Harmony in Every Dawn: Crafting Your Ideal Ayurvedic Daily Routine

Welcome to a journey of wellness rooted in ancient wisdom. In the hustle and bustle of modern life, finding balance can be elusive, but Ayurveda, the science of life, provides a roadmap for cultivating harmony from the moment you rise.

Your daily routine isn't just a series of tasks; it's an opportunity to align with the rhythms of nature and nurture your unique constitution. Ayurveda doesn't believe in a one-size-fits-all approach. Your journey to well-being is as unique as your fingerprint.

In this article, we embark on a guided exploration, unveiling the secrets of an Ayurvedic daily routine that resonates with the dance of the tridoshas—Vata, Pitta, and Kapha.

From the first light of dawn to the gentle embrace of night, let's discover how to create a daily rhythm that not only complements your individuality but also serves as a sanctuary for your well-being.

🌅 Morning Rituals

Rise with the Sun

• Wake up before sunrise
• Waking up time as per doshas:
  • 6 am for Vata
  • 5:30 for Pitta
  • 4:30 for Kapha

Awakening the Senses

1. Look at your hands
2. Move your hands over your face, neck, chest, and waist
3. Say a prayer and/or practice gratitude (if you don't believe in God)
4. Splash your face with cold water a couple of times immediately after leaving the bed. In winters, lukewarm water can be used instead.
5. Swish and rinse your mouth.

Eye Care Routine

1. Wash your eyes with cool water
2. Gently massage your eyelids by rubbing them
3. Blink your eyes seven times
4. Rotate your eyes in all directions – side to side, up and down, diagonally, clockwise and counterclockwise

Hydration & Elimination

• Drink a glass of water (Preferably one kept in a copper glass overnight) – The objective of this water is to clean the gastrointestinal tract and the kidneys. Obese people should drink hot water at this time.
• Water temperature as per doshas:
  • Hot for Vata and Kapha
  • Lukewarm for Pitta
• Squat or sit on a toilet and evacuate your bowels. Even if you don't have the urge, sit for a few minutes without straining. During defecation, one should be silent and cover the head with a cloth.
• ⚠️ Suppressing natural urges can lead to vitiation of vata.
• Wash the anal orifice and your hands.

Oral Hygiene

Teeth Cleaning

• Clean your teeth with a powder made of astringent, pungent, and bitter herbs and a soft toothbrush or with a natural toothbrush made of fresh twigs after crushing their ends.
• Plants recommended for this are: arka, nyagrodha, Khadira, karanja, kakubha, karavira, sarja, irimeda, apamarga, malati etc.
• The correct thickness of the twig to be used for brushing the teeth should be like that of the thickness of our little finger.
• The movement of each twig on the gums while brushing should be from top to bottom and from bottom to top.
• Most of us use toothbrushes these days with pastes or herbal powders. In this case, one toothbrush should not be used for a very long period of time. Brush should also be kept in hot water for some time in order to kill the bacteria present on it after use.
• ⚠️ Using sweet, sour and salty tastes for cleaning the teeth can lead to Kapha aggravation.
• ⚠️ Using thick twigs can injure the gums.

Tongue Assessment & Cleaning

• Notice these things about your tongue:
  • How coated is your tongue? – Tells you about the toxicity in your system – Too much coating on your tongue means that there is toxicity in your system probably because you ate the dinner too late, or it was just hard to digest
  • How your breath smells? – Tells you whether last night's food was digested or not – Smell of last night's food indicates that the food was not digested properly
  • If your tongue smells bad and is coated – then you should skip breakfast. It's not a good idea to eat again before the previous meal has been digested.
• Scrape your tongue gently 7 to 14 times from the base. This stimulates gastric fire and digestive enzymes.
• Materials of which tongue scrapper should be made: gold, silver, copper, tin, brass. It should be non-sharp, soft, smooth, flexible and U-shaped (curved in the middle).

Oil Pulling (Kavalagraha)

• Gargle twice a day with warm sesame oil. Hold and squish the oil in your mouth (This is called kavalagraha).
• Then spit it and massage the gums with your index finger.
• Benefits: This will strengthen teeth and gums, prevent toothaches, reduce sensitivity to hot, cold and sour substances, helps chew tough and hard substances easily, improves the quality of voice, boosts taste perception and appetite.

🧴 Body Care Rituals

Oil Massage (Abhyanga)

• Massage your body and scalp with oil. This is especially useful for those with increased Vata.
• Benefits of oiling hair: prevents hair loss, greying of hair, balding, headache, drying of the scalp and any other Vata diseases. It also strengthens the head, forehead, eyes, ears, etc. It also improves the quality of hair and increases the glow of the face.
• Combing hair after oiling cleanses and beautifies the hair.
• Benefits of oiling skin: destroys premature aging, fatigue, wrinkles, roughness, and dryness. It clears the vision, strengthens the body, and makes the skin soft and attractive. It also provides relief from body odor, sweat odor, heaviness, and dullness.
• Benefits of massaging feet: prevents cracked heels, fatigue, reduced blood flow, tense muscles, sciatia and other Vata ailments. It also improves eyesight.
• Best oils as per doshas:
  • Sesame or Almond or Olive for Vata
  • Coconut for Pitta
  • Sunflower or Mustard for Kapha

Ear and Nasal Care

• Apply oil in your ears every day. It helps prevent defective hearing, lockjaw and other Vata related ear problems.
• Nasya (putting warm oil in your nose)
  • Put 3-4 drops of warm ghee/brahmi ghee/sesame oil/olive oil/almond oil/anu oil in your nostrils.
  • This is especially useful in dry months. This helps clean your sinuses. It also improves your voice, vision, and mental clarity.
  • Process of Nasya: Let your head hang backward on the back of a chair or so. Put a few warm drops of oil in your nostrils using a dropper and then inhale. Oil should be put in drop by drop and when it is being poured in one nostril the other one should be closed. In case there are any nasal secretions, they should be discharged from your mouth. After nasya, lie down on your back for a minute or so but do not sleep.
  • Nasya timings as per doshas:
    • Evening for Vata
    • Afternoon for Pitta
    • Morning for Kapha
  • Nasya timings as per seasons:
    • In the afternoon during winter and monsoon
    • In morning during autumn and spring
    • In morning and evening during summer

Bathing

• Take a shower or a bath. When you take a head bath, you must dry your hair immediately to prevent sinus problems.
• ⚠️ Exceptions for bathing: Bathing should not be done when:
  • Suffering from ailments of eyes, mouth and ears
  • In diarrhea
  • In case of chronic cold
  • In case of flatulence and indigestion
  • Immediately after meals

🧘‍♀️ Exercise & Breathing

Physical Exercise

• Exercise every day. The rule of exercise is to exercise until the sweat forms on the forehead, under the arms, and along the spinal column. All body types should do yoga stretching.
• Exercise for Vata dosha:
  • Exercises that stretch pelvic muscles such as Sitting Forward Bend, Backward Bend, Spinal Twist, Cobra Pose, Shoulder Stand, Cat and Cow Pose, Plow, Camel Pose, and Leg Lifts
  • Headstands and Half-wheels are also beneficial
  • 12 slow cycles of Sun Salutation
  • Exercises should be quiet
• Exercise for Pitta dosha:
  • Stretching solar plexus muscles such as Fish Pose, Boat, Camel Pose, Locust, and Bow pose
  • Inverted poses such as Headstands, Shoulder Stand, and Plow should be avoided
  • 16 cycles of Moon Salutation at a moderate pace
  • Exercises should be moderate
• Exercise for Kapha dosha:
  • Exercises stretching pulmonary cavity muscles such as Shoulder Stand, Plow, Locust, Bridge, Peacock, Palm Tree, and Lion poses
  • 12 rapid cycles of Sun Salutation
  • Exercises should be vigorous
• ⚠️ Exceptions for exercise: People who should avoid strenuous exercise:
  • Vata-Pitta patients
  • Those suffering from various ailments
  • Small children
  • Aged people
  • People suffering from Indigestion and malnutrition
  • People who have lost too much weight because of walking, weight-lifting or excessive sexual activities
  • People under the strain of anger, sorrow, fear and fatigue
  • The reason behind this is that Vata and Pitta increases during exercise and in the above-mentioned conditions Vata and Pitta is already high.

Pranayama (Breath Control)

• After exercises, pranayama should be done daily.
• Pranayama for different doshas:
  • Vata individuals: 12 Alternate Nostril Breathing
  • Pitta individuals: 16 Shitali Pranayam
  • Kapha individuals: 100 Bhastrika Pranayama

Meditation

• Practice meditation.

🍽️ Meal Schedule

Breakfast

• Should be light in hot months and more substantial in cold months.
• Meal times according to doshas:
  • Vata: 8 am breakfast, 11 am to noon lunch, supper at 6 pm
  • Pitta: 7:30 am breakfast, noon lunch, supper between 6 – 7 pm
  • Kapha: 7 am breakfast (can skip), noon to 1 pm lunch, supper between 7 – 8 pm

🌙 Evening & Bedtime Rituals

Evening Practices

• If you take triphla powder, take ½ tsp with warm water one hour after dinner.
• Some spiritual reading before bed is recommended.
• Drink a cup of milk with a little ginger, cardamom, and turmeric.
• Rub oil on both soles of your feet.
• A hot bath or oil massage around 6 pm is recommended for people with Vata dosha.

Pre-Sleep Practices

• Do some meditation right before sleeping.
• Calming breathing exercises and meditation are especially recommended for people with Pitta dosha.
• Similarly, turning off the screens an hour before bed is recommended for all but is especially helpful for Pitta-dominant individuals.

Sleep Schedule

• Sleeping time and position as per body types:
  • Vata: Sleep by 10 pm and on their left side
  • Pitta: Sleep between 10 and 11 pm on their right side
  • Kapha: Sleep between 11 pm and 12 am on their left side

Now that you've got the hang of your daily Ayurvedic routine, let's smoothly transition into some everyday tweaks. These aren't big changes – think of them more like handy life hacks.

📋 General Daily Guidelines

Daily Habits to Follow

• Do not drink tea or coffee in the office. Have some warm water if you want something to drink.
• Do not drink water while standing up. Doing so can result in knee and joint pain.
• Be mindful of whatever you do.
• Keep your vertebral column straight. It helps to maintain awareness.
• Take a walk.
• Don't scroll your smartphone or watch television while eating. Pay attention to your food.
• It is better to eat when the sun is up.
• You can use spices such as nutmeg, betel nut, cardamom, cloves, betel leaves, and essence of camphor as a mouth freshener.

Conclusion

Consider these insights as gentle whispers from the ancient sages, guiding you to craft a daily routine that resonates with your individual constitution. Embrace these practices as offerings to your well-being altar, allowing flexibility and intuition to be your compass.

The essence lies not in rigid adherence but in the art of mindful living, where each action becomes a brushstroke on the canvas of your vibrant health.

May your days be filled with the sweetness of balance, and may your journey continue to unfold with the grace of Ayurveda as your guiding light.

References:

• Charak Samhita: Handbook on Ayurveda (Volume 1) – Edited by Gabriel Van Loon
• Dr Vasant Lad – Ayurveda: The Science of Self-Healing – A Practical Guide (ISBN: 81-208-1130-5)
• R Vidyanath – Ashtanga Hridaya of Vagabhata
• Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre – Practical Ayurveda – Find out who you are and what you need to bring balance to your life
• D. Lad – The Complete Book of Ayurvedic Home Remedies
• Acharya Balkrishna - A Practical Approach to The Science of Ayurveda - A Comprehensive Guide for Healthy Living - Chapter 5
• School of Ayurveda and Panchkarma - Lectures and Notes