FROM THE BOOK
A Modern Ayurvedic Routine
My Daily Routine "Rockstars"
Before learning about and living Ayurveda I never gave much thought to how my routines (or lack there of), supported my purpose in life. And when I think about it now, it’s hard to imagine why I’d want to be doing anything that didn’t support who I am and what I’m committed to.
How well do YOUR routines support you in achieving what you're committed to in life?
Ayurvedic dinacharya is kinda extensive for modern busy people. Although each aspect of it has a purpose and focus for creating a more powerful and balanced you, including it all can be more than most people can handle. And when that happens the excuses come out and the whole thing can go off the rails.
So outside of your normal stuff (like brushing your teeth and showering), here are a few of my personal faves from the dinocharya “playlist” that’ve made a powerful impact in my life!
Morning
Meditate - Clears the mind, opens the channels for the good stuff to flow in.
Warm Water with lemon (and sometimes fresh ginger) - Starts the digestive engines, wakes up the bowels.
Scrape your tongue - Gets rid of the goo. Instant toxicity gauge (lots of thick white stuff means something’s up)
Day
Biggest meal at lunch - Best thing ever… when I can manage it. Lighter dinner and brekky means a lighter, brighter me!
Try not to snack - See above. Snacking means not hungry at lunch. Key is to get the right amount of brekky and lunch!
Evening
Wind it on down - Create space at the end of the day for stress free family, connection, brain and body rest.
Get to bed early - It’s all about getting enough sleep! To make it happen it’s important to time it right (in bed by 10:30pm).
Get up early (between 5am - 6am)
10-15 minutes of meditation
Have a cup of warm water with lemon to kick start your digestion while you make some notes, do some journalling or make a list of ideas or things to do in the day.
Do 10-15 minutes of yoga or some stretching or exercise.
Take a shower and keep some oil in the shower to do a self massage before getting out.
Light breakfast (enough to satisfy you till lunch time)
Start your work day with some routine/administrative type tasks (filing, paying bills, emails)
Try not to schedule any meetings until Pitta time (that’s after 10am)
How to transform your morning...
What would a Modern Ayurvedic Morning Routine look like?
| Current Activity | With Ayurvedic Boost |
|---|---|
| Wake up tired and groggy | Wake up before sunrise (be sure to get to bed early enough so that you get sufficient sleep) - Take advantage of the morning energy |
| Morning exercise… are you kidding? No way | Try 5 mins of breathing exercises, 10-15 mins of yoga or stretching. |
| Move around the house like a zombie trying to wake up and remember what you’re supposed to do today. | Sip a cup of warm water with lemon (and a little ginger). Make your to do list then take some time to move your bowels. |
| Quick shower and get dressed | Keep a bottle of oil in the shower and just before you finish the shower massage your body with warm oil. Wash some of the oil off but leave a light coating of oil on the body. |
| Coffee in lieu of breakfast | Enjoy a light, energizing breakfast, just enough food to satisfy you until lunch time. |
| Early morning meeting or strategy session | Focus on administrative and mundane tasks until mid-morning giving your body - mind sufficient time to warm up and get the juices flowing. Schedule strategy and important meetings/interactions for after 10am if possible. |
SPRING
FROM THE BOOK
Ayurvedic Resources for Spring
Ayurveda calls spring the king of seasons, and we all know why. Spring is a fresh start, a chance for renewal, a long awaited parole from winter’s incarceration. It’s the official season for cleaning up your act and clearing away anything that’s standing between you and your best you (even though technically you can do that any time of year!). It’s also our signal to shed the layers of winter before they get too heavy and walk towards the light by balancing kapha dosha.
Qualities of Spring:
Cold, damp, heavy, sluggish, slow, dull
Springtime Mantra for Wellness:
Warming, drying, stimulating, expression
Weight gain, depression, congestion, lethargy, complacency, attachment, diabetes, colds and flu, allergies
What to watch out for:
Download Your Guides
Spring Self-Care Cheat Sheet
Spring Shopping List
Spring Issues Home Remedies
Quick Guide to Eating in Spring
SUMMER
FROM THE BOOK
Ayurvedic Resources for Summer
Summer is one of the busiest times of the year and life can get pretty intense. If we’re not careful, we can start to feel the heat inside and out. One of the keys to staying balanced during this time of year is tuning in to your own tendency to push yourself or overdo it.
Pause and take a closer look at how the intensity on the outside is impacting your internal weather, and then ask yourself what you can do to create calm.
Qualities of Summer:
Hot, sharp, intense, light, mobile, oily
Summer Mantra for Wellness:
Cooling, Calming, Moderation, Flow
Inflammation, skin issues, anger, aggravation, impatience, diarrhea, reflux, digestive upsets
What to watch out for:
Download Your Guides
Summer Self-Care Cheat Sheet
Summer Shopping List
Summer Issues Home Remedies
Quick Guide to Eating in Summer
AUTUMN
FROM THE BOOK
Ayurvedic Resources for Autumn
Fall is my favorite season. In fact, I sometimes wish it would last all year long (and not just for the pumpkin spiced lattes). To me it’s the perfect combination of hot (pitta) and cold (vata), my two dominant energies. And of course it makes sense that it’s governed by vata, since it’s very much a transitional season. It’s a time when the energy of movement and change swirls through the air like the cool wind, drying, distracting, stimulating, and exhausting every part of you.
Qualities of Autumn:
Cold, dry, light, moving, rough, clear
Anxiety, fear, constipation, low back pain, dry skin, headaches, procrastination, popping joints, fatigue, impatience, impulsive spending, dizziness, feeling disconnected or untethered
Autumn Mantra for Balance:
Warming, grounding, moisturizing, routine
What to watch out for:
Download Your Guides
Autumn Self-Care Cheat Sheet
Autumn Shopping List
Autumn Issues Home Remedies
Quick Guide to Eating in Autumn
WINTER
FROM THE BOOK
Ayurvedic Resources for Winter
Winter season can be a little two-faced sometimes: cold, dry, and light in the beginning, often morphing into colder, wet, and heavy by the end. It’s a time of year to stay tuned in to what’s going on in your mind and body and allow your inner wisdom to guide your choices for maintaining balance and bliss.
Early Winter: Cold, light, dry, variable
Late Winter: Cool, heavy, damp, dull
Qualities of Winter:
Early: Warming, grounding, moisturizing, routine
Late: Energizing, stimulating, drying, expression
Winter Mantra for Balance:
Anxiety, fear, constipation, aches and pains, insomnia, mood swings, cold hands and feet, depression, lethargy, water retention
What to watch out for:
Download Your Early Winter Guides
Early Winter Self-Care Cheat Sheet
Early Winter Shopping List
Early Winter Issues Home Remedies
Quick Guide to Early Winter Eating
Download Your Late Winter Guides
Late Winter Self-Care Cheat Sheet
Late Winter Shopping List
Late Winter Issues Home Remedies
Quick Guide to Late Winter Eating
FROM THE BOOK
Eating In Transition
Living In between…
According to Ayurveda, living out of sync with the cycles of nature is one of the main causes of disease. Modern living is a story of late nights and work shifts that mess with our natural rhythms, business and leisure travel that takes us through season and time zone changes, supermarkets that carry year-round... everything! Counteracting the damaging impacts of this way of living and harnessing the energies of each new season to fuel our dreams comes down to making simple changes to honor how you and your environment change throughout the year.
“Honor the space between no longer and not yet”
-NANCY LEVIN