Embracing Routine, Part 2: Dinacharya - Daily practices for Health and Prevention
So… daily routine. In part 1 of this series, we discussed the general concept of routine. In this installment we’ll lean more into the day-to-day of healing routine.
The most regularly used Sanskrit term for this is dinacharya (pronounced “din-acharyaa”) - literally, something like “daily conduct” or “daily movement.” The term refers to wholesome habits for daily living that support health. Dinacharya works by bringing balance in simple ways where there might be imbalance, but even more importantly, via prevention.
Dinacharya is considered essential to developing svasthavrtta - that is to say, vrtta (pronounced “vrit-ta”), or in this context, “maintenance” of svasthya. We’ll define svasthya here as a steady state of well-being; so svasthavrtta means something like health equilibrium, so to speak.
The habits and interventions that comprise dinacharya are intended to balance all of the doshas together (see below). They support a natural, paced flow of vata; a steady, contained burn of pitta; and robust, non-obstructive kapha structure. In so doing, these healthful habits are largely applicable to most people in most situations.
But there will always be exceptions. We will stress this here now and again later: it is very important, in the interest of safety in health, that even these general guidelines be reviewed with a qualified Ayurvedic healthcare clinician to ensure that they are appropriate for you and your loved ones. In all likelihood, most - if not all - of them will be. Again, though, there are always exceptions.
Let’s start with the fundamentals, and consider the Ayurvedic clock:
Right away, notice that there is a dominant dosha at each and every moment of the day, and that the dominant dosha rotates every 4 hours. This means that every 12 hours, we will experience each of a “vata time,” a “kapha time,” and a “pitta time.” This cycle repeats itself twice in every 24 hour cycle, always in the same order.
A lot of sources on the Ayurvedic clock will illustrate that the dominant dosha changes on the hour mark (e.g. 2:00 AM, 6:00 AM, 10:00 AM, and so on).
But we should note here that the Ayurvedic clock in most of the continental United States is complicated a bit by the practice of daylight savings. For those of us living in parts of the U.S. that still observe daylight savings, our relationship to the clock shifts by an hour for half of the year.
So for simplicity, to make it easier to remember, and to average things out over the course of a year, let’s divide the 24-hour cycle this way (and again, refer to the clock above) :
02:30 - 06:30, vata kala (literally, “vata time”)
06:30 - 10:30, kapha kala
10:30 - 14:30, pitta kala
14:30 - 18:30 (2:30 - 6:30 PM), vata kala
18:30 - 22:30 (6:30 - 10:30 PM), kapha kala
22:30 - 02:30 (10:30 PM - 2:30 AM), pitta kala
At each of these times of day, we can benefit from and take advantage of the strengths of each dosha, while balancing them to some extent with their opposing qualities. Let’s look at them one by one to illustrate.
Vata kala is prominently airy and light. In the morning, vata kala is an excellent time to awaken from bed without running into the heavy, earthiness of kapha (just don’t get up so early that your sleep is cut short). It is an excellent time to meditate and be creative, but it’s also important to engage in some grounding practices. Fortunately, these things overlap! Meditation is generally quite grounding, for example. Some thoughtfully-paced yoga and/or tai chi and/or other forms of highly embodied exercise are well-suited to this time. In the afternoon, the same general principles apply. It can be challenging to focus during vata kala, though, so it is also a good time to get outside and reset the brain from screens and tech when the weather is nice.
Kapha kala is earthy and heavy. In the morning, if one is not already out of bed, it can become increasingly difficult to rouse oneself from bed the longer kapha kala drags on. This is a good time to consume a warm beverage (if that’s your thing, and if it’s appropriate for you), have a modest-sized breakfast, reflect, read, and study. The earthy qualities of kapha support the faculties of memory. Kapha does need to be balanced out with mobility and lightness, so this is a good time to get some cardiovascular exercise in. In the evening, this is the ideal time to go to bed, as the heavy qualities inherent to kapha also support short sleep latency (shorter time between going to bed and actually falling asleep).
Pitta kala is fiery, with all the heat and intensity one might expect from pitta dosha. Late morning and at midday is an excellent time to be productive - the sharp and hot qualities of pitta cut through distraction and digest input and ideas well at this time. This is the best time to consume the largest meal of the day, because the burn of that fire includes the production of digestive juices. It so happens that feeding the fire with food and curated sensory input is one of the best ways to balance pitta. At night, ideally we are already sleeping and taking advantage of pitta in the form of neuro-restoration. From a circadian cycle standpoint, this is when most deep sleep will be taking place, which is when our nervous and immune systems are involved in clean-up, integration and learning, and memory pruning and strengthening. If one is not sleeping during pitta kala around midnight, they might have the experience of the “second wind.” Really, though, it’s more like a “second fire,” as those who are up at this time and have this experience will often describe high levels of productivity and sustained focus. Of course, the tradeoff is significant: we miss out on the neuro-restorative sleep we all need for optimal health.
So, with all of that background covered, how might a day practicing dinacharya look?
Below is a (relatively) simple outline of habits and practices that are likely appropriate to include for most individuals. Again, not all of these will apply to all people in all situations. (For example, drinking warm water in the morning is not appropriate in cases of IBS). This is also not an exhaustive list. Please consult with a qualified Ayurveda-competent healthcare provider regarding your own daily habits for healthy living.
Vata kala, early morning (some or most of this may carry into kapha kala below):
Wake with the sun or a short time before sunrise.
Honor any urges to eliminate. Empty the bladder, and if the body requests it, empty the bowels, as well. In an ideal situation, the bowels are evacuated early in the morning. However, if this does not occur on its own, don’t force it. If constipation is a consideration, that is a meaningful reason to connect with a skilled provider.
Clear the haze of sleep and dream (and gunk and mucus) by cleansing the sense organs.
Offer a few splashes of cool water to the eyes.
Brush the teeth with tooth paste or tooth powder containing bitter, astringent, and pungent plants or extracts (such as mint, neem, and tea tree); make a couple of gentle passes over the top of the tongue with a tongue scraper (preferably copper); and rinse the mouth with water.
Cleanse the sinuses with a warm saline rinse. A neti pot is preferred due to better surface area coverage inside the sinuses, but squirt bottle products will also work. Dissolve roughly 1/2 teaspoon sea salt in 1 cup warm water. Consult your local water quality resource to determine whether tap water is a safe option for you (if available).
Treat the skin to a warm sesame, avocado, or olive oil massage of the feet, external ears, and hands based upon your constitution. If your kapha is constitutionally high, dry udvartanam (massage against the direction of hair growth) using herbal powders may be more appropriate.
Hydrate. Warm (boiled and partially-cooled) or room temperature water may be recommended for you based upon your constitution and condition.
Bathe. Bath or shower may be the preferred option at varying degrees of warmth based upon your unique situation.
Meditate in some form or fashion. Even two minutes can make a lot of difference.
Kapha kala, morning:
Get some exercise if possible. This is a good time for cardiovascular activity, which can be as simple as a walk with some modest heart rate elevation.
Have something to eat, ideally that will sustain you through the next few hours. Review breakfast recommendations that are appropriate for you with your Ayurvedic healthcare provider.
Read, study, or otherwise take advantage of this time as appropriate for your lifestyle.
Pitta kala, midday:
Dedicate some time to professional and/or personal projects. Focus in on what you need to and would like to get done.
Plan on your largest meal during this time. Digestive fire is at its strongest when the sun is at its peak.
Vata kala, afternoon:
Put your creative side to use; this can be in relation to work, or in relation to leisure. This time of day is a great time to practice music, visual art, dance, and so on.
This is also a good time for intentional imagination, either for work or play purposes, or both.
A late afternoon/evening meal may occur during this time (or at the beginning of kapha kala). This meal is ideally much lighter than lunch by both volume and content. What exactly “lighter by content” means is a topic for another day; for simplicity in the present moment, let’s go with a meal centered around well-cooked vegetation.
Kapha kala, evening:
Go for a light, easeful walk after dinner.
Practice gradually disconnecting from devices. Use them less, and make use of the “night shift” or equivalent setting on as many of your devices as will allow it, starting at around the time of sundown or a bit before.
Set the stage for sleep with basic sleep hygiene (refer to our post on healthful sleep here for a bit more on this).
Get to bed at such a time to take advantage of that neuro-restorative sleep we discussed earlier. Before 22:00 (10:00 PM) is optimal, and earlier is even more ideal.
Pitta kala, midnight:
Sleep.
That’s it.
Some additional general notes worth sharing:
It is better to prioritize exercise than to restrict it. If it is not possible to make time for exercise at the most ideal time, it is still better to get exercise than to skip it. Or put another way, don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good (of course, this is true globally - not just with respect to exercise). Adjust type and intensity for the time of day when possible.
Practice daily emotional health awareness. More on this coming soon.
Avoid engaging in just about activity to the point of complete exhaustion.
Alcohol, tobacco, and most other risky substances are, for many valid reasons, strongly advised against. More on this coming soon, as well.
And finally (for now), there are seasonal considerations that often apply in addition to highly personal considerations - and we haven’t even touched on the challenges of habit change! Not to mention the highly valid obstacles of work schedule, kids, caregiving for ill or elderly loved ones, and so forth.
Interested in knowing more? Our first on-demand course covers this topic in more detail, and is now available! See below:
The Essentials of Ayurvedic Daily Living: Dinacharya
with Dr. Matt Van Auken, MD, MPH, ABOIM, DipABLM, E-RYT, YACEP
And as always, Dr. Matt is available to discuss the ins-and-outs for you! If you are curious about your constitution & health (or health of a loved one), you can book a cost-free, 15min Consultation, and we’ll discuss!
Professional disclaimer: please do not initiate any herbal or other medicinal interventions without the guidance of a knowledgeable provider.
Dr. Matt Van Auken, MD, MPH
Dr. Matt is an Ayurveda-trained, triple board-certified physician.
