In Today’s life, the body, which is constantly being worn out & liable to be thrown out of balance, must be nourished & maintained by right food, truthful conduct & practice of hygiene that are conducive to health and longevity like a flame being tended by pouring oil to the lamp & by trimming the wick.
Ayurveda emphasizes the importance of the maintenance of the health of a healthy person and curing the disease of the ill. Some activities are mentioned in Ayurveda under the term dinacharya (Daily Routine) to maintain health. A daily routine is necessary to change body, mind, and consciousness radically. It normalizes a person’s biological clock, aids digestion, absorption, and assimilation, and engenders self-esteem, discipline, peace, happiness, and longevity. Ayurveda recommends that to be optimally healthy. We should tune our bodies to nature’s master cycle, which regulates the various other rhythms.
According to Ayurveda, the ideal schedule should be like this:
Wake up during Brahmamuhurta
Brahmamuhurta or Amrit vela—the ambrosial hours— God’s Hours is the morning period an hour and a half before sunrise. After a good night’s sleep, the mind is refreshed, calm, and serene. There is a preponderance of sattva or purity in mind at this time and in the atmosphere. Sleeping later than 6:00 a.m. causes communication channels to be clogged with impurities, leading to a dull mind, depressed moods, and slow communication between heart, soul & mind. Right after waking, look at your hands briefly, then quietly move them over your face and chest. This cleans the aura, and it symbolizes honest labor.
Say Prayers before leaving the bed.
Thank you, God, for this beautiful day before me.
May joy, love, peace, and compassion be part of my life and all those around me on this day
I am healing, and I am healed.”
O! Mother Earth, who has the ocean as clothes and mountains and forests on her body, who is the wife of Lord Vishnu, I bow to you. Please forgive me for touching you with my feet.
After this prayer, touch the ground with your right hand, then the same hand to the forehead, with great love and respect to Mother Earth.
Eliminate
As soon as possible empty your colon and bladder. This is a time when one should not be in a rush and should allow the natural rhythms of one’s body to carry out natural functions. If you wait until later in the morning or during the day, you are slowly poisoning yourself and creating an opportunity for chronic conditions to arise.
Cleaning of face, Mouth, and eyes
Wash the eyes with normal tap water.
Try Triphala eyewash with 1/4 tsp. in 1 cup water, boil for 8- 10 minutes, cool, and strain with Muslin cloth. This eyewash is good for all Dosha types.
Brush your teeth. Neem, an extremely bitter herb, is good for oral health. Bitter, astringent, and pungent herbs are best for fighting cavities, as they are Kapha-pacifying and carry the antibacterial activity.
Scrape Your Tongue
Scrape the tongue with a tongue cleaner to purify your mouth. This can be best done with a smooth tongue scraper of gold, silver, copper, tin, brass, or stainless steel. Ayurveda considers the coating of the tongue as an indicator of ‘Ama’ or toxins in the colon.
Gargling (Oil Pulling)
Ayurveda recommends gargling daily with warm sesame oil to strengthen teeth, gums, and jaw. Hold the oil in your mouth, swish it around vigorously, then spit it out and gently massage the gums with a finger. Don’t forget to wash the inside of your mouth with warm salted water to remove any oil residue.
Drink a glass of water.
It is always good to drink a glass of water (preferably from a pure copper cup filled the night before) after brushing your teeth, scraping your tongue & oil-pulling. This will stimulate the peristalsis & helps in elimination.
Chewing
Chewing in the morning stimulates the liver and the stomach and improves digestive fire. Betel leaves, mint & holy basil leaves are easily available herbs.
Nasal Drops (Nasyam)
Putting 2-3 drops of warm sesame oil/Nasya oil into each nostril in the morning helps to lubricate the nose, clean the sinuses, and improve voice, vision, and mental clarity. Our nose is the gateway to the brain, so putting warm oil drops nourishes prana and brings intelligence.
Oil drops in the Ears (Karana purana)
Putting 4-5 drops of warm sesame oil in each ear can be helpful in conditions such as ear ringing, excess ear wax, poor hearing, lockjaw, and TMJ. These are the conditions due to vata imbalance in the ears.
Abhyanga or Warm oil self-massage
Abhyanga should be done daily; it wards off old age, physical exertion, and aggravation for Vata; it bequeaths good vision, induces good sleep, and keeps skin healthy.
For vata, use warm sesame oil.
For pitta, use warm coconut oil.
For kapha, use warm sunflower oil.
Bathing
Bathing is purifying, aphrodisiac. It removes sweat, dirt, and fatigue. It also brings positive energy to the body, clarity to the mind, and sacredness to your life.
Along with bathing, one should cut hair, nails, and mustache. One should keep the feet and orifices (ears, nose, eyes, feet, urethra, and anus) clean of waste to promote intelligence, purity, and longevity.
Exercise & Yoga
Regular exercises like walking and yoga improve circulation and strength. It improves digestion and elimination & induces good sleep. Exercise half of your capacity daily until sweat forms on the forehead, armpits, nose & spine.
Vata: walking, qi gong or Tai qi, gentle restorative yoga-like Camel; Cobra; Cat; Cow. Walking, all forms of Gentle exercises are good.
Pitta: Swimming, brisk walking, moderate hiking, Moon salutation, Fish, Boat, Bow. All forms of Calming exercises are good.
Kapha: Weight lifting, brisk hiking, jogging, running, and energetic forms of yoga-like Sun salutation; Bridge; Peacock; Palm tree. All forms of Vigorous exercise are good.
Yogic Breathing or Pranayama
Prana is the vital energy our physical and subtle layers need, without which the body would perish. It is what keeps us alive. Pranayama is the control of prana through the breath. These techniques rely on breathing through the nostrils.
12 alternate nostril breaths for vata;
16 cooling breaths (curling up your tongue lengthwise and breathing through it) for pitta;
100 bhastrika (short, fast breaths) for kapha.
Just as unhealthy lifestyles are the principal causes of modern-day illnesses, healthy lifestyles can result in an improved feeling of wellness that is critical to optimal health.
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