7 Steps to an Ayurvedic Lifestyle. Step 1 - Your Daily Routine.

Your daily routine need not be onerous.

Ayurveda believes that practicing a daily Ayurvedic routine encourages good health and helps prevent disease.  “Dinacharya” is the Sanskrit term for daily routine.  “Din” means day and “acharya” means to follow.  By practicing dinacharya, we become attuned to our own internal rhythms as well as the rhythms of the day, for example the sun and moon cycle.

Some of the key components of an Ayurvedic daily routine are:

--Waking up early, preferably before sunrise.  This is the time of day when the oxygen in the atmosphere is plentiful and fresh.  This is also an ideal time to concentrate on meditation, prayer and spiritual studies before the hubbub of the day.  Waking habits differ by dosha.  Vata individuals should generally rise by 6, as they require more sleep than the other doshas, pitta individuals by 5:30, and kapha individuals even earlier. 

--Cleansing and massage.  Drink a room temperature glass of water upon waking. Leave it on the counter overnight so it reaches room temperature.  This will stimulate the kidneys and cleanse the GI tract.  Splash your face with cool water, clean your teeth and scrape your tongue.  Tongue scraping stimulates the internal organs, aids digestion, and removes bacteria.  Washing the eyes with cool water or rose water will refresh eyes that are continually exposed to pollution and the elements.  Ayurveda encourages a gentle self-massage before bathing, either with oil or with a dry brush.  By practicing daily self-massage, Ayurveda believes one’s health and well-being will dramatically improve.  After massage, bathe.  Daily bathing refreshes both body and spirit. 

--Exercise.  Ayurveda believes that daily exercise is necessary for good health.  It is well known that exercise benefits both body and mind.  Unlike the Western approach to exercise, Ayurveda believes we should exercise to 50 percent of our capacity and that our age, physical condition, emotional state and the season should all be considered before selecting an exercise regimen.  Yoga asanas, walking, and swimming are all suitable activities.  A regular yoga practice increases stamina and resistance to disease by facilitating the immune system, cleansing the body’s channels, promoting circulation and elimination, and destroying fat.  Done regularly, yoga will remove stress that will eventually accumulate in the body.  Even a simple yoga practice consisting of Surya Namaskar (sun salutations) will stimulate and condition all bodily systems.  It is important to practice yoga according to your dosha.  Vata dosha should select poses that are grounding.  The poses should be practiced gently and with ease so as not to aggravate Vata.    Pitta dosha can select more moderate postures, but should avoid overheating.  Vigorous and energizing postures will balance Kapha dosha.

--Give thanks.  Open your day by expressing gratitude for all the blessings present in your life today.  A brief meditation (15 minutes) both morning and evening will radically change your life, as the moment-to-moment awareness that you are cultivating in your meditation practice will begin to manifest in your daily life.   Use whatever meditation method seems appropriate, focusing on your breath, an object, or a mantra (sacred sound).  Stay present and instead of zoning out, attend to those moments during your meditation when time stops. 

Ayurveda places great emphasis on one’s pathya or lifestyle (eating habits and daily routine).  Guidance is also provided as to how to adjust our daily routine as the seasons change.  Ayurveda believes that the daily routine is the basis of good health.  Try one or two components of the Ayurvedic lifestyle and see how it feels.  It is important not to get overwhelmed.  By cultivating your own personal lifestyle, you will begin to see significant changes in your health and world-view.  Everything in your life will change. 

Cholesterol Busters.

Garlic has been touted for its many health benefits and some studies purport that it even lowers your blood cholesterol.  Garlic lowers LDL (the bad cholesterol), increases HDL (the good cholesterol) and helps reduce triglyceride levels.  The phytochemicals present in garlic have the same effect on the body as statin drugs.  Garlic is said to be a form of natural statin, without the side effects.  Ayurveda, an ancient system of healing from India suggests boiling a clove of garlic in a cup of hot milk and consuming it daily.  In addition to daily exercise and a diet of fiber rich foods, Ayurveda recommends that you drink lots of water.  For a western holistic approach, radical lifestyle changes may be required.  The Mediterranean diet, a diet rich in olive oil and other foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids such as whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, and fish has been touted as a heart-healthy diet.  Whole grain cereals such as oats and soluble fibers such as beans can significantly reduce cholesterol levels.  Eating fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids at least twice a week can lower LDL levels (the bad cholesterol) as well as blood pressure.  And don’t forget to shop for walnuts; they are also a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids.