Dinacharya is a Sanskrit word that means the daily routine. While most people have a daily routine, Dinacharya is specifically referring to the recommended routines defined in Ayurveda, a cousin of yoga. Ayurveda says Dinacharya is the rhythms of the day broken up into the dosha times. The day is broken up into 6 sections of four hour increments cycling through each of the three doshas twice.
Ayurveda states that these routines help establish balance. To promote health both physically, and mentally it is key to understand daily cycles. In theses Dinacharya it says these rythms that correlate with the concept in Ayurveda of doshas. Meaning that it is optimal to do certain things at a particular time of day to work with Ayurveda or really nature rather than against it.
If adopting some of all of Dinacharya apeals to you, know that you don’t need to adopt everything at once. Start with one of two elements, say tongue scaping and waking up before dawn. As those habits become naturally incorporated into your daily routine, add another one, and then another. This isn’t about perfection or doing everything right. The goal of Dinacharya is live in a way that promotes your health.
Here is what the Dinacharya or Daily Routine looks like
2am – 6am | Vata Time of Day
- Wake up
- Go to the bathroom
- Meditate
- Practice Yoga
6am – 10am | Kapha Time of Day
- Scrape tounge
- Splash water on your face
- Oil pulling
- Drink water
- Use Neti Pot to clear your nasal passages
- Massage your body with oil
- Take a shower
- Eat a light breakfast
10am – 2pm | Pitta Time of Day
- Eat a big lunch
- Work on daily tasks
2pm – 6pm | Vata Time of Day
- Finish your daily work tasks
- Eat a simple and light dinner
6pm – 10pm | Kapha Time of Day
- Begin your routine to wind down
- Avoid electronics and anything overstimulating
- Drink noncafinated tea
- Gentle, restorative yoga
- Go to bed, read, and be asleep by 10pm
10pm – 2am | Pitta Time of Day
- Sleep/REM state
