Ten Tips for An Ideal Daily Routine

Ayurveda prescribes a daily routine that’s in tune with nature, called a dinacharya. It’s the way a person would ideally spend the day for good health and well-being. Here’s an outline of a dinacharya:

1. Wake up early.

• Rise at sunrise, or even before, to appreciate the peace and quiet of morning.

• Start the day by consciously feeling gratitude, saying a prayer, or meditating.

2. Practice daily hygiene.

• Brush your teeth and scrape your tongue using a stainless-steel scraper or spoon. If your tongue’s coating is thick and white, that’s a sign of too much ama in the system.

• Wash your face and eyes with cool water.

• Rinse your mouth with sesame oil.

• Put sesame-oil nose drops into both nostrils to clean the sinuses and lubricate the nasal passages— especially during winter.

• Drink a cup of warm water with lemon juice.

• Sit on the toilet at the same time every day and have a bowel movement. Proper and regular elimination is vital.

• Do a full-body self-massage with warm oil, which rejuvenates the skin, stimulates circulation, calms the nervous system, and lubricates joints. This can take as little as 15 minutes.

• Shower or bathe.

3. Exercise or do yoga. Physical activity is recommended in the morning.

4. Eat breakfast between 7:00 and 7:30 am

• This should be a light meal.

• Eat only when you feel hungry.

5. Go to work or school. Perform your tasks throughout the day with awareness and compassion.

6. Eat lunch between 11 am and 1 pm

• Eat only when you feel very hungry.

• This should be the largest meal of the day because your agni is strongest around noon.

• Sit quietly for 5 minutes after eating. Then walk for 5 to 15 minutes to aid digestion.

7. End the day’s work with a walk-in nature. Mild exercise and quiet time when you can reconnect with the natural environment will relax and rejuvenate you.

8. Eat dinner between 6 and 7 pm

• Have a light to moderate meal.

• Sit quietly for 5 minutes after eating. Then walk for 5 to 15 minutes to aid digestion.

• Avoid eating within two hours of bedtime to assure that your food is digested before sleep.

9. Before-bed routine.

• Do some spiritual reading.

• Drink warm milk to induce sleep.

• Meditate for a few minutes.

10. Go to sleep at the same time (around 10:30 pm) each night.

• Ayurveda describes sleep as the “diet of the mind” because it rejuvenates both the mind and body.

• To obtain the most restful sleep, try to retire around 10 to 10:30 pm, go to bed at the same time each night, and eat your dinner at least two hours before bedtime.

• Get at least seven hours of sleep per night. Studies show that anything less makes it more difficult for the body to detoxify and release body fat.

• We’re also likely to overeat when we’re tired, and fatigue can cause sugar and caffeine cravings.