Dinacharya - Ayurvedic Daily Rituals
I’ve been talking about this all the time recently at my work shops. “Dina” meaning day and “Charya” meaning to follow. These simple, nurturing guidelines can have a hugely positive impact on your mental, physical and spiritual well being. I choose to rise a little earlier in the morning to incorporate all of these recommended daily rituals, but even incorporating one or two will result in long term health benefits. So, what are they and when/how do we do them?
The first thing we think about when looking at daily rituals is what time to rise……. This can be a difficult one for some and easy for others! Ayurveda places great importance on the various times of day and night as they directly correspond to the three Doshas. Each Dosha dominates two cycles throughout the day and night as follows:
Kapha Dosha (comprised of the elements of Water & Earth) is strongest between 6am-10am and 6pm-10pm;
Pitta Dosha (comprised of the elements of Fire & Water ) is strongest between 10am-2pm and 10pm-2am;
Vata Dosha (comprised of the elements of Space & Air) is strongest between 2am-6am and 2pm-6pm;
The optimum time for us all to rise is between 2am-6am! I know, it’s early, but bear with me! The reason behind this is that Vata, being the Dosha comprised of Space & Air, has all these qualities of lightness and clarity associated with it. If we rise during this window, we will rise with these qualities and carry them through the day with us. In Yogic philosophy, the sister science to Ayurveda, we talk about the “Amrit Vela” - the ambrosial hours. These are technically from 4am to 7am (and also 4pm to 7pm), but it is essentially the Vata Dosha morning window. Yogi Bhajan said “any meditation done in a state of unisonness at that time gives us a clear tomorrow and erases the cause of sorrow which we seed through our thoughts”. So this is the perfect time for your morning practice, whatever that might be - meditation, prayer, journaling, lighting a candle, gently stretching the body or ,simply, conscious breathing.
If one sleeps beyond 6am, we move into the Kapha time of day and we will carry the Kapha qualities of heaviness & stickiness (think feeling lethargic and mentally or physically ‘stuck’) throughout our whole day. The ideal timings are Kapha dominant people to rise before sunset, Pitta dominant people to rise with the sun and Vata dominant people to rise just after sunrise.
So, now we’re up! What next? Well, let the rituals truly begin!
Cleansing:
During the 10pm to 2am Pitta window, the body is metabolising and transforming all the food we have eaten during the previous day. By the time we rise, it has moved all the excess Doshas, waste and toxins that it doesn’t require to the body’s ‘exit holes’, but the body requires our help to shift them out.
The largest ‘hole’ which stores morning toxins is the mouth - you know this already, think about if you eat late or have eaten a large, heavy meal which hasn’t had time to fully digest. We will physically see this as a thick, white coating on the tongue and a foul smell on the breath. So, firstly, we clean the mouth. Begin by scraping the tongue. A tongue scraper can be purchased easily online - it is a U shaped, bevel-edged piece of copper or stainless steel. Scrape 5/6 times from back to front (being careful not to knick a taste bud!). Press gently and keep scraping until you have removed all coating (rinse after each scrape), then clean the scraper in hot water and store by your toothbrush. Now brush your teeth as normal and drink a cup of hot water with ginger & lemon (fresh or a good quality tea bag);
Ever wondered why we get ‘sleepy dust’ ( or eye bogeys as my sons call them!) in the corners of the eyes when we wake up? Well, it’s accumulated Doshas and toxins as explained above. so, now wash your eyes in cool to cold water - splash them 4/5 times. The eyes are a Pitta organ and prone to heat, itching, redness etc. The cold water will really help. You can then spritz your face with rose water and, if you can get it, even drop pure rose water into the eyes (must be 100% pure rose water without chemicals or essential oils). Rose is naturally astringent which Pitta loves;
Neti (nasal cleansing) - Kate O’Donnell describes this as “flossing for your nose”! Some people do this every morning (like me) and some use it more strategically at the change of the seasons to help with seasonal allergies or to keep colds and infections at bay. The idea is it washes out the accumulated Doshas, toxins, mucous and impurities. Highly recommended for people who are prone to sinus congestion, infections, allergies, headaches and migraines. There are lots of brilliant Neti pot options out there - look for one with a water line marker and a spoon for salt to avoid the guess work with ratios of water to salt. Lots of people recommend boiling & cooling your water first, personally I think if your tap water is safe to drink then you’re good to go. Just make sure its room temp to warm for maximum comfort. As for the salt, pure fine sea salt from the kitchen cupboard is fine or to keep it easy just buy a salt online specifically for neti. My Ayurvedic teacher also recommends adding a few drops of oil (sesame or similar) to the salt water mixture. This is because salt is very drying and the oil helps lubricate the mucous membranes. Over the sink lean forward and tip head to one side (if you have an issue with one side in particular always start by cleaning this side first), then put the spout against the nostril which is facing upwards and gently allow the water to run in. It will come out the nostril which is facing down. Do half the pot per side and very gently blow the nose in-between and again after. Blowing too hard will force water into the ear. Remember, this MUST be done in the morning, not at other times of the day. You may find if you bend forward within a couple of hours of doing Neti some residual water can flow out so always best to keep tissues on you!
Nasya (oiling of the nose) - So this is separate to adding a few drops of water to your Neti pot. Once we have cleansed the major ‘holes’ (hopefully you will have had a poo and a pee by now too), we then need to oil the body to re nourish it. Nasya is actually a therapy I offer in it’s own right, but a very simplified version can be done at home every morning. It is said in Ayurveda that “the person who administers Anu Nasya Oil every day shall live for over 100 years”. It is fantastic for hay-fever, sinusitis, congestion, asthma, bronchitis, recurrent migraines, neck aches & pains, premature greying of the hair/hair loss and dark circles under the eyes to name but a few (Note: it is contra-indicated during pregnancy). So you can simply swirl a dash of sesame oil in the nostrils using your little fingers or you can buy Anu Nasya Oil and add 1-2 drops with the pipette. Top tip - take your Anu Nasya Oil when flying or going into very public places where there will be lots of bugs floating around. And another tip for children - my eldest son suffers dreadfully from hay-fever but being only 8 I can’t get him to do Neti without an almighty drama! However, swirling some of this oil in his nose before he goes outside is easy and really helps keeps the allergens out.
Dry brushing - This takes less than 3 minutes and is so good for the circulation - especially indicated in late winter and spring (Kapha season) when the body is heavy and allergy prone. You’ll get a good quality natural bristle brush online. So we are always moving towards the heart using small, circular movements. Take more time in areas of stubborn fat tissue. I do this every day but even once a week is good.
Abhyanga (oiling of the skin) - Some people believe this is the most important dinacharya practice (although tongue scraping is definitely up there for me), believing it creates a protective force field on the body which you’ll carry through the day. It may be a tough one to add in every day but please try to make time to do it ritualistically at least once a week. I like doing it on a weekend morning and then get into the bath. The oil must be warm, I keep a small oil burner at the side of my sink with my oils and everything else I need for my morning dinacharya. Start at the top of the head and work down covering every part, including ears, nose and soles of feet - if washing it out of your hair every day feels like too much you could just do nose and ears, body and feet. Allow it to soak in for at least 5 mins if possible, but 15 is optimum. Now take a warm shower (not hot) and allow most of the oil to come off with water or a very gentle natural soap. You should still feel a slight oily coating on the skin when you’re towelling off. I actually finish my shower with a freezing cold 1 minute shower, but this is a whole other article (see Ishnaan, The Healing Beauty of Cold water) and is not actually indicated in Ayurveda. This is something I have learned through my Yogic teachings and I personally cherish.
Oil Pulling (oiling of the mouth, teeth & gums) - I’ve got this down here rather than up with the mouth cleaning as I tend to do mine either whilst I’m letting my oil soak in or, if I’ve skipped my Abhyanga, whilst I’m showering to save on time. My oil will have been heating whilst I do all the above so it’s all ready to go when I hop in the shower. As we do it for around 3-5 mins its usually the perfect amount of time to have a quick shower and spit it out when I finish (always into a glass jar which I then I empty into the garden once a week - beware of the smell though by the end of the week, it’s frightening to think this is caused by the toxins being “pulled” from the mouth).
Exercise
It’s now around 6.30-7am for me so I can fit in some yoga or pranayama before I switch into Mama mode and take care of my people. Yoga is the exercise of choice in Ayurveda and is the perfect way to move the body at this time of day, however, if running or some other exercise is your thing then it’s best done in the Kapha windows of 6am-10am or 6pm-10pm so go for it! I’m only going to talk about yoga here as I do truly believe we should all be practicing it, regardless of what other sports you love. For me, the perfect, simple, morning practice is a few rounds of Sun Salutations. This beautiful sequence of postures increases cardiac activity & circulation, stretches and bends the spine, massages the inner organs, aids the digestive system, exercises the lungs and oxygenates the blood. WOW!
Vata dominant people should perform the sequence slowly and gently, resting between each cycle. 3-5 cycles is enough. You could add in 3 minutes of Alternate Nostril Breathing;
Pitta dominant people should be sure to keep cool and do 5-7 rounds at a moderate pace, no rest required. Add in some Shitali Breath;
Kapha dominant people should be as strenuous and vigorous as possible as they go through the sequence - they can ‘jump’ when that is an alternative to stepping. 7-10 rounds. Try to sweat. Right Nostril Breathing or Breath of Fire are both good for Kapha types.
Always do a short relaxation and if time a 3 minute meditation. It’s good to commit to the same meditation for 40 days (see 40 Days, The Magic Number?)
Eating
Breakfast - breakfast should be according to ones body type. Vata & Kapha should always eat a warm/hot breakfast and Pitta more cooling/refreshing (try 30 mls Aloe Vera on an empty tummy before you eat). Kapha types (or those looking to lose weight) can actually skip breakfast and eat nothing before 10am. A good tip for all Doshas is 1 tsp Chyawanprash every day after breakfast - a jam like, healing tonic bursting with antioxidants and vitamin C.
Lunch - Eaten between 12-1pm. This should be the largest meal of the day. Vata types should favour warm foods with the tastes Sweet, Sour & salty. Pitta types should eat warm to cool foods, focussing on the tastes Sweet, Bitter & Astringent. Kapha types should eat hot food with a focus on the tastes Spicy, Bitter & Astringent. It is beneficial for all to have a cup of hot water or hot lemon & ginger tea after every meal.
Dinner - Ideally no later than 7pm and definitely not less than 3 hours before bed. Again, eat with the same principles as above for your body type. All types should avoid cold, heavy food at dinner time. Light soups or vegetable stews are ideal.
Sleep - bed by 10pm is perfect! 10pm-2am is the next Pitta window and this is when the body needs to rest, repair and recharge.
I have separate blogs on the different Doshas and here you will find more information on lifestyle tips to pacify your unique body type. Also, I have written on Ayurveda for the Seasons so you can begin to manage your ever fluctuating Doshas throughout the year.