Dinacharya, an ancient concept from Ayurveda, refers to the daily routines and practices that harmonize our body with nature’s rhythm. This holistic approach emphasizes the importance of regular habits in maintaining balance and promoting health and well-being. Stemming from the Sanskrit words ‘Dina’, meaning ‘day’, and ‘Acharya’, meaning ‘behavior’, it provides a roadmap to align one’s daily activities with the natural cycles of the sun and moon. By advocating specific times for waking, eating, working, and sleeping, it aims to optimize the body’s natural functions and bolster its innate healing processes. Integrating these routines can lead to improved mental clarity, enhanced digestion, and overall vitality. As the modern world grapples with the challenges of erratic lifestyles, the timeless wisdom of this practice offers a path to sustained health and equilibrium.
Benefits of Ayurvedic Daily Routine or Dinacharya. Daily Rituals of Ayurveda
Table of content
Ayurveda Dinacharya Wake up Early – Benefits of waking up early
Drinking Water in Morning according to ayurvedic daily routine.
Pooping is one of the rituals in ayurveda.
Brushing Teeth and Scarping Tongue.
Tailabhyanga or Body massage in Ayurvedic Daily Routine.
Exercise or Vyayama in ayurvedic daily routine.
Importance of Snana or Bathing in ayurveda.
Taking food or Aahara in Ayurveda dinacharya or Daily routine
Dinacharya or Daily routine At night.
Benefits of following Dinacharya.
Ayurveda acharyas explain the importance of a healthy ayurvedic daily routine or dinacharya to keep our body and mind healthy. There are innumerable benefits to following ayurvedic dinacharya. These routines help to boost immunity and improve the strength and stamina of the body and mind.
Ayurveda Dinacharya says Wake up Early – Benefits of waking up early
In Ayurvedic daily routine ‘dinacharya’ they recommend waking up in “bramhi mahurta”. The benefits of waking up early are described as follows
Brahmi mahurta is the time between 3 am to 6 am. It is called bramhi mahurta as it is the time to acquire brahman or knowledge. In this time span nature has ‘sattvic ‘ qualities which bring freshness and calm mind.
Benjamin Franklin the polymath of America said that “The early morning has gold in its mouth,” which means that waking up in the early morning has huge benefits. These benefits are listed here.
- Increase in productivity since you get more hours to work.
- Reduced stress and anxiety levels
- Increased positivity.
Achamana or Drinking Water in Morning according to ayurvedic daily routine:
Drinking a glass of warm water, stored in a copper vessel overnight, as soon as you wake up is known as ‘achamana’. This process stimulates the digestive system, prevents indigestion, and initiates the peristaltic movement of the digestive tract. Achamana helps in comfortable bowel evacuation or passing of stools. (pooping). This is the best ayurvedic remedy for constipation.
When water is stored in a copper vessel overnight we get the benefits of copper which is a micronutrient required by our body. Copper vessels have to be thoroughly cleaned daily before storing the water.
Evacuate bowels or Getting rid of body waste or Pooping is one of the rituals in Ayurveda:
Getting rid of body waste is very important to keep the body healthy. Acharya Vaghbhata says
It is important to evacuate the bladder and bowel as soon as you wake up in the morning”. If the stools are not evacuated, the toxins liberated from them once again enter the body system and alter normal body function. Pooping daily makes the body and mind light and happy.
The daily evacuation of the bowel, commonly known as having a bowel movement or defecation, plays a crucial role in maintaining both gastrointestinal and overall health. Firstly, regular bowel movements rid the body of waste products and toxins that accumulate from the digestion and metabolism of food. Letting these waste materials linger can lead to an overgrowth of harmful bacteria, potentially causing infections or gastrointestinal discomfort.
Secondly, consistent evacuation helps maintain a balanced gut flora. Our intestines are home to trillions of bacteria, both beneficial and harmful. Regular bowel movements ensure a healthy turnover, promoting the growth of beneficial bacteria which aid in digestion, vitamin production, and immune function.
Moreover, irregular bowel movements or constipation can lead to complications like hemorrhoids or anal fissures due to straining. Over time, chronic constipation can also increase the risk of more serious conditions like colorectal cancer. Constipation can also cause erectile dysfunction.
In essence, daily bowel evacuation acts as a natural detoxifying mechanism, fostering a healthy internal environment and preventing potential complications.
Dinacharya Chart
Brushing Teeth and Scraping Tongue -importance in Ayurveda dinacharya:
After the morning elimination of waste, we should brush our teeth and massage our gums.
In Ayurveda, they recommend using tender twigs of herbs like neem and Karanja (pongamia pinnata), which are made like brushes. These herbs must have bitter (tikta rasa) , astringent (Kashaya Rasa) and pungent (katu Rasa) tastes to clear the wastes of the throat and oral cavity. Gums should be massaged carefully with a forefinger after brushing. The coating on the tongue should be removed using a copper tongue scraper.
Oil pulling using sesame oil or coconut oil has to be done after brushing and tongue scraping. This keeps the oral cavity healthy.
Tailabhyanga or Body massage in Daily Routine:
After completing the morning procedures of oral hygiene and evacuation, it is time to concentrate on other parts of the body. Tailabhyanga or massaging or abhyanga of the body with warm medicated oils has its own benefits.
Body massage with ayurvedic oils like ksheerabala oil or tailam has innumerable health benefits. You have to pay special attention to massaging your head, ears, and feet.
Benefits of an oil massage or tailabhyanga in Dinacharya.
- It slows down the aging process. You always look young and healthy when you regularly massage your body with medicated ayurvedic oil.
- Massaging your body with warm ayurvedic oil like ksheerabala oil relieves you of tiredness and boosts body energy.
- You get a very good sleep and can get rid of insomnia or sleeplessness and get a good sleep. This is the best ayurvedic remedy for good sleep.
- Skin looks young and radiant. Wrinkles will disappear with regular massage.
- The dry skin texture disappears and skin looks soft and supple.
Exercise or Vyayama in ayurvedic daily routine:
After body massage one should exercise according to his strength. The exercise should be moderate and not too rigorous or not too little. The best exercise for all ages is brisk walking for 45 minutes daily. The benefits of brisk walking are innumerable.
The benefits of exercises in dinacharya are explained as follows.
- It makes the body feel light (laghava)
- Exercise improves Agni or digestive power and improves metabolism
- Meda dhatu or body Fat gets reduced by regular exercise.
- Exercises make your body fit and chiseled.
- They also help to overcome klaibya or erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation.
After exercise body should be allowed to warm down. During this time, tap and squeeze body parts to improve blood circulation and relax body muscles.
Importance of Snana or Bathing in Ayurveda:
You have to take a bath or shower, daily, after exercise. Use warm water to wash body parts below the neck but use cold water to wash the head and neck. The cold water helps to get rid of hair loss and keeps eyesight strong. The benefits of bathing or snana are explained as follows.
- Taking bath improves Agni or digestion,
- Bathing increases life span, boosts body strength, and relieves tiredness.
- A good shower makes you feel happy and increases libido.
- It not only makes you feel fresh but also cleanses the skin from sweat and germs.
- Bath is the best remedy to keep skin diseases and itching at bay.
Taking food or Aahara in Ayurveda dinacharya or Daily routine
Always take food after the previous meal is completely digested. This prevents indigestion and the building of ama or toxins.
Ayurveda, the ancient Indian science of life and wellness, emphasizes the importance of not just what we eat, but also how and when we eat it. Within the framework of Dinacharya, the daily routine, the consumption of food plays a pivotal role. Ayurveda posits that our digestion is akin to a fire, termed ‘Agni’, which varies in intensity throughout the day, mirroring the movement of the sun.
Morning is the time when Agni is still waking up, so a light and nourishing breakfast is suggested. By midday, the sun is at its zenith, and Agni is likewise at its strongest. Hence, lunch should be the most substantial meal of the day, consumed when the body’s capacity to digest is optimal. As the sun sets and evening approaches, the digestive fire wanes, necessitating a lighter dinner.
Furthermore, Ayurveda advises against overeating and recommends consuming food only when one is genuinely hungry. The type of food, its texture, temperature, and combination are also essential; ideally, meals should be warm, cooked, and include all six tastes – sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent, and astringent – to balance the body’s doshas (bio-energies). Eating mindfully, in a calm environment, and with gratitude, enhances digestion and assimilation. Through these principles, Ayurveda integrates nutrition into the holistic fabric of one’s daily life, ensuring both physical health and spiritual harmony.
Other Precautions and routines to be followed in Dinacharya:
- Always wear comfortable and suitable footwear while going outside.
- Carry an umbrella to protect yourself from harsh sun rays or rain.
- Do not forget to carry weapons for self-protection (based on the rule of land).
- Dress in clean comfortable clothes
- Wear jewels made of pearl, coral, jade, diamond, etc to enhance beauty and self-confidence.
- Do not sleep in the afternoon.
- Do not consume food in the evening
Dinacharya or Daily routine At night.
Take a light dinner before 8.00 pm
Relax and walk for 10 minutes.
You can consume fresh betel leaves with areca nuts. Don’t use tobaaco or jarda.
Consume triphala before going to bed (triphala tablet is the combination of haritaki, vibhitaki and amalaki)
Go to bed with good thoughts and happy feelings.
Benefits of following Dinacharya:
- Dinacharya helps to keep our body and mind in coordination with our internal clock or circadian rhythm.
- The ayurvedic daily routine gives utmost importance to body hygiene.
- Ayurvedic daily regimen boosts the sharpness of 5 sense organs and also keeps them healthy.
- Dinacharya strengthens the body and improves mental health. Thus we develop immunity to the diseases of the body and mind.
- This ayurvedic regimen also teaches us how to protect ourselves from evils, diseases, and enemies.
- This is the best daily liver detox, skin detox, and detox for men.
- You have to follow a strict ayurvedic daily routine when you undergo vajikarana therapy, ayurvedic treatment for PCOS, obesity ayurvedic treatment and while consuming ayurvedic medicines for erectile dysfunction.
Author: Dr.Savitha Suri , Consultant Ayurvedic Physician
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