Adapting Dinacharya - How to follow a healthy Ayurvedic daily routine?

There’s an old saying that our future is reflected in our daily activities. To live healthy and long, one must focus on their day-to-day routine and build a disciplined lifestyle. Ayurveda, an ancient medicinal science has a holistic approach to building a healthier lifestyle.

Adhering to a daily regimen is essential when practising Ayurveda. This thoughtfully designed routine serves as an integral part of preventive healthcare. We need to care for ourselves every moment to prevent diseases from occurring and lead a healthy life. To attain proper health, one has to be mindful regarding so as to what we do and what not do in our daily activities. Ayurveda explains daily preventive healthcare routine as ‘Dinacharya’.

The word Dinacharya is made up of two terms i.e. Dina = Daily, Charya = Activities. Thus the activities which need to be followed daily by every individual to maintain a healthy lifestyle are called Dinacharya. This blog explains everything Ayurveda says regarding why and how to build a healthy daily routine.

What is Dinacharya all about?

The Dinacharya or Daily rituals are all those activities we should do (or we do) from the time we wake up in the morning till we go to bed at night, to stay mentally and physically fit throughout our lifespan. In simpler words, the regimens done daily to be healthy are called Dinacharya. Ayurveda emphasises that some regimens are needed to be performed regularly to prolong ayu or life span.

Activities included in Dinacharya:

Ayurveda believes that different time horizons have different effects on our bodies. So, daily regimens to be performed are divided into 3 parts.

• Day-time activities.
• Evening-time activities.
• Night-time activities.

Let’s understand each one of these individually.

Daytime regimen:

The activities which should be done during day time (morning and noon) are as follows:

Rising up early in the morning.

• According to Ayurveda for staying healthy, one should get up from bed at Brahma muhurta, which is from 4 am to 5:30 am.

Defecation.

• For removing toxins from the body, defecation is a must. It should be noted that the process of defecation should be carried on naturally not forcefully.

Brushing the teeth.

• Brush or clean the teeth with any twigs of herbs like neem, babul, or any herbal pastes.

Tongue cleansing.

• One should nicely scrape the tongue for removing built-up food particles.

Gargling of mouth/throat and face wash.

• Gargle the mouth/throat and rinse the face with water to become alert for the coming day.

Applying Collyrium to the eyes.

• Apply Anjana (collyrium) to cleanse the eyes. It helps in the proper perception of visual objects by the eye.

Medicated herbal inhalation.

• Inhaling smoke from herbs and spices is recommended.

Nasya.

• Nasal drops are the installation of medicinal drops in the nose for the balance of doshas in the head, neck and senses to keep them healthy.

Exercise.

• Exercise is very necessary for living a healthy life. Exercising should be an indispensable part of a healthy routine and it should be done till one reaches half-strength. It brings lightness to the body, burns fat, enhances digestion power and improves working capacity.

Herbal oil massage.

• Massaging your body daily morning keeps muscles free and provides energy. Massaging the body should be done with herbal powders and in a reverse direction (from below upwards). It delays ageing, relieves tiredness, increases strength, and improves skin tone and complexion.
• Massaging should be concentrated on the ears, head and feet specifically.

Pranayam.

• Once your workout is finished, take a moment to relax and practice some deep breathing techniques.

Bathing.

• Pouring warm water over the body bestows strength, but the same over the head and face leads to a loss of strength in the hair and eyes.

Food.

• Have warm, nourishing and wholesome food. One should not consume food unless there is proper digestion of the previous meal and a good appetite. Food should be consumed in a pleasant place, neither too fast nor too slow, should avoid talking or other activities and should fully concentrate on the food which is being consumed thus ensuring mindful eating. One should chew betel leaves after a meal.

Evening regimen :

According to Ayurveda, some activities must be avoided for maintaining the health of the body. Below are certain tasks that one must refrain from doing in the evening time.

• Food consumption
• Sleeping
• Reading
• Walking

Night regimen :

After carrying out several tasks throughout the day, our body needs to relax and get rid of dirt and toxins. Here are the activities that should be part of your night or bedtime routine.

• Consuming light food.

Post-dinner activities like :

• Hand wash
• Tooth cleaning
• Mouth wash
• Walking for 100 steps
• Medicated herbal smoke inhalation.
• Application of Anjana (collyrium)
• Sleep before 10:00 pm

Benefits of Dinacharya :

Now that we are aware of what is Dinacharya and how one should follow it, let’s look at how building a disciplined routine can actually help you.

1. It helps in maintaining the hygiene of the body and mind.
2. Dinacharya lets you prevent diseases in the long run.
3. Practicing Dinacharya strengthens your sense organs in the longer run.
4. It enhances and maintains physical strength.
5. It promotes healthy longevity.
6. A well-built routine keeps the mind in peace and harmony.
7. Dinacharya is crucial for self-protection against diseases.

Summing it up:

Ayurveda is based on the ideology that prevention is better than cure. Hence, the incorporation of the concept of lifestyle definitely confers complete health to a person. The concepts of lifestyle told in Ayurveda are very unique, evidence-based and aimed at physical, mental, social and spiritual well-being which are practical even in the present era.