Natural Devotion’s Ayurvedic Workshop

What is Ayurveda?

The ancient philosophy of Ayurveda is based on a deep understanding of eternal truths about the human body, mind and spirit. It evolved over 5000 years ago before the time of Buddha. Buddha was a follower of Ayurveda and so it managed to influence many health systems around the world.

The term Ayurveda comes from the Sanskrit ‘ayur’ meaning ‘life’ or ‘longevity’ and veda meaning ‘knowl-edge’, ‘wisdom’ or ‘spiritual science’. So Ayurveda is a complete body of knowledge and profound wisdom about how to live to achieve health (Swasthya) and longevity through a union of physical, emotional and spiritual balance in order to achieve Moksha (enlight-enment).

Prakruti - Your Born Constitution

Prakruti literally means the first power of action (your true nature). It is the creative force behind everything in the universe. Your prakruti is your base point and it determines what will keep you in harmony with your nature and what will cause you to get out of balance and become sick. Trying to change your prakruti would be like trying to change your stature from short and stocky to tall and thin, or changing the color of your eyes or the texture of your hair.

Vikruti - Imbalances

In contrast, vikruti is the current state of imbalance in an individual’s doshas. When a person comes for a mind-body medical consultation, I focus on his or her vikruti rather than prakruti, be-cause they want to find out what current underlying imbalances need to be addressed.

In Ayurveda, the foundation for good health is maintaining balance in the body and mind and living in tune with one’s unique mind-body constitution. Assessing one’s vikruti provides vital information about what kinds of changes in lifestyle, diet, and other areas are needed to return the body to state of balance and wellbeing.

Doshas - Cosmic Forces

There are three primary life forces or ‘humours’ that stem from the five elements known as doshas - Vata, Pitta and Kapha. These cosmic life forces control physical and mental functions. They are a combination of the five elements, but the dominating element will decide it’s capabilities.

FIVE ELEMENTS:Air - breath, O2 & Co2Fire - acids, temperatureWater - plasma, bloodEarth - bones, musclesEther - empty space

We are all born with our own particular balance of doshas, which creates our constitution, and that remains unchanged throughout our lives. Based on their make-up they are given their responsibil-ities and determine our physique, our mental and emotional tendencies and our predisposition to certain health problems. Balanced they are doing their job properly. Unbalanced they are not doing their job physically or mentally.

VATAA combination of ether and air, Vata is the principle of movement. The word Vata means wind, from the Sanskrit root ‘va’ meaning to blow, direct, move or command. Vata is our life force - Pra-na, derived primarily from the breath. It is the energising force for everything in body and mind. This is reflected in the circulation of blood and lymph and every impulse of the nervous system. It is the motivating force behind the other two doshas, which are incapable of movement without it. For this reason, disturbances of Vata tend to have more far reaching implications than those of the other two doshas and often affect the mind as well as the entire body.

PITTAPitta is a combination of the elements fire and water. It is the principle of transformation and heat because it is responsible for all the chemical and metabolic conversions int he body that create energy and heat. All Pitta’s processes involve digestion or cooking, including the ‘cooking’ of thoughts into theories in the mind. Pitta governs our mental analysis, digestion, clarity, perception and understanding. The term comes from the Sanskrit root ‘tap’ meaning to heat, cook or trans-form. Pitta digests nutrients to provide energy or the cellular function; enzymatic and hormonal systems are the main field of Pitta activity.

KAPHAKapha is a combination of earth and water, the principle of potential energy, of growth and protec-tion. Kapha is responsible for the body’s nourishment and makes up the bulk of our structure - the bones, muscles, tissues, cells and body fluids. In the body Kapha governs strength and stability; the water balance of the body; lubrication of the mucous membranes and the joints (synovial fluid); protecting and cushioning the whole body; supporting and holding the structure of the body togeth-er.

Vata - air and ether dominatePitta - fire and water dominatesKapha - earth and water dominates

Prakriti Vata Pitta Kapha I am:

Body Thin frame Medium High bodyweight Weight/ Less muscle Muscular Easy to gain metabolism More lean Muscles Hard to lose Easy to lose Easy to gain Unproportionate Hard to gain Easy to lose Broader frame

Forehead Lessthan4 Exactly4 Morethan4fingers

Eyes Grey Yellowish Clear Brown Reddish Watery Dry

E/brows Less hair Medium Thick with Thin/pencil in With arch Deep seated hair

Nose Crooked Sharp Rounded Pointy Spongy

Nails Irregular shape Medium size Strong, hard “ growth Shape Uniform growth Square development Conical at base Skin Thin/prone to Medium in Clear skin wrinkles texture Thick Wrinkles/lines Slow aging Oily combination Prone to pimples

Hair Thin hair/split Soft and silky hair Thick hair/strong ends/fragile pitta men bald/grey pitta women grey

Teeth Irregular/buck Medium size/shape White sparkling teeth teeth/ weak and creamish/yellowish perfect set prone to cavites

Lips Small/thin/dry Medium/reddish Full/swollen firm spongy/pinkish

Arms/ Thin/skinny Medium/muscular Tends to put on Thighs weight on both or one

Butts Flat Apple Pear

Stress and emo-tion, changing energy levels, eratic, depends on enthusiasm

Moderate physi-cal energy, strong mental energy, Stress & emotion don’t influence them

Best energy but lazy, once they start they’ll com-plete it.

Irregular no fixed eating pattern,bored eatingStress and emo-tional eating

Low to medium appetite, unaware of portions, eat a whole cake if it’s there also happy with one biscuit

Timed mealseating not con-nected with emo-tionshigh appetite

Soft, sticky and smelly like cow shit, diarrhea.

IrregularConstipationGassyEmotion & stresshave influence

In pieces soft, firm, very quick elimination, no diarrhea or consti-pation

Bowels

Appetite

Energy Level

Climate sensivityWhich climatemakes you ill?Which you like?

Sweat

Thirst

Sense of orientation/walking style

Talking style

Disease tendencyImmunity

Sour/salty/tasty - picky/fussy eaters

Cold, dry, windy

Least

Drinks least, for-gets to drink

Poor sense of ori-entation. Careless walkers/ unaware of others.

Fast, unclear, stammering, harsh

Stress, emotional influence on health plus all vata problems

Moderate immunity. Prone to problems

Best immunityKapha problemsTendency

Loud and clear Soft and low

Good sense of orientation, care-ful walkers

Medium or mod-erate sense of direction,

Drinks most, thirsty at night

Drinks in relation to heat

Most, fast and all over body

Moderate, Under arms, Between thighs

Pitta don’t like heat, complains about both heat and cold

Cold, damp, but tolerant to both

Healthy food/ imbalanced they like sweets/carbs, they like too much spice makes them eat sweets after

Eats everything healthy/unhealthy, cooked/uncooked

Taste/Liking

Vikriti Vata Pitta Kapha

VATA DIETSweet, sour and salty foods are generally good for vata people since they satisfy the system and reduce its insecurity about being well fed. Bitter, pungent, and astringent foods are less beneficial to vata types because they dry the system and intensify emotional instability, especially insecurity. Avoid large amounts of any taste because vata is aggravated by excess.

In general choose a diet that emphasizes warm, soupy, and easy to digest foods. The vata gut prefers cooked vegetables to raw. Most sweet and juicy fruits are beneficial for vata. Avoid unripe fruit or large amounts of astringent fruits such as pomegranate and cranberry. Vata types can best utilize animal foods in their diet. Legumes are an important food because it is the vegetable kingdoms equivalent of meat. Combine legumes with sweet grains such as rice. Vata individuals should especially avoid caffeine and sugar.

VATA DIET GUIDELINESFruitsENJOY: Apricots, Avocados, Bananas, Berries, Cherries, Coconut, Dates, Figs, Grapefruits, Grapes, Lemons, Mangoes, Melon, Nectarines, Oranges, Papaya, Peaches, PlumsLIMIT/AVOID: Cranberry, Pomegranate, Dried Fruits, Apples (except Cooked)VegetablesENJOY: Asparagus, Beets, Carrots, Celery, Sweet Potatoes, Onion, Green Beans, Veggie Juices W/ GingerLIMIT/AVOID: Eggplant, Spinach, Mushrooms, Peas, Too Many Raw VegetablesGrainsENJOY: Wheat, Oats, Quinoa, Rice (Eaten With Added Ghee, Butter, or Oil)LIMIT/AVOID: Corn, Millet, Rye, Buckwheat, Yeasted BreadLegumesENJOY: Mung Beans, Red Lentils, Black Lentils, Pinto Beans, TofuLIMIT/AVOID: Chick Peas, Soy BeansFlesh FoodEAT SPARINGLY: Eggs, Turkey, chicken, Venison, Fresh Fish, GoatLIMIT/AVOID: Lamb, Beef, ShellfishNuts & SeedsENJOY: Almonds (soaked and peeled), pecans, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, nut butters and milksLIMIT/AVOID: Excess Sesame And Fatty Nuts Such as Macadamia And CashewDairy (in moderate amounts)ENJOY: Fresh Yogurt, Milk Cooked With Ginger, Cardamom, And TurmericLIMIT/AVOID: Excess Ice Cream, Smoothies, Hard CheesesSweeteners (in moderate amounts with other foods)ENJOY: Maple Syrup, Fresh Raw Honey, Raw SugarLIMIT/AVOID: White Sugar, Excess Amounts of Chocolate, Cooked Honey SpicesENJOY: Ginger, garlic, asafetida (in legume soups), nutmegLIMIT/AVOID: Overuse of “Hot” SpicesVicesENJOY: Small Amounts of Wine And BeerLIMIT/AVOID: Tobacco, Sugar, Caffeine

VATA YOGA

Yoga practice that is grounding, warming, relaxes mental and physical tension, and soothes anxiety and fear is balancing to vata dosha.

Asana1 Practice should be regular, both in terms of the time of practice and number of practices during

the week.2 Vata responds well to closed chain postures where both your hands and feet are connected to the

ground.3 Create support in postures by linking the bones and tuning them into gravity. Avoid overworking

the muscles, particularly in the arms, because this creates residual nervous tension that gets trapped in the muscles and joints and results in coldness, stiffness, and agitation after the asana practice.

4 Emphasize a practice to promotes warming, circulation, and downward movement of energy. Include slow, graceful Sun Salutations (Surya Namaskar), squats, and backbends that engage the legs such as Warrior I (Virabhadrasana 1), Camel (Ustrasana) and Bridge Pose (Setubandhasana). Holding standing poses for 3-5 breaths will both ground and strengthen the vata type without exhausting them.

5 Finish with some warming inversions that place both the hands and feet on the ground such as Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana) and modified forearm balance (Dolphin Pose) followed by seated shoulder openers to release any built up tension in the upper back. Also include seated and lying twists to release tension from the spine and balance the flow of Prana in the body.

6 Take a longer Relaxation Pose (Savasana) (10-20 min.) to provide ample time for grounding and deep relaxation. Use blankets and props to make yourself warm and extra comfortable. Relaxation can be enhanced by staying focused on bodily sensations and imagery such as being held in a warm, womblike environment. Avoid rushing after you finish practice.

Breathing Practices1 During asana practice emphasize an even rhythm of inhale and exhale. A slow, smooth Ujjayi

breath is the best way to keep Vata balanced and ensure good circulation of prana, heat, and fluids in the body and a calm mental and emotional state.

2 Alternate Nostril Breathing (Nadi Shodhana) is an excellent general breathing practice for vata types. If you find yourself feeling cold or tired start yoga practice with a gentle Skull Shining Breath (Kapalabhati). If you are not familiar with these breathing practices it is important to get skilled instruction before practicing them.

MeditationMantra meditation is extremely useful for harnessing an active mind, developing concentration, and reducing habitual negative patterns of thought and feeling.

PITTA DIETPitta people should avoid the “hot” tastes (sour, salty, and pungent) and should concentrate on the “cold” tastes (sweet, bitter, and astringent). Pitta types should especially limit or avoid consumption of meat, eggs, alcohol, and salt. All these foods augment the natural aggressiveness and compulsive tendencies of pitta dosha. Grains, fruits, and vegetables cool the pitta heat and should form the majority of the diet. Vegetarian food is an ideal diet for pitta people.

Pitta people have naturally strong digestion and digest raw fruits and vegetables well. They should avoid consuming too many sour fruits and vegetables such as citrus or nightshades. Venison and white meat of chicken and turkey are the best flesh foods. Flesh foods, as well as legumes should be eaten sparingly. Cooling spices such as cardamom, coriander, turmeric, and fennel are the best spices.

PITTA DIET GUIDELINESFruitsENJOY: Apples (Sweet), Apricots, Avocados, Coconut, Figs, Grapes, Lemon, Mangoes, Melon, Nectarines, Peaches, Pears, Persimmon, Pineapple, Plums, PomegranateLIMIT/AVOID: Excessively Sour Fruits Such As Apples, Cherries, Orange, and PineappleVegetablesENJOY: Asparagus, Broccoli, Cilantro, Cabbage, Cucumber, Leafy Greens, Potatoes, SquashesLIMIT/AVOID: Tomatoes, When Pitta Is High:Radishes, Beets And CarrotsGrainsENJOY: Barley, Oats, Quinoa, Rice, WheatLIMIT/AVOID: Buckwheat, Corn, Millet, Rye, Yeasted BreadsLegumesENJOY: Black Lentils, Mung Beans, Chickpeas, TofuLIMIT/AVOID: Excess Consumption Of Any LegumeFlesh FoodEAT SPARINGLY: Chicken, Turkey, Rabbit, Venison, EggLIMIT/AVOID: Regular Consumption of any Animal ProductsNuts & SeedsENJOY: Coconut Juice, Coconut, Sunflower Seeds, Pumpkin SeedsLIMIT/AVOID: Salted And Roasted Nuts, PeanutsDairy(in moderate amounts)ENJOY: Milk Cooked With Cardamom And Turmeric, Soft CheesesLIMIT/AVOID: Hard and Salted Cheeses, Fermented Dairy (Yogurt, Sour Cream, etc.)Sweeteners (in moderate amounts with other foods)ENJOY: Maple Syrup, Raw SugarLIMIT/AVOID: Molasses, Long-Term Consumption of HoneySpicesENJOY: Fennel, Coriander, Cardamom, Cumin, Small Amounts Of Turmeric, CinnamonLIMIT/AVOID: Mustard, Chilies, Excess Black Pepper or SaltVicesENJOY: Tea, Very Occasional Coffee W/ Cardamom, Cream, And SugarLIMIT/AVOID: Tobacco, Alcohol (Except Small Amounts Of Beer)

PITTA YOGA

Yoga practice that leaves you feeling cool, relaxed through the mid-abdomen, helps to balance excess intensity, competitiveness, and irritability is balancing to pitta dosha.

Asana

1 Perform asana in a way that is subtle, refined, and noncompetitive. Emphasize relaxing during each exhalation.2 Avoid creating too much heat, especially heat sensations in the head, and too much sweating. Rooting the inhale at the navel center and slowing the breath are two ways to achieve this.3 Practicing Uddhiyana Bandha Kriya is one of the primary hatha yoga practices for balancing pitta.4 Incorporate Moon Salutations (Chandra Namaskar), Seated and Lying Twists, Peacock Pose (Mayurasana), and straight-legged standing poses such as wide-legged forward fold (Prasarita P adotonasana), Tree (Vrikshasana), Balancing Half Moon (Ardhachandrasana)5 Forward bends that stretch the inner and outer legs such as Cow-Faced Pose (Gomukhasana) and Cobbler Pose (Baddhakonasana) work the channels that relate to Pitta Dosha.

Breathing Practices

1. Emphasize a cooling breathing pattern during asana practice where the exhale is longer than inhale and there is a conscious intention to relax during the exhale. Having a smooth, rhythmic breath while performing the postures, particularly the Sun Salutations, is of ultimate importance for insuring that Prana spreads the heat equally throughout the body. Also, the suspension of the breath after exhale has a powerful effect to concentrate the mind, which stabilizes the flame of Agni, the purified essence of fire.

2. After practice if you feel any excess heat sensations in the body, skin, or are mentally or emotionally agitated, you can practice Shitali, Sitakari, and/or Kaki Mudra to cool excess pitta. All these breathing exercises involve breathing through the mouth and if you are not familiar with them it is important to get skilled instruction before practicing them.

Meditation

Most styles of meditation have a cooling quality but these can be enhanced by incorporating cooling mudras, water imagery, and/or toning sounds such as “ahhh” or “shh”. Loving-kindness meditation is transformative for overheated emotions such as deeply held anger, resentment, or hatred.

KAPHA DIETKapha people need to focus on bitter, astringent, and pungent foods which invigorate their bodies and minds, and should avoid sweet, sour, and salty foods which help them remain set in their ways. Kapha individuals should never eat fried or otherwise greasy foods and should shun dairy products. Fat is the worst possible food for kapha types. Vegetables are the best for kapha types who should limit the total amount of food they eat.

Kapha types need a lesser amount of grains than vata or pitta people. All vegetables are good for kapha dosha except potatoes, tomatoes, and water chestnuts. They should avoid especially sweet or sour fruits in their diet. Dried fruits such as prunes and astringent fruits such as pomegranates and cranberries are especially good for kapha dosha. Kapha types rarely need any flesh foods because their flesh is adequately nourished by other foods. Kapha is increased by sweets, so kapha individuals should not use any sweetener except small amounts of raw honey that helps reduce kapha. They find spices useful to awaken their senses and they should be encouraged to use all spices except salt, which increases kapha directly. Similar to vata people, ginger and garlic are the best spices. Occasional consumption of coffee is permissible.

KAPHA DIET GUIDELINESFruitsENJOY: Dried Fruits, Apples, Apricots, Cranberries, Pears, PomegranateLIMIT/AVOID: Excessively Sweet, Juicy, Or Sour Fruits Such As Dates, Orange JuiceVegetablesENJOY: All Including Peppers And Chilies In ModerationLIMIT/AVOID: NoneGrainsENJOY: Millet, Buckwheat, Barley, Rice, Corn, QuinoaLIMIT/AVOID: Wheat, BreadsLegumesENJOY: Well-Cooked Tofu, Black Beans, Mung Beans, Pinto BeansLIMIT/AVOID: Black Lentils, SoybeansFlesh FoodEAT SPARINGLY: Very Limited Amounts Of Eggs, Chicken, Fish, Rabbit, VenisonLIMIT/AVOID: Fried MeatsNuts & SeedsENJOY: Small Amounts of Sunflower And PumpkinLIMIT/AVOID: Heavy Salted NutsDairy(in moderate amounts)ENJOY: Small Amounts of Ghee And Goats Milk Cooked With Cardamom And TurmericLIMIT/AVOID: Most Other Forms of Dairy Especially CheesesSweeteners (in moderate amounts with other foods)ENJOY: Raw Honey in Small AmountsLIMIT/AVOID: Everything ElseSpicesENJOY: All Spices, Especially Ginger And GarlicLIMIT/AVOID: Excess SaltVicesENJOY: Black Tea, Coffee, Small Amounts Of Tobacco SmokeLIMIT/AVOID: Alcohol

KAPHA YOGA

Yoga that is warming, invigorates circulation, encourages the expectoration of excess mucus, and makes the mind/body feel light and clear is beneficial to kapha dosha.

Asana

1 Reducing Kapha with yoga practice must be achieved in a gradual, step by step manner. Along with awakening the body, we must awaken the senses, the breath, the imagination, the emotions, and the subtle spiritual realms which are related to the elements of fire, air and space.

2 Do an active and warming asana practice to stimulate metabolism and circulation. Work postures that create sweating and sustained intense physical effort. However, if there is excessive muscular effort then Prana does not move properly in the channels. This will obstruct the proper flow of kapha which upsets the nervous system. The body will in turn try to stabilize this by creating more kapha. It is very important to understand that effort and sweating are not the only important factors for kapha reduction. It is necessary to protect the balance of Vata Dosha while doing things specific for reducing kapha.

3 Practice Yoga in the morning. Include Sun Salutations and fluid vinyasas between standing poses to encourage the elimination of physical, mental, and emotional stagnation or heaviness. Standing forward bends and twists are useful to wring kapha dosha out of the lungs, stomach and liver. Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svansana) is good for lung and sinus congestion.

Breathing Practices

1 During the practice of asana, incorporate a deep breath with an emphasis on a gentle exhalation retention. A smooth, rhythmic breath while performing the postures, particularly Sun Salutations, is key for maintaining concentration and ensuring that prana spreads the heat equally throughout the body. When you work this way you will actually sweat less because the heat stays inside in the body. This inner heat melts excess kapha in your tissues so the body can eliminate it. If the breathing is erratic or overly aggressive it disturbs both fire /pitta and air/vata doshas so kapha won’t budge. It might even increase slightly as a response to the stress.

2 Skull-Shining Breath (Kapalabhati) and Bellows Breath (Bhastrika) are excellent for reducing excess kapha. These breaths are intense by nature and should be learned from a skilled instructor before practicing them.

Meditation

Eyes-open meditations, solar or space visualizations, and standing or walking meditations are best. Kirtan is excellent for clearing emotional heaviness from the heart and strengthening the lungs.

AT HOME ESSENTIAL DETOX STEPS

Do you ever feel like you’re walking and thinking in a thick fog? Can you relate to feeling sluggish, less vibrant than you know you can be? Maybe you suffer from extra weight or allergies? All of these are symptoms of your system being toxic.

After the cleanse, be prepared to experience a heightened level of mental clarity and physical vitality. It’s actually pretty simple but not always easy, but it’s totally worth it, to take a week of your life and do everything in a different, clean way.

The Root Cause of DiseaseAccording to Ayurveda, the root cause of all disease is the accumulation of toxins produced by im-proper digestion. The traditional method for removing deep-seated toxins is an expulsion therapy called panchakarma. Nowadays you can go to Ayurvedic clinics worldwide and spend significant time and money receiving this treatment. But if that’s not an option for you? Well, you can adapt these ancient principles and receive huge benefits by doing a home version on your own sched-ule.

Note: Panchakarma means “five actions” and refers to the five detoxification procedures men-tioned in the ancient Ayurvedic text, the Charak Samhita. A home cleanse incorporates the pre-paratory methods of oleation and sweating. It also includes the cleansing techniques of nasal oil, purgative herbs, and medicated enemas. The purification is followed by a traditional rejuvenation herbal formula.

Imagine trying to dye a dirty, old white t-shirt. Unless you wash it first, there’s no way it can take the dye. The space between the weave is too full of dirt. It’s the same with trying to improve your health. Unless you clean out the internal system first with a comprehensive detox, you can’t ab-sorb or integrate revitalizing and strengthening medicines.

Here’s what to do Internal oleation consists of drinking ghee on the first mornings of your cleanse. Ghee provides the lubrication necessary to bring toxins from the deep tissues to the digestive tract, from which they will be eliminated using purgative herbs. At first this might sound kind of strange, but in fact it is only through ingesting oil that fat-soluble toxins can be removed from the muscle and fat tissues in which they are stored. Daily administration of herbal nasal oil lubricates the sinus cavities, balances incoming energy, clears the mind, and relieves stress in the head and neck. People with seasonal allergies have seen vast improvements in their sinus congestion through daily use of Ayurvedic nasal oil. External oleation is performed using warm sesame oil and massaging it onto the entire body be-fore bathing. This self-massage calms the nervous system, increases circulation, and encourages the release of internal toxins. Purgation therapy is accomplished by taking the Ayurvedic herbal formula Triphala. Triphala is a mild but effective laxative that has the unique ability to scrape old toxins and undigested material from the small crevices within the large intestine. Triphala has been used for millenia in Inida as a daily colon cleanser and rejuvenator. Medicated enemas using dashamula are a crucial part at the end of a home cleanse to flush all the toxins that have now been brought in to it from the peripheral tissues. With the proper instruc-tions, you may find this to be one of your favorite parts of the cleanse.

After a cleanse it is important to rejuvenate. Rasayanas are herbal formulas used to build a new, strong foundation from which to move forward. The most common rejuvenative product is Chya-vanprash herbal jam. Containing over 15 tonifying herbs, Chyavanprash is a tasty way to build immunity, respiratory function, metabolism, and energy. The Best Yet? You Don’t Have To Starve

During a detox, people can feel hungry or deprived. With an Ayurvedic cleanse, you enjoy as much as you want of the traditional cleansing dish called kitchari. Kitchari is a wholesome meal of basmati rice and split yellow mung beans cooked well together with digestive spices and ghee. It is easily digested and allows your digestive fire to focus on burning off old toxins instead of on new food coming in. This type of Ayurvedic Cleanse is safe and effective for all constitutional types, but is not recom-mended during pregnancy, menstruation, or in certain medical conditions. It’s best to consult your practitioner (or email me if you don’t have one!) before doing any type of detox.

Dincharya daily routine guide

Dinacharya is the Sanskrit word for daily routine, ‘Din’ means day and ‘charya’ means to follow or close to. The daily routine recommends good hygiene, moderate exercise, healthy diet, efficient elimination of wastes and a positive mental outlook. Ayurveda states that in order to be optimally healthy we should tune our bodies to nature’s master cycle. Every day there are two cycles of change: From 6am to 6pm andFrom 6pm to 6am. Within each cycle there are 4 hour periods that are dominated by vata, pitta or kapha energies. We also have vata, pitta and kapha energies within our bodies in various strengths and combina-tions so it is good if we can prevent activities that aggravate the cycle of vata, pitta, kapha. First Cycle6am to 10pm – Kapha10am to 2pm – Pitta2pm to 6pm – Vata Second Cycle6pm to 10pm – Kapha10pm to 2am – Pitta2am to 6am – Vata Therefore Dinacharya is basically an ideal daily schedule for us to follow, which analyzes the mas-ter cycles of nature and suggests optimal times for carrying out our daily routine.

Taking the above into account the daily routine should look something like this: MorningGet up early, 2 hours before sunrise, if you can’t manage that try 30 minutes before. This is the time that Vata is dominant, and is the most fresh and pure time of the day and it helps to tune your body to nature.

Drink 1-2 glasses of warm water one hour before and one hour after each meal this will help to stimulate your bowels to move. Make a habit to pass urnine after each meal.

Do some brief exercise 10 minutes is plenty, yoga and breathing exercise is good to awaken the body slowly and prepare it for meditation. Meditate for about 15 minutes more if possible especial-ly during detox.

Chew some black sesame seeds for a few minutes or use oil pulling to help remove toxins in the mouth. Massage your scalp, forehead, temples, hands and feet for five minutes or do a full Abhyanga.

Abhyanga: Massage your body with sesame oil including souls of feet leave for 15 mins before bathing or showering in warm water.

Clean your teeth (herbal toothpaste Neem is perfect) and scrape your tongue, ayurveda considers a coating on your tongue as an indication to toxins in the colon.

Eat breakfast consisting of a diet balanced according to your personal requirements.

Do not start your work or business activities before breakfast. After breakfast allow 5 minutes to plan your day in your diary, prioritize your work load. NoonLunch should be eaten between 12 noon and 1pm as this is the peak Pitta period and Pitta is responsible for digestion. Ayurveda recommends that lunch be the largest meal of the day. Try to eat fresh food and make an effort to eat conciously, concentrate on how the food tastes and on fully chewing your food.

Experiment: Engage all your senses for 5 mins before actually eating and note, physical and emo-tional sensations as they arise, salivating, impatience, embarrassment waiting etc. Look at your food, touch it, smell it, listen to it and give thanks. Take a short walk to aid digestion or sit cross legged for twenty mins to allow blood flow to rush to stomach to aid digestion Evening6pm - If you do physical type work you should spend 20 minutes doing relaxing yoga or medita-tion, if your work is not physical then 20 minutes physical exercise would be beneficial. Evening meal, this should be lighter than lunch and should be taken at 7pm. A short walk to aid digestion after dinner. Sundown is the time for prayers or meditation it is a special time of balance between night and day and is the best time of the day for reflection. Before bed open your diary and tick off the work which you have completed, anything which has been left or not completed add to another day. This will help unclutter your mind to allow you a more restful sleep. Bedtime around 10pm is optimal.