Routine for Daily Care of Your Body

Ayurveda, traditional healing system of India, emphasises mainly on promotion of health and prevention of diseases. Ayurveda means (literally) the knowledge of life. It is classified into two, caring of healthy individuals (Swasta Vritta) and caring of unhealthy individuals (Atura Vritta). When a person is healthy, Swasta Vritta helps to maintain health and prevent diseases. Health is not just an absence of diseases, but it is a balance of Doshas (functional particles; vata, pitta and kapha) and other body constituents; and wellness of sensory organs, mind and soul. Swasta Vritta advises healthy routines to lead a healthy life. Swastavritta includes daily regimes, seasonal regimes, healthy eating and so on.

Daily Body Care Routine

Daily regimes (Dina Charya) advice how we can do all our daily routines in a healthy way, so that we can easily maintain and improve health. Always keep in mind that all life style modifications should be in tune with your Ayurvedic body constitution/ body type (Prakruti).

Waking Up

Ayurveda says to wake up at brahma muhurta (3 am -7 am). At this time we can easily gain consciousness. If we wake up early morning we can happily provide a little time for personal care. We will get time to relax, meditate and refill our batteries. As a general rule, wake up around sun rise, the latest. If you sleep beyond that, you may get sinus congestion and other problems, especially if you are a kapha type. Before leaving bed pray or concentrate on yourself for a minute, give a rub to your palm and feet and a dry massage to your face.

Oral Hygiene

Clean your mouth and teeth with proper care. Herbs with bitter and pungent tastes are good for teeth and oral cavity, for e.g. Neem. Different tooth pastes and powders with these herbs are available in the market. Clean your tongue with a tongue scraper, especially if you are a kapha type. Look into your tongue to understand your digestion. If your tongue is coated, that means you have a sluggish digestion and need to work on that. Then gargle with hot water or specific medicines at least three times to clear excess kapha in mouth and throat. Hot sesame oil is good for vata and herbal infusions for pitta. Then drink a glass of water (or a liquid according to your body type or advice of an Ayurvedic practitioner) which can aid peristalsis and help your system to eliminate wastes.

Elimination

It is a healthy practice to eliminate your urine and faeces early in the morning. This is vata time, and can help you to evacuate your waste materials easily. If you have any difficulty in elimination, act according to your prakruti or use Ayurvedic laxatives (according to expert advice). Elimination gives a clue to your doshas and presence of ama/toxic residues (then elimination will be disturbed).

Physical Hygiene

Apply castor oil, rose water or collyrium (for vata, pitta and kapha respectively) to eyes, which helps clear channels of eye, nourish the tissues and/ or relax eyes. Clean your nose and sinuses with nasal medication (dhoomapana, nasya and/or neti). Clean your lungs with pranayama.

Massage

Massage is an important step in daily regimes. Massage daily. Determine the duration of massage according to the seasons and medium of massage according to your body type. Massage with sesame oil, coconut oil and mustard oil is good for vata, pitta and kapha individuals respectively. Kapha individuals also need powder massage to open channels and provide compactness. Massage is good for all groups of people from babies to aged ones. While massaging, start with your head, and give emphasis on ears, palms and feet. Also give special care to the sites of your dosha. Massage is very relaxing, stimulating, nourishing skin, muscles and nerves and maintaining blood circulation.

Exercise

Exercise regularly until sweat comes from your forehead. Vata and pitta people take care to exercise within limits, and kapha people to maintain the routine.

Bathing

Have a hot water bath, but cold water bath for pitta. Hot water is good to maintain health of body, but harmful for head and eyes.

Grooming

Dress in a beautiful and pleasant way. Use any of the pleasant aromatic natural fragrances to calm your pitta and refresh your mind.

Meditation

After clearing wastes from body, clear your mind. Relax and concentrate. Vata and pitta body types need to meditate for a longer time (30-60 minutes).

Eating

Food should bring you health, satisfaction and happiness. Eat a healthy food in a healthy way, neither suppress your appetite nor over eat. Fill one third of your stomach with food, one third with water and leave remaining one third free.

Sleep

It is important to sleep before 11 p.m. beyond that it is vata time and so difficult to fall asleep. Sleeping is the time when our mind digests our thoughts. So vata people need long hours of sleep. A good night’s sleep is required for optimum functioning of digestion, mind and body. Being awake during night is an important reason for vata imbalance. Sleeping during daytime is usually not good, except during summer and in case of some diseases. Sleeping during daytime can imbalance kapha and gradually lead to diseases.

Overall, spend your time in a good manner and follow a wholesome profession which can help you gain wealth, righteousness, satisfaction and spiritual realization. These practices are important to maintain your mental health. You can now understand that daily regimes don’t long for full day, but it makes your day. If you can’t make any of these routines in your special situation or if you have any disease or taking any medicine, contact (02) 9389 2581 or send an enquiry to find the daily regimes that suits you the most!

You can easily follow the daily routines in your life if you are able to bring the first step (rising) in practice. Have a healthy day!!