Ayurvedic Dinacarya: Ancient Rituals for Modern Self-Care
Establishing a daily routine is foundational to our wellbeing. In the ancient science of Ayurveda, the sages called this “Dinacarya.”
In Sanskrit, ‘dina’ means ‘day’ and ‘carya’ implies ‘routine.’ The root word ‘car’ means to walk, or move.
How we move through our days, the habits we cultivate, the choices we make, how we engage with ourselves and our world - these all have an effect on our physical and emotional wellness. Ayurveda explains that everything in our universe is created by the 5 great elements - earth, water, fire, air and ether - including ourselves. Our metabolic constitution or Prakruti is derived from Nature, so when we harmonize our biological rhythms with the cycles of seasons, we are able to access greater balance and wellbeing.
There is plenty of research that states routines are beneficial to our health. Some of these benefits include:
Less stress, improved mental health and in turn lower risk of heart disease
Improved sleep, one of the 3 pillars of life in Ayurveda and a huge factor in your productivity, performance and daily energy reserve
In today’s world anxiety is one of the most common mental imbalances and our focus is increasingly challenged and fragmented. In Ayurveda speak, these are culprits of a Vata dosha imbalance. And Vata, being comprised of air and ether, the most subtle of elements, is typically the first dosha to go out of balance for most of us. Routines have a profound effect providing the stability and earth element needed to ground and nourish Vata as well as quell anxiety and stress.
Below are several suggestions as to which self-care rituals you can start to incorporate into your daily routine. Remember, every person has a different constitution and therefore will require slight adjustments to the recommendations below. The greatest advice I can offer is to allow your intuition to guide you. Begin with incorporating one or two of the below, notice your mood, feelings, digestion, quality of sleep. Over time you can incorporate more to bolster your wellness plan.
Self-care rituals to balance Vata & support Daily Routine
Wake up with nature.
Right before the sun rises, it is said that the Sattvic or pure and loving qualities are present in nature. Ayurveda recommends waking up at this time. While seasons and daylight does shift, an approximate time to wake per dosha is as follows.
Vata: at sunrise or 6 AM
Pitta: just before sunrise or 5:30 AM
Kapha: before sunrise at 5:00 AM
Scrape your tongue.
One of the easiest rituals to incorporate in your day, since we can habit stack it onto brushing teeth. Invest in a tongue scraper. Before ingesting morning beverages, scrape the ama or toxins from your tongue. This practice prevents malabsorption, clears toxins and bacteria from the tongue, stimulates your internal organs through reflexology and promotes digestive health. By scraping your tongue you will enhance your sense of taste, and allow the receptors to more effectively communicate satiation to the brain. Plus, it helps curb bad breath and will leave your mouth feeling fresh.
Drink a glass of warm lemon or lime water.
There are many benefits but the biggest one is that it promotes peristalsis and encourages our morning bowel movement - an important part of our body’s digestive process… not to mention many folks lack proper hydration, so this is a great place to start.
If you have a Pitta predominance (excess fire element) in your constitution, choose lime over lemon as its cooling and Sattvic.
If you are experiencing constipation of difficulty with your stool, add a few slices of fresh ginger to amp up the fire.
Eliminate your bowels.
Our bowels are a great indication of whether or not we are in balance. Having routine bowel movements implies our digestion is working properly. Even observing the qualities of your bowels will give you insight into which dosha is at play. Regular elimination encourages apana vayu, the downward and outward flow of subtle energy and helps one avoid reabsorption of our bodies toxins.
For constipation or strain try:
The herbal remedy “Triphala” as a gentle supplement to encourage bowels
The yoga pose “Malasana”, sometimes referred to as ‘garland pose’ or ‘yogi squat’ as a way to encourage “apana vayu” - the downward and outward subtle flow of Prana that supports elimination
Try oil pulling for oral hygiene and gum health.
Gargle with a teaspoon of coconut or warm sesame oil to nourish teeth and gums. 5-20 minutes daily. This practice helps strengthen gums, teeth and jaw. It supports potential tooth decay and enhances the oral microbiome. It also clears bad breath.
Tip: Take a scoop before you get in the shower - it makes the 10 or so minutes go by much faster. Spit out the oil in the trash to avoid clogged drains.
Incorporate Nasya Oil or nasal lubrication.
The practice of Nasya, applying a few drops of warm ghee or oil into each nostril helps lubricate the nose and supports the sinus, throat and head. It also encourages mental clarity. It is understood that the nose is the doorway to the brain and our Prana or life force energy enters through our breath. This practice helps promote cerebral circulation, stimulates memory and restores balance in the body.
For vata: use sesame oil, ghee or calamus oil
For pitta: use brahmi ghee, sunflower or coconut oil.
For kapha: use calamus oil
Nasya is a particularly beneficial practice during Vata season (late fall, early winter), pre-travel (such as going on airplanes), or general Vata imbalances.
Skip soap when showering.
Most of our soap products today strip the body of the its natural oils. Use soap on the armpits or parts of the body that release sweat (one of the vehicles of digestion), but use it sparingly on the rest of the body or not at all! Buy natural soaps when possible.
For Pitta-types or those with acne imbalances: try soap with neem or aloe.
Practice the ancient art of abhyanga or oil self-massage.
This self-care practice helps build ojas or our immunity essence and promote longevity. It balances Vata dosha, calms anxiety, supports the nervous system and supports better sleep. It’s also seen as a powerful act of self-love as the word ‘sneha’ in Sanskrit means ‘oil’ but also ‘love.’ Apply oil to the skin and massage with intention. Spend a little extra time massaging the feet for grounding. For more details on this practice and how to create your own oil blend, read here.
Eat with mindfulness and intention.
There is no shortage of digestive imbalances in our modern society, and so eating with mindfulness and intention is of growing importance. A few key practices to incorporate include preparing your meal and eating space with love. Make lunch your biggest meal of the day as this is the Pitta time of day and our digestive fire or agni is the strongest. Enjoy a light, warm dinner as we enter the Kapha time of day and our winding down our physical activities. Try to avoid eating 2 hours before bed as this can affect the quality of your digestion and sleep. For a more detailed guide on healthy eating principles, read here.
Encourage exercise and yoga asana.
We already know that exercise benefits the heart, lungs and disease prevention. It not only make us happier, it is proven to reduce stress levels, depression and anxiety and changes our brains. Research shows that exercise makes our brain more sensitive to joy and primes us for deeper connection. Invigorating exercises are best during the kapha time of day in the morning from 6:00 - 10:00 AM. More grounded practices such as a slow flow, yin or restorative yoga practice are preferable for afternoon and evening to encourage restful sleep.
Practice deep breathing and Pranayama.
Breathing is that magical action that happens both consciously and unconsciously. When the latter is in place, our breath follows our emotional patterns. In our world where stress and anxiety is on the rise, our breath can find itself shallow and short - essentially restricting prana and life force to our whole ecosystem of the body. On top of that, our breath is responsible for 80% of the toxins are released. Take a moment to practice deep breathing, or carve out time for Pranayama - breath expansion practices.
Make space for meditation or a contemplative practice.
The benefits of meditation are endless. Research shows that is offers increased stability of the nervous system, improves reflexes, builds our resilience to the effects of stress, improves our relationships, our focus and enhances creativity. Through the practice of mindfulness - paing full attention to one thing in a given moment - we can enter a space of meditation - the process of bringing clarity to the mind. If you are new to the practice, start small with 5 or 10 minutes a day. Insight Timer App is a great free resources to find guided meditations.
Create and Play.
Creativity and play have huge benefits for our stress, mood, and brain functioning. Check in and notice if you are taking life too seriously or leaning towards workaholicism and take some time to make space for your inner artist and child.
Encourage restful sleep. Settle down for bed by 10pm.
The rituals you incorporate before bed have the power to deeply affect your sleep. Sleep is considered one of the 3 pillars of life in Ayurvedic wisdom. When our sleep is compromised, so is our productivity, focus and whole wellbeing. Finding the recipe for restful sleep will be different for each of us, but here are a few practices to incorporate.
Limit tech use before bed to reconnect with your natural biorhythms.
Try not to do any mentally stimulating or energizing activities before bed such as computer work or cardio exercise late at night.
Set your bedtime for 10pm or earlier so as to fall asleep before the pitta time of day kicks back in at 10 pm - 2am.
Tip: For encouraging sleep, try using a diffuser in your room with a few drops of lavender essential oil.
You can read more on sleep hygiene here.
Above are several recommendations to experiment and play with in your daily rituals. Consider these as a few foundational practices to start cultivating and caring for your own wellness.
Remember, each person has a different prakruti - constitution, so consider the above inspiration but use your intuition to discern what is best for your being.
If you are interested in a deeper personalized plan for your Prakruti or doshic constitution - feel free to reach out and inquire about booking an Ayurvedic Health Counseling Package. Available for remote sessions via Zoom.