First, let's start today with a few words you may or may not have heard before:
Ayurveda is a Sanskrit word meaning "the science of life, or the knowledge of life".
It is one of the world's oldest systems of medicine, with roots in India, and it is a whole (body, mind, and spirit) approach to living and healing that honors the individuality of each person. Ayurveda incorporates food, herbs, movement, breathwork, meditation, and other practices.
Dinacharya is a Sanskrit word meaning "daily routine".
The idea behind Dinacharya is to create an intentional set of seasonal daily habits or practices that will help you live a healthy and long life in harmony with yourself and the natural world around you.
Dinacharya is one of the most important aspects of Ayurveda. If your daily habits aren't aligned with what you need at any point in your life, you will have imbalances in body and mind.
Doshas, according to Ayurveda, are combinations of the five elements found in the Universe: air, space, fire, water, and earth.
- Vata dosha has the elements of Air + Space (Mid-Autumn to the first half of Winter is Vata Season).
- Pitta dosha has the elements of Fire + Water (Late Spring, Summer into Early Autumn is Pitta Season).
- Kapha dosha has the elements of Water + Earth (Late Winter-Mid-Spring).
The easiest path to daily habits is to start with the current season. In the Northern Hemisphere, it is Autumn. In Ayurveda, Autumn through the first half of Winter are considered Vata Season.
- The qualities of Vata (Air + Space) are: dry, cold, rough, changeable, clear, quick and mobile.
- To balance Vata we need the opposite qualities: soft, warm, smooth, stability, density, and slowness.
So how can you apply these Vata balancing qualities to your daily routine?
Steady Rhythms/Stability in Routine: Get up, eat your meals, and go to bed around the same time.
Slow, Warm, Softer Exercise: Do slower, gentler movements that warm without depleting you. A yoga or qigong class, a walk, Pilates or barre--it's best not to do extremely vigorous and taxing workouts this time of year.
Warm, Dense, Soft Foods: This is the time of year to eat and drink warm, soft, brothy, more dense things: broths, teas, spiced warmed milk, soups and stews, casseroles, meat if you eat meat, cooked vegetables and fruit, not raw veggies, smoothies, and salads, and cold, dry, hard foods like crackers, chips, pretzels.
Daily, Warm Oil Massage: Following a bath or shower, massage your body with a warm herbal oil. Regular oil massage is nourishing for your skin and circulation, relieves pain and stress, encourages better sleep, improves vision, encourages proper lymph movement, and improves strength and stamina.
Slow, Steady Breathing: Ujjayi breath/Ocean Breath and Nadi Shodhana/Alternate Nostril Breathing are two ways to practice breathwork or Pranayama to balance Vata.
These are a few ideas to start your seasonal daily routine for your health and longevity. If you've never heard of some of these things, that's ok! Enjoy the beginner's mindset and be willing to try out some of these practices for yourself.
Over the next few weeks, I'll share about these practices in more detail. Feel free to google any of these practices. Banyan Botanicals ( a reputable Ayurvedic herbs/oils company) has a lot of free resources to learn about Ayurveda.