Why is routine so important?
According to Ayurveda, a daily routine balances our doshas (especially vata!), it relieves feelings of stress, it helps us stay positive, healthy, and happy. and helps aid in digestion. When our digestion is on par, our body is able to properly put nutrients in their place and remove what is not needed through our stool and urine. This then ensures that there is no build up Ama (toxins) in our fat cells. This means, it can actually help us lose weight.
Dina Charya
The daily regime or routine is called Dincharya in Sanskrit. According to Ayurveda to maintain a healthy and disease free life one should follow a daily routine or schedule. It is important to follow a daily regime in order to be optimally healthy. Everyday two cycles of change passes through us, each bringing a Vata, Pitta, or Kapha predominance.
One way to describe the daily cycle is in terms of the doshas, Vata, the air element; Pitta, the fire element; and Kapha, the water element. Vata is dominant from 2 to 6 in the morning and afternoon. Kapha is dominant from 6 to 10 in the morning and evening, and Pitta is dominant during mid day and midnight. Keep in touch with these energies during the day and move with them, not against them.
Ritucharya (seasonal routine)
Adjusting your diet according to the season. Bringing in more foods that hold the opposite qualities of the season. Example - Warm and grounding foods in Fall.
Adjusting your exercise according to the season. Shifting your activities to those that hold the opposite qualities of the season. Example - Swimming during summer.
To avoid such continued aggravation leading to imbalance of the doshas, Ayurveda prescribes a seasonal routine to preserve the doshic balance as the seasons change. For each season there is a unique diet (ahar), a distinct mode of living (vihara), and routine living (karya). These keep your doshas in a state of equilibrium and help you cope with the stresses and strains of changing seasons.
In Ayurvedic literature, the year is divided into six ritus (seasons): Varsha (monsoon) Sharada (autumn) Hemanta (winter) Shishira (late winter) Grishma (summer) Vasanta (spring)
Seasonal Regimen
Hemanta Ritu (Winter Season) Shishira Ritu (Cold and Dewy Season)
Diet/Lifestyle
Sweet,sour and salt taste food can be taken. In this season the digestive activity becomes more powerful. Increased vata gets obstructed from spreading out due to cold atmosphere outside which can digest the tissues. More intake of sweet, sour and salt helps reducing the vata.
Wine prepared from jaggery (molasses) can be taken.
Wheat/gram flour products, milk products, sugarcane products and corn/edible oils can be taken as a part of food.
Massage with oil.
Ubvartan with fine paste/powder of kumkum (kesar).
Exercise (vyama).
Clothing-leather, silk and wool.
Exposure to sunlight and fire to keep yourself warm.
Grishma Ritu (Summer Season)In this season, Sunrays become powerful. Kapha decreases vata increases day by day.
Sweet, light, fatty and liquid food can be taken.
Wine should not be taken as it can cause burning sensation and even debility. If neccesary take in very little quantity.
Boiled rice with meat, cornflour, curd (yoghurt) can be taken in food.
Drink very cold water. Panak Panchsara (syrup prepared with draksha (sugarcane), madhuka, date, kashmarya and parshuka fruits all in equal quantity cold with cardamom powder.
Anoint body with chandan paste and take bath with cold water.
Stay in cool places.
Wear light dresses.
Varsha Ritu(Rainy Season)The agni (digestive activity) weakens further and gets vitiated by doshas. Hence all methods to mitigate doshas and measures to enhance digestive activity can be adopted.
Easily digestible food to be taken.
Pulses, meat juice, soups, old grains and mastu (thin water of yoghurt ) can be taken in food.
Panchakarma can be done.
Perfumes can be used.
Avoid sleeping at daytime, exertion and too much exposure to sunlight.
Sharat Ritu (Autumn Season) Sudden exposed to sunlight after cold season aggravates pita.
Bitter, astringent and sweet taste can be included in food. Take easily digestible food like rice, green gram, aamla, honey and sugar.
Avoid heavy food, curd, oil, strong liquors.
Udvartan with chandan.
Bath with warm water.
Pearls give soothing effect from aggravated pita.
Reference: http://ayurveda.indianetzone.com
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DisclaimerThe sole purpose of these articles is to provide information about the tradition of Ayurveda. This information is not intended for use in the diagnosis, treatment, cure or prevention of any disease.