By Nina Elliot (Ayurveda Counselor Graduate )
“We are what we repeatedly do” (Aristotle). Routines are the mindful ways of doing things in a pattern, they form schedules, which anchor us to daily life by creating stability and comfort, and without them, we feel overwhelmed and stressed out. When we are in a flow, life just seems to be a little easier. Ultimately, our many habits are done to accomplish a particular goal, and in Ayurveda, the goal is stay healthy and have a balanced Dosha. ‘We are a microcosm of the macrocosm’…I keep hearing this phrase over and over again in this course, weaving itself in and out of each component of Ayurveda, from philosophy to more pragmatic routines. I am now beginning to understand it is the essence of Ayurveda.
So if we are a microcosm of the macrocosm, this means we are driven by Mother Nature, her cyclical flow of existence, and what affects Her will also affect us (and vice versa).
Photo by Mark Tegethoffon Unsplash
If the power of the lunar and solar cycles deeply affect us
(especially the lunar cycle for women), our goal is stay in sync with this flow.
The routines that help us be synchronous are daily/nightly
(Dinacharya) and seasonal routines (Ritucharya).
Dinahcharya seek to establish balance in an individual’s Dosha,
within the 24 hour time span. Within these 24 hours, our Vata,
Pitta and Kapha energies are present in our bodies at all times,
and mirror the actual structure of the day/night with its own VPK
energies.
Photo by Chris Lawton on Unsplash
For example, 6am-10am/6pm-10pm is the Kapha period, 10am-
2pm/10pm-2am is the Pitta period, and 2pm-6pm/2am-6am is the Vata
period.
These time periods dictate when one should do certain
recommenced activities like diet (Ahara) hygiene (bathing, tongue
scraping, oil pulling, nasya, etc) exercise, meditation, and
spiritual practices.
An example for a Pitta would be to eat their largest meal at
lunch, since Pitta is highest at this time and the chance of
optimal digestion is then. Again using Pitta as an example, a
good daily exercise would be to do calming exercises like Moon
Salutations, and a good oil for self massage would be warm
coconut oil.
Similarly, Ayurveda prescribes a seasonal routine to maintain a Doshic balance that sin equilibrium as seasons change. Each season also needs a unique diet, lifestyle and routine living.
An example would be to eat pitta pacifying foods in the summer (coconut, melons, foods that are sweet, astringent and bitter, and avoiding spicy, oily pungent warm foods, as this will aggravate Pitta. Ritucharya helps us to learn to adjust and build upon our daily routines, which too is a necessary point of growth, as change is a part of life.
If basic recommenced routines are not followed, digestion/Agni may be impaired. For me, every time I travel, particularly via flying - my Agni gets disrupted and I will get constipated. Additionally, a diet guideline would be to eat fresh satvik foods, which can also be difficult to obtain while traveling, creating further gastric disturbances which can affect my mood, my stress level, depleting my energies and my sleep.
As much as I do enjoy traveling, I find that after a trip, even if it’s a vacation, I spend a lot of energy focused on ‘getting back on track’ when I get back. Knowing this, and now with Ayurveda’s help, there are ways I can prepare myself for a trip prior to ensure a smooth journey.
