Dincharya (Daily and Seasonal Routine)
SwasthaVritta – The Science of Ayurvedic Prevention
Prevention is establishing a balanced state of holistic well-being – Physical, Sensory, Mental, and Spiritual. Collectively this helps an individual to be happy, peaceful and maintain emotional grace.
The purpose of ‘SwasthaVritta’ is to achieve, maintain, preserve health and prevent disease. A disciplined routine of our daily activities from waking up in the morning to sleeping at night are associated with our dosha constitution – Vata, Pitta and Kapha. Our objective is to work towards keeping them in a relative state of balance; this takes time, effort and perseverance. Engage yourself in reforming your lives with questions like – Am I regular with hours of waking up and going to bed? What makes me happy? Do I look forward to my meals? How do I manage my workouts? Is there a work-life balance? What about mindfulness?
Bringing an order or structure to these represents your ‘Dinacharya’ – Daily Routine. An example of such a structure for some key activities look like below:
Morning Routine: 5a to 8a
Rise and Shine (5a – 5.30a): Ideal Time is 90 mins to at least 30 mins before sunrise. This is also the Vata time (2a to 6a) of the morning.
Exceptions: Young children, the sick, the elderly and night shift personnel
Activities: Meditation to take advantage of the ‘Saatvic’ quality for a restful body and alert mind
Cleansing
The early morning Vata time prompts a bowel movement (BM) first thing in the morning and represents a state good health. Procrastinating this urge should be avoided as it aggravates ‘Vata Energy’.
Hydration induced Cleansing
Drinking 1-2 glasses of room temperature or warm water helps induce natural urge for a BM. Got copper glass? Even better. Store water overnight in it and drink it in the morning. Copper increases the ionization in water to help cleanse the body and reduce blood pressure.
Yoga / Meditation / Pranayama / Mantra Chanting (30 mins)
Turning our attention to the wavering mind – Yoga Asanas (Postures) and / or Meditation with rhythmic breathing (Pranayama), Mantra – sanskrit word(s) in repeated cadence or tempo aiding a focused mind, for at least 20 – 30 mins, increasing gradually as per comfort and available time. Consistency in the above is the key. These steady the mind and elevate it to higher levels of consciousness. Vata qualities of fear, nervousness, anxiety, depression are overcome to give strength, confidence and positive outlook for life.
Exercise – Do’s and Don’ts (Half your physical ability)
Practice moderation and stop when you experience tiredness, breathlessness, sweat on the forehead or armpits, dry mouth and mild difficulty with speech. Limit workouts to about half of your physical ability. Overexertion will deplete the dhatus (tissues) and not provide the benefit of exercise.
Don’ts: Within at least 2-3 hours after meals, signs of physical weakness or sickness, bleeding disorders, Asthma or cough. Instead opt for a light walk around the neighborhood.
Abhyanga (Oil Application)
Whole body ‘Self’ massage using medicated oils or sesame (warm) or coconut oil (cool) in the direction of hair growth. Tone your muscles, strengthen the body, promote smoothness of skin, delay aging, prevent onset of age induced wrinkles. Added benefits – Calms mind, helps sleep soundly and improves vision.
Exceptions: Fever, Indigestion or Kapha aggravation
Hygiene
Brush your teeth with ayurvedic herbs to strengthen your gums, cleanse your teeth, and eliminate bad breath. Scrape your tongue to remove ‘ama’ (accumulated toxins) and gargle with herbal juice or teas for additional strength in teeth and gums. You are now ready for some breakfast!!
Breakfast (Between 6a and 7.30a)
Guidelines:
- Eat according to your Age and Body constitution
- Eat fresh and seasonal vegetables and fruits.
- Eat freshly cooked and warm food. It strengthens your agni (digestive fire) and thus digests food better reducing excess kapha and vāta.
- Include some amount of oiliness in the food to provide lubrication, strength and build tissues
Avoid:
- Combining honey and ghee (clarified butter) in equal amounts. Ayurveda believes it to be a poisonous proportion. Unequal proportions are acceptable
- Combining milk and sour fruits. It’ll curdle the milk and cause an upset stomach; long term use can cause skin issues as well
The Work Day
After your morning routines, begin your work/daily activities. Ensure there’s periodic physical movement throughout your day.
Splash cold water on your eyes for relief from continuous use of gadget screens
Sip warm plain or herbal water throughout the day for hydration. Avoid sugary and energy drinks
Lunch (12p to 1p)
This duration represents the highest intensity of your digestive fire and most apt for a heavy lunch. Make lunch your biggest meal. Meal times need to be calm, comfortable and enjoyable. Don’t engage in distractions such as phone, TV or computer. Certainly minimize or avoid lunch on the go.
Dinner (6p to 7.30p)
Guidelines:
Food should be light, cooked and easy to digest
Sleep
Sound sleep and good health influence each other
Sound sleep has a direct relationship with healthy state of mind, intellect, sharp senses, physical strength, happiness and building strong and well-formed dhatus (tissues)
Pitta duration at night (10p to 2a) works best for digestion of food, thoughts, emotions and recording of memory during sleep
Negative influences on Sleep
- Alcohol, Hallucinogens
- Physical workouts in the evening
- Aggravation of one or more energies (doshas) – Vata, Pitta, Kapha
- Fear, Nervousness, Pain (mental or physical), Anxiety, Depression, Sickness, Weather inconsistencies
- Daytime sleep except for sickness, injuries, graveyard shifts. Limit this to half of nighttime sleep duration
Note:
Vata and Pitta constitutions can take short daytime naps.
Not recommended for Kapha constitution and Obesity conditions