Daily Regimen
The Daily Regimen
Dinacharya is the daily regimen described in Ayurveda, taking into account the dynamic quality of each day. At any given point during the day or night a particular dosha is said to exert an influence, and thus the potential for an imbalance to occur in these periods must be moderated by a regimen that takes this into consideration. Please login or register to see the full articleArising
The morning routine is especially important in Ayurvedic medicine, and much time was traditionally spent, even as it is today in modern India, on following specific morning regimens. It is said that one should arise early in the morning, before sunrise in the period of time called the brahmamuhurta. Please login or register to see the full articleElimination
After arising from bed one should attend to the purity of the body. In a state of health the evacuation of urine and feces should occur without effort or treatment. If evacuation does not occur shortly after awakening however, or there is a history of constipation, one or two glasses of warm water can be an efficient stimulant to peristalsis. Please login or register to see the full articleOral Care
Cleaning the oral cavity is an important component of personal hygiene in Ayurveda, and involves a number of procedures including cleaning the tongue (jihvanirlekhana), oil-pulling (gandusha), cleaning the teeth (dantadhavana), and the use of mouthrinses (kavala). According to Ayurveda, the mouth and oral cavity is under the influence of kapha dosha, which itself is adversely affected by sweet flavor. Thus to properly balance the mouth, instead of using saccharine-sweet toothpastes and mouth rinses, Ayurveda recommends the use of bitter, pungent and astringent flavors to clean the mouth.
Please login or register to see the full articleEye Care
Cleansing of the eyes is another facet of the traditional morning regimen, typically with collyriums (anjana) such as sauviranjana, which is prepared lead sulfate. Either preparation is painted as a thick line on the lower eye lids directly under the lashes, and is said to enhance vision and prevent eye disease.
Please login or register to see the full articleNose Care
In a state of health any accumulation of phlegm in the nose, throat or lungs should be relatively easy to expectorate, facilitated by the slippery and greasy nature of kapha, which governs these areas. When kapha becomes vitiated however, or with the appearance of ama, the respiratory secretions can become thick, heavy and congested, but are still more or less easy to expectorate. Please login or register to see the full articleStimulating Digestion
The ancient custom of chewing betel (pan) finds its place in the daily routines recommended by Ayurveda. Betel nut (Areca catechu) is an important digestive stimulant with weak narcotic properties that gives the person who chews it a mild euphoria. Betel also has sialogogue properties, which not only assists in digestion but helps to maintain an oral pH that is conducive to good dental health. Please login or register to see the full articleExercise
After attending to the purification of internal wastes and the stimulation of digestion, some form of exercise (vyayama) is indicated, usually to the capacity of “one-half one’s strength.” This is understood to mean that daily exercise should be performed to the point of perspiration of the face, axilla and limbs, with an accompanying sensation of dryness in the mouth. Please login or register to see the full articleSelf-massage
Of all the techniques used in the daily regimen, regular self-massage is most closely associated with maintaining beauty and prevent aging. In Ayurveda, daily self-massage in modeled after massage therapy, but obviously since it is for daily use the technique and restrictions are relaxed. Charaka states that self-massage should come before exercise in order to help with the lubrication and nourishment of the muscles, but other texts such as the Bhavaprakasha suggest that it can be performed after exercise as well. Please login or register to see the full article
Bathing
Bathing (snana) with warm water follows exercise and massage, and may be done with the addition of fragrant herbs or essential oils chosen on the basis on the prakriti or the symptoms of disease (i.e. vikriti). For vata conditions herbs and essential oils can be chosen on the basis of their ability to reduce vata. Please login or register to see the full articleMeditation
After exercise, massage and bathing the body is now supple and relaxed, and is best prepared for the extended of sitting of meditation, called bhavana or dhyana. Various meditative techniques exist but not all are appropriate to each person. Please login or register to see the full articleEating
The partaking of food is the last of the morning routines, and for all meals is performed up to a capacity of one-half the stomach contents, consumed with one-quarter portion of water. This means that the amount of food to be consumed at any given meal should lead to satiation, to the appeasement of hunger, leaving some room in the stomach to accommodate gastric churning. Please login or register to see the full articleSadvritta: Good Conduct
Ayurveda is not solely concerned with the health of the body but equally emphasizes factors such as morality and ethics. Traditional Indian philosophy suggests that the body is but a vehicle for spiritual development and is of itself unimportant. Please login or register to see the full articleSleeping
In Ayurveda sleep is viewed as a restorative mechanism to support and maintain health, and along with food and sex, is considered one of the three pillars of life. During normal wakening the ingestion of dietary nutrients and oxygen is broken down in a step-wise manner to nourish the different tissues (dhatus) of the body. When these tissues are properly nourished the result is the production of ojas, the vital essence of the body. Please login or register to see the full articleAdditional Information
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