Dinacharya:

Your daily Rhythm

The tradition of dinacharya (daily routine) is one of the most powerful Ayurvedic tools for improving overall health and well-being, and one of the most important practices to stabilize vata dosha. Nature moves in cycles (day to night, winter to spring), and all of the animals and plants follow suit with their own daily and seasonal routines. As humans, living in a fast-paced world, we can easily grow out of touch with our natural, circadian rhythms.

Adopting an appropriate daily routine is one of the most grounding and nourishing things you can do for yourself and your little babe. The following are Ayurveda's recommended daily practices:

morning

• wake up before the sun: The early part of the day, before the sun rises, is governed by vata dosha. If you wake up during this time you will feel more light and energized upon waking and throughout the day. If you are feeling extra tired throughout the day, rest as needed, and see if you can get to sleep a bit earlier in the evening.

• meditate: Meditation is essential for creating space between your mind (the voice in your head that is always saying something about everything) and your Self (the one who is steadily witnessing, beyond the mind and emotions). The more you can begin to identify with your Self rather than your mind, the more steady, content, and happy you will be in your life.

• oil pull: Put 1-2 tbsp of coconut oil or sesame oil into your mouth and swish it around for 10-20 minutes. Then spit it out and rinse. Oil pulling promotes oral hygiene, strengthens teeth, gums and jaw, draws fat soluble toxins out of the body, reduces inflammation, boosts immunity, whitens teeth and more!

• scrape your tongue & brush your teeth: Gently scrape your tongue with a tongue scraper or a spoon, from back to front 8-15 times, removing the coating that has accumulated over night. This stimulates the internal organs, helps digestion, improves taste, and removes dead bacteria. Then brush your teeth using a bitter or astringent toothpaste rather than sweet.

• self massage (abhyanga): One of the most nourishing practices there are! (See video tutorials).

• drink warm water with lime: Warm water first thing in the morning gently awakens your GI tract, stimulating peristalsis, encouraging elimination and therefore supporting digestive health. Limes are high in minerals and vitamins and help loosen ama, or toxins, in the digestive tract.

throughout the day

• movement: In the morning, support the waking of your body in a way that you enjoy, whether it be taking a brisk walk around your neighborhood, dancing around your house, going to the gym, or dedicating time to your yoga practice. The afternoon is a prime time to get the blood flowing. After your largest meal of the day is consumed (at lunchtime) give yourself at least 10-15 minutes for a walk to promote blood flow. Evening calls for gentler movement, such as a gentle yoga practice, so that you can begin to wind the body down in preparation for a good night of sleep.

• nourish properly: Breakfast can be a light yet nourishing meal that awakens your body's digestive fire and gives you enough energy until lunch time. Lunch will be your biggest meal of the day, followed by a light dinner eaten at least two hours before bedtime. See if you can have your main meals at the same time each day. This balanced and helps to regulate your digestion. If needed, add high protein and easy to digest snacks between your main meals to maintain your blood sugar and keep nausea at bay.

• get to bed early: Ayurveda recommends that you are in bed by 9:30pm and asleep no later than 10pm. This likely means that you begin winding down from your day no later than 8:30pm - turning off electronics, dimming lights, taking a bath or shower and brushing your teeth. At 10pm, pitta energy fills the atmosphere, often giving you a "second wind" if you are still awake. Ideally, the body is able to use that pitta energy while you are sleeping to break down and metabolize any toxicity or undigested food that has accumulated throughout the day so that you wake up in the morning feeling bright eyed and bushy tailed!