How the ancient system of dinacharya can help you reach optimal wellness?
For me, Ayurveda is a living body of a wisdom that it is constantly evolving, transforming, and growing.
Dincharya is the Ayurvedic Wisdom of practicing each day lives well. Dincharya teaches how to construct a daily routine with practical wisdom suited to your own Being.
Dincharya is a Sanskrit term referring to the daily practice or routine founded on Ayurvedic principles. In Sanskrit, ‘din’ means day or daily and ‘charya’ can mean activity, behavior, conduct, practice, performance as regular routines create stability, which in turn promotes personal balance, which is one of the key aspects of Ayurvedic living, designed to guide us towards living in alignment with nature and in a way that best suits our individual dosha or ‘mind-body type.
We humans are natural beings, designed to be in sync with the rhythms of nature. When we fall out of rhythm, we lose touch with our true nature. Living in harmony with nature brings us closer to our true selves. This practice reduces stress and creates a classical pattern, making you feel hungry naturally at regular intervals. Adopting a balanced routine will helps you maintain healthy agni.
The different times of day are said to be governed by a different energy or dosha, which in turn influences how we feel and which actions would benefit us most. The hours of 2am-6am are governed by the Vata dosha, comprised of the elements air and ether. Vata is all about lightness, movement, quickness, irregularity and creativity. 6am-10am is governed by Kapha dosha and the elements earth and water, giving a sense of stability, heaviness, slowness, coolness and steadiness. 10am-2pm is governed by Pitta dosha, made up of the elements fire and water. Pitta energy is hot and fiery, sometimes acidic, sharp and focussed. Pitta energy is strongest at midday when the fire of the sun is highest in the sky, and when our digestion is strongest.
Each four hour time period is dominated by one dosha, and thus influenced by the qualities of that dosha. There is a vata, pitta and kapha time of day and a vata, pitta and kapha time of night.
The hours of 2am-6am are governed by the Vata dosha, The lightness of vata dosha at this time of day is supportive to waking up with a sense of lightness and clarity, the perfect conditions for meaningful spiritual practice and mindful self-enquiry. This time of the morning is dedicated for prayer and meditation, the recitation of scriptures and hymns, and self-reflection.
Ayurveda teaches that it’s best to get up in the morning before 6:00 am. This is because at 6:00 am, kapha becomes dominant. As kapha is the energy of water and earth, and thus is heavy and sluggish. Kappa becomes dominant again from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm, when the water and earth elements accumulate once again. During this period eat a light early dinner - don’t overeat at dinner – avoid heavy food, and go to early bed. The pitta time of night is from 10:00 pm to 2:00 am, and it is important to be sleeping during this time, because the activity that now takes place is inside you; this is the time of internal cleansing. Do not miss out the benefit of this cleansing time of day by remain awake during this time. Your body will say thank you for this. Being in bed by 10pm will ensure 7-8 hours of refreshing, detoxifying sleep that will leave you revitalised and re-energised. It is also a good practice to apply oil to the scalp and the soles of the feet before bed to calm the nervous system and promote sound sleep.
Again the pitta time of night is from 10:00 pm to 2:00 am & this period is also a second ‘digestive phase’ but it is not intended for digesting large quantities of food or heavy food stuffs works as on midday. The metabolism work differently than at midday and is far less efficient in terms of breaking down the contents of the stomach and intestines.
Again Vata time returns from 2:00 am to 6:00 am, as this is the time of receptivity. During this time of the day when air and ether dominate, is the best time of day for meditation, prayer, chanting and other spiritual practices. It is the most sattvic, peaceful, and still time of day and is an ideal time for spiritual practice. By arising prior to 6:00 am, you are able to maximize this experience, spending this peaceful time of day in spiritual pursuits. We will imbibe the positive qualities of alertness, vibrancy, enthusiasm, energy, clarity, strengthened intuition and motivation.
Ayurveda recommends purifying the senses each day. Refresh and energise the mind by splashing the face and eyes with cool or luke-warm water. Gently wash the ears and apply a thin coat of herbal oil to the inside of the ear with your little finger. Use a neti pot with saline solution to cleanse the nasal passages. Brush the teeth. Scrape the tongue using a tongue cleaner to remove any coating. Notice your tongue each morning. A thick coating is indicative of ama, or toxins in the digestive tract. Scraping the tongue helps to purify your sense of taste and benefits the internal organs. Finally, gargle with warm water, or salt water to help purify and strengthen the voice and keep the gums, mouth and throat healthy.
Following dinacharya is a way to bring more awareness to all of the habits and choices we make throughout the day. Conscious awareness in our daily lives enables us to be whole and healthy beings, bringing us closer to our true selves. Living in harmony with the cycles of nature is not only the path to health, but to true freedom.
An early night ensures deep, refreshing sleep. Deep, refreshing sleep ensures one wakes early - rested and revitalised. Waking early - rested and revitalised - ensures time for massage, yoga and meditation. Massage, yoga and meditation ensure the mind and body are awake and alive.
By listening & following to the nature's rhythms, she will reward you with optimal health, balance, and peace of mind.
Pitta time which begins at 10:00 am and continues until 2:00 pm - the time that the sun is highest in the sky, and there is more heat during this time. Pitta is the dosha of heat, as it is made of fire and water. During this time of day, heat will naturally predominate in our bodies and minds. With a pitta nature is likely to experience an increase of heat symptoms within the body at this time, including burning indigestion, skin rashes, or even flares of temper.
The Ayurvedic clock, and the daily habits are very intuitive. As we rise and go to bed as close to sunrise and sunset as possible, we attune our eating habits to the cycle of the sun (and the seasons) because we are diurnal beings and our digestive needs change throughout the year. We move daily because that’s what our bodies are designed to do, we meditate and take care of our sense organs. So, we practice self-care & Dincharya regularly, because our body is the most precious instrument that we have, and we get only one for our lifetime.
I am offering a series of Ayurvedic Dincharya by attuning your daily habits to nature’s rhythm according to your unique dosha (mind-body) constitution, designed to get you acquainted with basic Ayurvedic ‘maps’ which distills and decodes some of Ayurveda’s guiding principles. These maps will help initiate a journey from the state of imbalance and disease toward vibrant health, balance, longevity and easeful living. And who does not want that?
If you are ready to dive in and invest in health and habit transformation using the principle of Ayurveda and modern habit science, you may want to consider stepping into a really powerful years long Ayurveda-inspired wellness and habit changing journey that I am practicing since 32 years.
Schedule Your Consultation.
Call 9773170560/9825463394
If you want to adopt Ayurveda’s key principles for preventing disease and achieving optimal mind-body health - including rejuvenating, sleep, calm, sustained energy, healthy digestion, optimal weight, and generally feeling great and pain free - is living in tune with nature's cycles. To help you align your system with the cycles of nature (and natural cycles of your body’s needs and functions), Ayurveda recommends a routine of daily practices, known as dinacharya, which leads to stronger health and immunity.
Ayurveda teaches that when we listen carefully to our body, we learn the deeper patterns of the natural world.
Since so many years i am practicing dinacharya, I can see clearly how it has really helped me to remain calm when life becomes stressful. I am able to get up in the morning, brush my teeth( or neem sticks), scrape my tongue, drink hot water, doing nasya, abhyanga, oil pulling, neti pot, meditate or pranayama(yoga), and journal even during the most stressful periods of my life....something I never thought I could do previously, which has greatly deepened my connection to myself and continues to strengthen my ability to live every day from a place of authenticity and care.
Ayurveda empowers you to take your health into your own hands, by providing simple practices that can be easily implemented over time to ensure a happier, healthier life. Dinacharya is Ayurvedic rituals which helps to support a life of optimal wellness through routine, detoxification and nourishment.
The whole Ayurvedic approach is based on the five nature elements (Ether, Air, Fire, Water and Earth) and the three doshas (Vata, Pitta and Kapha). Balance within the three fundamental doshas leads to optimal health and well being as unbalance will give complaints or diseases. By knowing how to infuence this complex interaction of bio energies, your health can be restored.
We all cleanse our bodies, but in Ayurvedic way of living, Dincharya Ritual is elevated to a conscious level and becomes a unique act of self-care and wellbeing.
No comments:
Post a Comment