THE KEY TO MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR DAY
BY VIBHUTI ARORA
As day follows night and summer follows winter, as surroundings change, there is a change in energies around us and our bodies need
to respond accordingly for well-balanced mental and physical health
This article is not to bore you with Ayurvedic do’s and don’ts. It is your self-help guide to help you understand your body and customise your very own daily and seasonal routines for better physical and emotional stability, and to increase your sense of belonging to nature. Because we, too, are a product of nature.
Dinacharya refers to the daily routine. Planning the day’s activities in advance allows for both our body and mind to carry them out effectively. This encompasses activities like surya namaskar, cleansing the body, performing ‘oil pulling’ to flush out the toxins from the body. No particular morning routine or dinacharya is suitable for everybody. What’s important is the purpose, to get in touch with our inner self and then radiate this energy throughout the day. Yoga asanas, pranayama, meditation, prayers, etc. can help us relax, and connect with nature, bow down to the greater energy and be thankful for our immediate homes— our bodies.
Wondering how setting up a dinacharya proves to be beneficial in all aspects of life? In today’s time when many of us fall prey to problems
like stress, sleep deprivation, obesity, mood disorders, health problems (cardiovascular) and mental health issues, following a daily routine proves to be advantageous and sets a path to wellness. It keeps us in harmony and in sync with nature and maintains the overall balance between our body, mind and soul. Keeps the toxins at bay and helps strengthen the body’s immunity as well. Following a regimen brings discipline and is a step towards removing anxiety and bringing internal peace. Integrating yoga asanas and meditation into our dinacharya is a way of relieving mental stress and tension. The highlight of dinacharya routine: dosha balance.
Our bodies are comprised of the three types of doshas: Vata, Pitta and Kapha. The five elements of nature—earth, water, fire, air and space—make up the three doshas, Vata (air + space), Pitta (fire + water) and Kapha (earth + water) which are found in different percentages in different human beings. Doshas, according to Ayurveda, influence a person’s physical, psychological, emotional and social attributes. Following the right physical exercises and dietary routine, therefore, helps balance the natural dosha of the body and corrects any imbalances.
These three doshas are present in various permutations and combinations in different human beings. Following a dinacharya enables dosha balance and a path towards growth and longevity, healing our body, mind and soul by addressing physical issues like digestion, psychological issues like stress or emotional issues like anger.
Sensitive to hot weather? Suffering from anger and mood swings? You have a natural Pitta Dosha in your body and here’s the yoga asana for you to manage it.
Do you get depressed easily? Do you have a slow metabolism? That indicates a prominent Kapha Dosha in your body. Suffering from digestive problems and anxiety issues? You have an active Vata Dosha. Dhanurasana, a Hatha Yoga asana, works best in this case.
Living in harmony with nature defines Ritucharya. Incorporating these morning practices according to the season is the best way to start the day. Just like our bodies, the three doshas are also found in nature.
Summer—Pitta Dosha
Late winter and early spring—Vata Dosha
Autumn and early winter—Kapha Dosha
As our biological energies change along with the season, i.e. a shift in the universal energies, it becomes important to follow a ritucharya routine to maintain an ideal dosha balance. For example, eating foods that cool the body like citrus fruits, coconut, chickpeas, quinoa, and avoiding spicy foods, practising yoga and swimming are the best combinations of dinacharya and ritucharya in summer—Pitta Dosha.
Keeping the body moisturised with Abhyanga, eating root vegetables and ground foods like sweet potato, radish, carrot, beetroot, lentils, pistachios, etc. are essential during late winter and early spring—Vata Dosha. For Kapha Dosha which is autumn and early winter, dry granola and wholegrain foods are beneficial with morning meditation.
Know your body type and adopt a corrective diet, yoga asanas and exercises. It becomes essential to tailor your very own everyday routine based on your doshas. Dinacharya is the way.
(Vibhuti Arora is a Faceyogi, a staunch believer in non-invasive beauty tools and techniques to defy gravity, and co-founder at House of Beauty &
Face Yoga School. With her profound knowledge of face yoga, she has formulated her own Signature 1-Minute massage.)