Dinacharya: The Daily Rhythm

Nov 1

How do I plan my morning routine to optimize my health?

There’s no shortage of suggestions for how to start your day off right. A quick search online will result in ideas that run the gamut from making your bed to taking freezing cold showers. Some people proselytize journaling straight away, while others are in the church of lacing up their running shoes the minute the alarm clock starts screaming.

Whether you’ve already played around with your morning routine or you’re still in the “research phase”, there’s something inside of you that is saying “It’s time to get my morning routine on track!”

Yoga and Ayurveda recommend doing certain activities at certain times of the day for optimal effects.

These recommendations are based on the premise that nature has rhythms and cycles, and different times of the day, seasons of the year, and seasons in our lives all have their unique energy. In this model, we are created from the same elemental building blocks as the world we live in, and thus whatever’s happening outside (sunrise or winter, etc.), is happening inside our bodies and minds as well.

We are not separate from nature – we are nature.

If we are created from the same elemental building blocks that create the ocean, the trees, and the sky, it’s not a far leap to consider that seasonal shifts affect us, too. The trees (where I live in the PNW) have months of warm sun beaming down upon them, growth and production, and they also have months of snow, hibernation and restoration. We are like the trees, we have cycles of activity and rest, output and input, offering and receiving. Just like the trees, we are nature.

I trust that you can feel how the energy of summer is different than the energy of winter. Can you also feel the upward and outward movement of springtime, and how that’s different from the quieting down and turning inward of late autumn?

At a foundational level, yoga is the practice of learning how to work with our internal winds / energy / Prana.

Do you feel anxious? That’s a wind – a movement of Prana creating the conditions for anxiety. Do you feel lethargic? That’s another wind. Do you feel inspired? That too, is a wind.

The fluctuation of our mood and energy may feel random, but it’s not. We may feel tossed around by these winds, but it doesn’t have to be that way. By discerning these subtle and not-so-subtle internal winds, the energies of the 24-hour day, and the seasonal shifts of the year, we’re able to skillfully choose what activities, practices, foods and space we need to find balance and agency in our experience, and in our lives.

Dinacharya - The Daily Rhythm

Dinacharya is a Sanskrit word that means the “Daily Rhythm”. The 24-hour day is divided into six segments, and each of the three Ayurvedic constitutional types/doshas is dominant during two of the six segments. The elemental effects of each dosha are heightened during the corresponding times of day.

The two doshas that are dominant during the majority of our morning hours are the Vata Dosha and the Kapha Dosha:

The Vata Dosha’s effects are greatest from 2am-6am

The Kapha Dosha’s effects are greatest from 6am-10am

The Vata Dosha

The elements Air and Ether combine to form the Vata dosha. Air and Ether are the subtlest of the five elements, the others being Earth, Water, and Fire. In the Vata times of day, there’s greater access to the subtler layers of our being (the mind and heart), and to our connection with Spirit, Cosmic Consciousness, God. This time of day is also conducive to expressing the Vata qualities of enthusiasm, inspiration, and creativity.

The Kapha Dosha

The elements Earth and Water combine to form the Kapha dosha. Earth and Water are the densest of the five elements. During the Kapha times of day, we connect more easily to the denser layers of our being (the anatomical and physiological sheaths), as well as the positive Kapha qualities of steadiness, compassion, and nurturance.

The Ayurvedic Morning Routine

We want to both celebrate the positive attributes of the Vata and Kapha doshas (tap into that enthusiasm; connect with steadiness), as well as compliment the energy of their elemental presence.

The following are some suggestions to optimize your Ayurvedic morning routine, and common expressions of imbalance that can happen more easily at these times. Timing and rhythm are hugely important when it comes to balancing your Vata dosha and balancing your Kapha dohsa.

2 am - 6 am

Seated Meditation / Dharana
Breath Practices / Pranayama
Cleansing practices like Neti (sinus irrigation)
Drink Warm liquids to support Elimination
Notice: anxiety, rumination, sleep disturbance

6 am - 10 am

Best time for Movement / Exercise
Yoga Postures / Asana (Sunrise Yoga – here we go!)
Time outside in Nature – a stroll around your yard, neighborhood or park nearby
Light and easy to digest Warm meal
Notice: lethargy, procrastination, unskillful habits

Your Morning Routine – Where you at?

Alright, let’s get real. Are you waking up before 6am on purpose, and to stay up for the day? If we miss that expansive, inspired, connected energy of the early Vata time and stay in bed past 6am, we may get stuck in the heaviness and stillness of Kapha, and not want to get out of bed, and end up feeling groggier than if we would have gotten up at 6am.

Now, as someone who has experienced a hefty five years of insane insomnia, I am not about to preach to you about your sleep routine. I have received enough unsolicited advice from well-intentioned others to last all of us a lifetime. I will say this, when my insomnia was the worst, my best hours of sleep were often between 8-10pm, and 6am-8am (both Kapha times of the day). I resourced the heaviness of Kapha, and that was my medicine for a while when the winds of Vata were in excess.

Then my health improved (which took a lot of effort), the gunas, elements and doshas all came into greater balance, and now I’m able to utilize that energy of the morning for other purposes than sleep.

Can you imagine feeling a baseline or background sense of calmness, patience and compassion in your morning… as you’re getting ready for your day, eating breakfast and preparing to show up in the myriad of ways your life requires? That ease and kindness is available to us when we attune to these subtle, yet profound winds.

Make the Effort - You are worth it

Even if getting up before 6am is not happening (no judgement over here) you can still resource this Daily Rhythm to incorporate the recommendations that feel useful for you and your life. Your health and well-being are worth it.

YOU are worth it.

You are worth the effort it takes to experiment with your daily routines, your practices, activities, diet and lifestyle.

Something as simple as a five-minute meditation practice when you first wake up, or 10-minutes of stretching or rolling around on a foam roller before breakfast, can have huge impacts on your mental wellness and your physical health.

The next time you feel that urge to get out of bed and breathe for a few minutes, or get up and stretch your arms overhead, do it. Noticing that impulse is noticing that wind, and the wisdom of your body to balance it.

Emily Light