice:

Focus on the breath keeping it deep, slow and rhythmic

Emphasize the inhalation

Practice asanas that are grounding, stabilizing and strengthening to pacify Vata:

Standing poses like Virabhadasana 1and 3 (Warrior 1and 3),Vrksasana (Tree Pose), and Utkatasana(chair pose) practiced with an awareness of the feet on the ground and the strength and weight of the leg muscles and bones.

Calming poses like balasana (child pose), savasana (corpse pose), uttanasana (forward bend), and pashchimottanasana (full forward bend) calm the nervous system.

Pawanmuktasana, the wind relieving or knees-to-chest pose helps to expel air collected in the colon, aid constipation, relieve tension in the lower back, tone the spine and massage the stomach and intestines.


Spring Seasonal Routine More on this soon….

Follow basic guidelines for balancing kapha