12 Nov Beginning your Day with Ayurvedic Ways!
Dinacharya it is called in Ayurveda and it speaks of everything one ought to do when one gets up in the morning. In fact, even the act of getting up early is part of this “dinacharya” in Ayurveda. If gadgets and life in general distract you, it is time you set these aside in the evening itself to get a night of fitful sleep.
Hi, this is Dr Madhura Bhide once again and what I shall tell you hereon has to do with feeling fresh throughout the day. And it starts by getting up early! Know for a fact that the life of every organism on earth is dependent on a rhythm and a cycle which has come about due to the fact that earth is spherical, revolves on its axis and most of all, faces a giant of a star, our very own SUN! Ayurveda and all its Gurus in the past knew of this inescapable fact 1000s of years back and advised a lifestyle which took into account these daily changes. What we thus got was a lifestyle in tune with circumstances, existing conditions, weather patterns and also nature in all its glory.
Where we err today and do so badly is to not understand this pattern and try living an existence which goes right against the existing order. Some include sleeping late and as a result, getting up late and doing everything wholly un-necessary to keep up with the day, like not giving time in the toilet, rushed breakfast etc. The result, as expected, is nothing but bad health and that too for extended periods of time!
Today I shall tell you of a few steps which may help you say GOODMORNING to yourself with a smile!
1. Get up early in the morning- mostly before the sunlight becomes visible in the horizon which could be between 5.30 AM and 6.00 AM under normal Indian condition. Kapha & the feeling of bloating starts to form as soon as the Sun starts to become fairly strong. You ought to get up way before Kapha starts to set in.
2. Evacuate the bowels. One element of the body which Ayurveda expressly recommends cleaning at the earliest after rising in the morning is that of the bowels which include both the urine and faeces. Urine normally we pass almost immediately after we get up from bed. Faeces may take a short while. BUT, it must be expelled before the sun is solidly in the horizon. Faeces are toxic and should be expelled before the heat of the day makes it worse and leads to other problems. They should thus not be in the body after a time. If stored in the body beyond a time, they tend to leach their toxins back into our blood streams which makes us feel bloated, irritable and sluggish. Also, toxins from faeces may over time enter blood streams and create havoc in other parts of the body.
If evacuating bowels seem a problem, besides a change in diet, try triphala chooran which is an effective Ayurvedic antidote to the worst of stomach and irregular bowel problems.
3. Gargle with oil including sesame or coconut. What it involves is to sip on a small quantity of oil (a teaspoon or two) and then let it go to all the corners of the mouth. Oil is known to loosen tartar and food particles stuck in the mouth. This process leaves the mouth feeling fresh and clean throughout the day. The oil used for gargling should never be swallowed.
4. Brush your teeth slowly, gently and rhythmically. Do not hurry this step as doing so is likely to leave areas of the mouth uncleaned and potentially a starting point for all manner of diseases whether in the mouth or in other parts of the body, one of which includes tartar. As for “Dantmanjan”, it’s advisable to use those in powder form.
5. Clean the tongue and NEVER, EVER forget to do so every morning. In the process of digestion, toxin (called Ama in Ayurveda) builds up on the tongue in the form of a white layer which is the body’s way of bringing out the unwanted. Ideally in the scheme of things, this white layer ought to be scraped and removed. Most don’t as a result of which this toxic matter goes right back to the body and is the reason for many illnesses and a general feeling of heaviness. Ideally, after teeth-cleaning, one ought to place the tongue cleaner (made of copper or stainless-steel) at the end of the tongue as far in as is comfortably possible and slowly pull our the white layer- while being careful that the tongue itself is not hurt in any way.
6.Time for exercise, stretching, Aasanas and vigorous exercise
With the body having undergone its first round of cleaning, its time for us to stretch ourselves and do all the asanas including pranayama and surya namaskars. In doing so, the body undergoes tremendous stretching which helps the muscle stretch themselves to its limits and then relax. The body thus retains its tone and muscles get back their strength and vigour. Next, vigorous exercise like surya namaskars which besides helping stretch, puts pressure on the heart and entire circulation systems to breathe harder and increase blood flows to all parts of the body.
7. Meditation
With one’s body having undergone its quota of rigors and vigours, it’s time to relax and take a short rest. This, incidentally, is also the best time to mediate and reflect on the self, on the body and its ills, on the outside and also to try and forgive all and move on in life in a positive, effective manner. By controlling one’s breathing, one thought and one’s emotions while being seated in one place, one can find answers to most of life’s problems in an objective, non-partisan and detached manner.
8. Full-body oil massage (Abhyanga)
With all of the morning’s activities coming to an end, it is time to physically clean the body. For the same, one needs to take a palmful of warm oil and apply it head to toe. It rehydrates and lubricates the skin bringing back its tone, its colour and its texture. At a deeper level, it soothes one’s nerve systems by stimulating the nerves besides helping boost blood circulation and detoxifies the skin and helps it rid itself of ama or toxins.
At the end, my friends, Ayurveda, as a system of medication is for those who want a long-term solution to all of life’s issues physical or psychological. Its ambit does not limit itself to curing merely medical issues but to take care of every issue of an individual whether arising purely out of the body or due to one’s thoughts, actions, words or deeds. For it to be effective, one needs to take the first step towards a drastic change in lifestyle with respect to diet, exercise and meditation.
We at Recova Life invite you to visit our website www.recovalife.com or #roadtorecova to know more about your own self and how things can be improved to live better lives!
Disclaimer :
This article is meant solely to provide information about remedies under Ayurveda and is not meant to be used for diagnosis, treatment, cure or prevention of any disease.
Where the reader or any other person has chronic and/or dire health issues, it is advisable to consult a trained and certified medical practitioner for a complete and comprehensive diagnosis which can address the underlying issues effectively.
Recova Life and its constituents are also certified medical practitioners who can be consulted. Our numbers are +91 83800-16119 and Email ID atul@recovalife.com
With respect to the consumption of any herbs, fruits, vegetables and the likes mentioned here, it would be advisable where you consult a certified medical practitioner for his/her opinion before-hand.
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