26 Oct Lifestyle with Ayurveda – Dincharya, Ratricharya & Ritucharya
If Indians (and not taking into account the world!) only relied on Ayurveda and took all its suggestions in the right spirits, most of us would be without diseases forever. But then as we all know, the same is just not possible and that life makes us do things we would never otherwise attempt. And all this because our lives have become so much more complicated!
At the root of everything is life and every time we try to play around with it to suit our needs, it comes right back to us in a form which is destructive and demeaning, and which in addition takes a lot to turn around.
Hi I am Dr Madhura Bhide and today I shall tell you all about Ayurveda’s suggestions to live right according to the day (Dincharya) or the night (Ratricharya) and/ or the seasons (Ritucharya).
You would be aware, most human to be happy ought to have an equilibrium of the following elements, namely
Ø The three Doshas, Vata, Pitta, and Kapha.
Ø The seven elements i.e., Dhatus which make up the physical being i.e., Rasa (Plasma), Rakta (Blood), Mamsa (Muscles), Medas (Fat), Asthi (Bones), Majja (Nervous System), Shukra (Reproductive Tissue)
Ø The digestive element, Agni
Ø The excretory system (mala kriya)
Ø The five senses (Indriyas)
Ø The Mind (Mann), and
Ø The Soul (Aatma)
Of these the Doshas, the Dhatu and the Mala kriya are most important to be kept in form to make life worth living be it on a daily basis or for longer periods. What keep these elements in the right order are:
– The Dosha being in the right state at any given point of time
– Ahara: The right food at the right time of the day and season
– Life-style: Doing the right act at the right time of the day and season
The first two i.e, Doshas and their effects and the right foods at the right time have been covered by me in several of my earlier blogs either exclusively or within related topics. Here I shall tell you how our life-style (other than food habits) over a day, a night or across seasons affects us and what we need to do so as to reduce their ill effects.
Dincharya (A regime of life from the time you rise to the time you go to sleep)
As the name suggests, it means all acts which need to be done from the time one gets up to the time one ends the day, and includes the very act of getting up from the bed to prayers, expelling faecal matter, cleaning the mouth & gargling, yoga and exercise, bathing and the first meal of the day. Given its importance to our lives these acts have to be done with meticulous precision and care while leaving some margin of errors for our habits of prolonging/ neglecting things.
Of all the acts which constitutes “Dincharya”, the most important and supportive is the “Ahara” i.e, consumption of food. One cannot be expected to perform any act how-so-ever insignificant unless our system has its right food and in right quantities. What constitutes right food can be dictated in Ayurveda given that food of any place is quite dependent upon seasons and the prevailing local atmosphere. But the quantum to consume depends upon one’s ability to digest i.e., the strength of one’s “ Agni” whatever has been consumed to get to all the right nutrients in the right quantities. All said, one thing is for sure, Ahara is important for proper bodily functions besides looking and feeling good. And yes, Ayurveda very clearly prescribes that food be consumed before sunset!
Ratricharya (A regime of life from sun-down till sunrise)
Sleep is a need whether you work hard or work smart and without it our bodies perform badly across activities. That being the case from time immemorial, Ayurveda has specific precepts which need to be followed for “ratricharya” such that one gets the required quantity of sleep, his/ her Doshas are taken care of, and digestion of food takes place completely and uniformly and one is in a position to excrete wastes efficiently the next day. For the same, it is important to take care of what you eat (for instance things like curds cannot be consumed at night), how much you eat (eat light!) and when you eat (It is better to have food before sunset).
Where and how you sleep, matters. Your head should face either east or south with the bedroom ideally in the east or west of the house. The bed you sleep on also matters. It should be in a place with relatively few people around. The bed itself should induce sleep at the earliest being neither too hard nor too soft with pillows to prop one’s head on. Ideally the bed should be of the knee’s height and broad enough to allow a person to turn easily in sleep.
As for the thoughts just before sleep, they should be calming and positive such that it induces sleep and makes one feel refreshed upon getting up!
Ritucharya (A regime of life across seasons)
India is a vast country, almost the size of a continent with no two states having the same weather patterns at the same time. We are blessed with all the seasons that the world can ever observe! And observant were our ancients who having seen and observed the changing seasons, formulated a whole body of science on what exactly needs to be done in each season.
Given that India has always been a relatively sunny country, it isn’t without reason that Hinduism has equated the Sun to the exalted position of a God. Taking cue from the Sun’s importance to daily life in the sub-continent, Ayurveda holds that the seasons in these parts depend upon the Sun’s position in the sky relative to the hemisphere below. If it is in the northern hemisphere, it is called the Uttarayan and is characterized by intense heat which takes away moisture and saps every living being’s physical strength. On the contrary, when the is its southern aspect, it is called the Dakshinayan when the sun’s rays are slanted with less heat coming our way and days remaining short and cold.
Our food habits too change as per season to take care of our doshas which envelop us during these times.
In all, a year in our parts is divided into the following season, when varied food habits, dresses and lifestyles are a must
Months/ Season
Shishir (Winters)
Vasant (Spring time)
Grishma (Summer)
Varsha (Rains and monsoons)
Sharad (Autumn)
Hemant (Late Autumn)
So you see how finely-tuned Ayurveda is to your body and the situation that exists around you! This is so unlike the western system of medication where medicines are factory-produced and one medicines should fit all with the same problem- irrespective of seasonal changes, bodily changes, one’s habits during the day or night and all through the year!
Standardisation is good for machines and things that do not change on its own. Us humans and everything living around us change with time and circumstances, and likewise need means of coping which too do not remain the same. That precisely is the greatness of Ayurveda!
And to know more, you are heartily invited to visit our website www.recovalife.com and #roadtorecova besides visiting us at Pune! We ideally look forward to your visit. Our address and all contact details are mentioned on our website.
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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