Ayurvedic Self Care: The Daily Routine
One of the foundational features of an Ayurvedic practice is establishing a daily routine, or dinacharya as it is known in Sanskrit. In Sanskrit, Dina means day, sun or flow, and Charya means practice or conduct. The truism of how we spend our days being how we spend our lives is emphasized in the practices of Ayurveda. The seemingly small habits we have can have a much larger effect on our health that we might imagine, so it is important to make sure we are doing things that are helping to promote balance in our bodies.
Dinacharya is the ultimate form of Ayurvedic self care. Long before “self care” was commodified, Ayurveda implemented self care much more deeply, as a way to prevent disease and imbalance in the body. In fact, Dr. Satchin Panda, Professor of Regulatory Biology at UCSD, states that the answer to boosting your immunity may lie in simple steps you can take to maintain a robust circadian rhythm by developing and following a daily routine.
What are Circadian Rhythms?
Circadian rhythms are the daily cycles of bodily functions that form the foundation of good health. These body clocks, found in nearly every organ of the body and part of the brain, are central and vital to a properly functioning immune system. A synchronized circadian rhythm in the lungs, heart, kidney and brain ensures that the processes in our body go as planned while the immune system can effectively fight and defeat a virus.
Just as our external environment has cyclical seasons (fall, winter, spring, summer), our bodies also have cycles, one of the most fundamental being our sleep/ wake cycle. In order to have ultimate health, our natural rhythms must be in balance, and in harmony with nature. I’m sure that you’ve noticed when traveling, digestion tends to always go out of whack. This is due to an interruption in our body's rhythm, especially when we are changing time zones. This affects not only our stress hormones, but also sex hormones, and thyroid hormones.
How do we maintain a robust circadian rhythm and promote synchrony with the external cycles of nature? The answer is as simple as developing a daily routine and sticking to it consistently.
Circadian rhythm in the brain is synchronized to the outside world by light and darkness. Circadian rhythms in the rest of the body are synchronized by when we eat. We can maintain a healthy circadian rhythm by the following simple practices: sleep, eating time, daylight exposure, exercise and stress management.
The idea behind a daily routine is creating our own cycle that is aligned with the natural rhythms. These principles allow us to maintain equilibrium in our bodies, even when our external environments are in flux. A routine helps to mitigate the impact of external factors.
Benefits of Daily Routine:
Some of the benefits of a daily routine include better sleep, lower stress or better stress response, improved digestion, a feeling of groundedness, etc.
A daily routine can be as simple or elaborate as you’d like (or as your time permits). When starting an Ayurvedic daily routine, it’s important not to get too overwhelmed by all of the new activities. Some are easier than others to adopt, and if you find yourself feeling like there’s too much going on, incorporate one additional new practice every 4 days or so.
Basic structure for an Ayurvedic dinacharya:
Wake up early, and at the same time each day, ideally around 6:00am.
Upon waking, say a prayer, affirmation or intention for the day.
Sip warm water with a squeeze of lime juice. This helps to stimulate digestion.
Elimination: What goes in must come out. Elimination is the key to optimal health. Self massage on the abdomen and deep slow breathing into the belly is a wonderful way to gently stimulate a bowel movement.
Personal hygiene practices:
Wash face with cool water
Brush your teeth
Tongue Scraping: Using a stainless steel or copper tongue scraper, scrape the tongue 7-14 times to remove ama and built up bacteria
Oil Pulling: This is the practice of swishing oil around the mouth which helps to remove bacteria from the teeth and improve gum health. You can use coconut oil or untoasted sesame oil. Take 1-2 tablespoons, and without swallowing, circulate around the mouth for 5-20 minutes, working up to the full 20 minute practice.
Brush your teeth
Dry skin brushing
Abhyanga (self-massage): see instructions here
Shower
Meditate for 5 to 20 minutes
Gentle yoga postures such as: Uttanasana (Standing Forward Fold), Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Bend), Balasana (Child's Pose)
Eat breakfast, lunch and dinner at the same times each day, making sure to eat mindfully, with no distractions
Bedtime should be between 10:00 and 11:00pm each night, with a one hour wind-down period prior, where electronics should be turned off.