Researchers have long discovered that our body has many inbuilt rhythms or cycles. Most of our body functions follow a daily cycle. our weight fluctuates during the day and is maximum in the evening, our body temperature is highest in the evening, most of our hormones have their well defined periods of high and low secretions during the day and the most obvious of all the sleep – wake cycle. Therefore intrinsically the emphasis in our body is on natural cycles.
In Sanskrit the daily routine is called the Dinacharya. Din means 'day' and ‘acharya’ means 'to follow' or 'close to'. So Dinacharya is basically an ideal daily schedule for us which takes into account the nature’s master cycle and suggests actions to follow. Ayurveda recommends that in order to be optimally healthy we should tune our bodies to the nature’s master cycle which in turn regulates the various other rhythms.
Everyday two waves of change pass through us, each bringing a Vata, Pitta, and a Kapha cycle. The approximate times of these cycles are as follows:
First cycle: 6 A.M. to 10 A.M. - Kapha
10 A.M. to 2 P.M. - Pitta
2 P.M. to 6 P.M. - Vata
Second cycle:
6 P.M. to 10 P.M. - Kapha
10 P.M. to 2 P.M. - Pitta
2 A.M to 6 P.M. - Vata
Based on the above cycles the ideal schedule would be something like:
MORNING
From 2 until 6, or until dawn, the Vata element is dominant. Waking up an hour before dawn you utilize the Vata qualities in the nature. Vata is light, subtle and clear and this helps in tuning the body to the delicate messages the nature sends. This is the time when there is the most sattva in the air. It is the most fresh and pure time of the day.
Drinking a glass or two of warm water helps in the elimination.
Brush the teeth and scrape the tongue. Ayurveda considers the coating of the tongue as an indicator of ‘Ama’ or toxins in the colon.
Massage the body(abhyanga) with sesame oil. This massage need not be long and cumbersome. Massaging the Scalp, forehead, temples , hand and feet for about 2 – 3 minutes is sufficient
Bathe in water which is neither too hot nor too cold.
Exercise a little doing some Yoga postures and breathing exercises(Pranayam).
Meditate for about 15 minutes.
Breakfast should be warm, nourishing and wholesome
NOON
Lunch should be taken early between 12 and 1P.M. this coincides with the peak Pitta period, Pitta is responsible for the digestion. Ayurveda recommends that the lunch should be the largest meal of the day. After the meal it is good to take a little walk, a couple hundred steps only, to help the food digest. Anything more than a short nap should be avoided because sleeping in the day is prohibited in Ayurveda.
SUNDOWN:
Sundown is a special time of balance between day and night. In this balance it is easier for your mind to stop long enough so that you can see your Self. This is the time for evening prayers and meditations in many cultures around the world.
DINNER: 6-7 P.M.
It should be taken around 6 – 7 P.M. It should be lighter than the lunch. The dinner should be at least three hours before bedtime as gives the body ample time to digest the food. Sleeping just after the dinner with a heavy stomach is not conducive to a sound sleep.
Walk to aid digestion for about 10 – 15 minutes.
BEDTIME: 9.30 – 10.30 P.M.
Search to sleep so that you can get 6 to 7 hours of sleep before 4:30 am. A good practice is to massage the soles of your feet with a calming before going to bed. This will calm your system and promote well being.
All of this might have sounded dull and dreary but the fact of the matter is that one should try to keep the routine as close to the recommended Dincharya as possible. The body might resist the change for a few days or weeks but if you do manage to persist then you are bound to get rewarded with a much healthier and satisfying life.
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