The Ayurvedic Morning Routine – Dinacharya
Whilst morning routines might be all the rave with personal development giants such as Tony Robbins, Robin Sharma and just about every successful person out there – this ritual actually originated over 5000 years ago in India in the original system of medicine known as Ayurveda. For those new to Ayurveda, ‘Ayur’ means life and ‘veda’ means knowledge. Essentially Ayurveda is the knowledge of life – it is vast and takes into account every single aspect of you as a being – right down to the most suitable type of profession, exercise, meditation practice, food and most importantly lifestyle for you. No two people are the same and hence there is no one size fits all. There are however a few common ‘best practices’ that will benefit anyone that chooses to incorporate them into their life.
Does this involve drinking two litres of water, going for a run and meditating all before 6:00am? Well, not exactly…
The purpose of the Ayurvedic daily routine (aka Dinacharya) is essentially to bring balance to the human system. When there is balance, your body is at ease. When you are at ease you are free of dis-ease. Pretty simple stuff, right?
So, if you’re wondering what an ayurvedic morning routine looks like, you’re in luck. Below are 7 Simple Steps to get you on your way.
1. Rise Early
Ideally it is best to wake up before sunrise. There is something rather magical that happens in the wee hours of the morning. If you need some inspiration getting out of bed, read this post and Rumi’s beautiful poem below to get clear on your why.
“The breezes at dawn have secrets to tell you
Rumi
Don’t go back to sleep!
You must ask for what you really want.
Don’t go back to sleep!
People are going back and forth
across the doorsill where the two worlds touch,
The door is round and open
Don’t go back to sleep!”
2. Start Right
Upon rising, take at least 30 seconds to set and cultivate positive intentions for the day ahead. This could entail something like:
Practicing Gratitude: Simply think of three things in your life that you are grateful for and really cultivate the feeling in your body.
Positive Affirmations: These can be any short statement that resonates with you. If you need some inspiration with affirmations, Louise Hay has your back with these infographics and list of 101 affirmations.
Mantra/Prayer: Mantras are potent sattvic sounds arranged in a specific way that impacts your system by rearranging your molecular structure to enhance your consciousness. A common mantra to play is the Gayatri Mantra, however if you choose to chat yourself, the proper pronunciation of mantras is very important. Find out why here.
3. Self Care
From an Ayurvedic perspective, this is essentially about eliminating toxins (amas) from the body which tend to build up overnight. How do we do this?
Evacuate the bowels and bladder: Consuming warm lemon water with honey will help stimulate digestion. If you need a little more help add half a teaspoon of Triphala (an ayurvedic herb).
Tongue Scraping: This is to get rid of the white coating (toxins) which has built up on the tongue overnight. Using a copper tongue scraper is best.
Dry Brushing: This stimulates the lymphatic system and should be done in an upward motion with a natural bristle brush. You can learn more here.
4. Self-Oil Massage/Abhyanga
Ok, admittedly I am very guilty of thinking a self-oil massage is extremely indulgent and quite frankly who on earth has time to do this on a daily basis? Well, my tune has since changed. Yes, this is lovely expression of self love but its benefits go far beyond that and this practice should be especially important for those suffering from anxiety. It is best to use cold pressed black seed sesame oil (do note this is very different to the sesame cooking oil commonly used in asian cooking) and the oil should be warmed sightly before application.
To really understand WHY abhyanga is especially important what this video.
To learn HOW to give yourself an abhyanga massage watch this video.
5. Yoga Practice
Postures (Asana): Practicing some simple Upa Yoga movements are a wonderful way to wake the body up, promote healthy joints and prepare the energy system. If you are familiar with sun salutations (surya shakti, surya namaskar or surya kriya), 12 cycles followed by savasana will be more than sufficient as sun salutations work on every single system of the body.
Breathing practices (Pranayama): Depending on your constitution, your ayurvedic practitioner will prescribe an appropriate pranayama. However, a pranayama that suits just about everyone out there is nadi shuddhi or nadi shodhana.
Concentration & Meditation (Dharana/ Dyana): Most people don’t realise that concentration and meditation practices are part of yoga. They are in fact two of the 8 limbs of ashtanga yoga. We practice concentration so we can fall into meditation and be meditative. A simple practice would be to observe the natural breath for 15-20 minutes. Learn more here.
6. Breakfast
It is said even if you are not hungry it is important to have something small in the morning. Opt for warm cooked foods as it is easier on digestion and cold foods such as smoothies will dampen your digestive fire (angi). You can find some recipie inspiration here.
7. Plan your day for success
Let’s face it, you don’t want the day to happen to you, where you are in a mode of reaction to other people’s demands and needs. They are usually hiding in your inbox, messages and socials. Give yourself the gift and stay off socials/email/technology until after you have filled up your cup and planned your day – even if it is having the day off. This cultivates more conscious decision making that flows through the day and will keep moving you towards your goals.
Final Thoughts…
Ok, take a breath, or three. This might sound like a lot initially, so don’t fret if you can’t do everything. The key is to gradually work towards this. If all you can do is drink warm lemon water in the morning, so be it. It is far more important to do one thing consistently every day rather than trying to do everything, failing and giving up. Be kind. Honour yourself. Accept where you are and keep moving slowly in the right direction and this will become as second nature as brushing your teeth.
- Rise Early
- Start Right
- Self Care
- Self Oil Massage/ Abhayanga
- Yoga Practice
- Breakfast
- Plan Your Day
I hope you enjoyed this post and would love to hear your thoughts and how you are progressing.
Much Love, Sharol xx
