04/06/2021
If youāre going crazy without what feels like your normal routine right now, you arenāt alone. The good news is, Ayurveda is here to help! Take this time to work on yourself! Following the different times of the day makes starting your own routine really easy. This isnāt me saying, wake up, work out, change your life drastically. Take what you want from any tips and pointers I give. This is just to help bring some stability and schedule into your life during a time of dissociation and isolation.
According to Dr. Vasant Lad, our daily routine is the best way to prevent illness at this time.
Okay, so letās start by just a little rundown of the different times of the day. In the picture you see thereās Vata, Pitta and Kapha times of the day. Without getting into too much of it, just know that these different times of the day and the ādoshaā (vata, pitta or kapha) that goes along with that time of the day plays a huge role about what you should be doing during that time and itās a HUGE help.
Alrighty, so letās start from waking up to going to bed. Vata time is when we should be waking up, 2-6am; ideally we would like to rise around the same time the sun rises. Trust me, itās beautiful and worth it. First thing you should do when you wake up: go to the bathroom, brush your teeth, tongue scrape, then throw on a pot to boil some hot water. The first thing you want to ingest when you wake up is some hot/warm water, ESPECIALLY during this time. Itās an EASY way to help prevent illness during this time. Warm water is cleansing, helps spark up your agni (digestive fire) for the day and it also itās great for your respiratory system as well as blood flow throughout the body (if you look up warm water benefits youāll find so many). Warm water should also be drank all throughout the day, especially at this time... cold water is never really a good option to begin with. After you have some warm water and maybe some tea. Vata time is a time for sense care.. taking care of our sense organs. Mouth, eyes, nose, eyes. I find it really helpful to spray rose water in my eyes when I wake up!
Okay, now that we have taken care of ourselves, time to get moving; itās Kapha time (6am-10am)! Letās start with some pranayama exercises (breathing techniques). Dr. Lad suggested that during this COVID pandemic that we start with a series of 8 pranayamas (breath techniques) that are shown to strengthen the immune system, respiratory system and the lymphatic system, as well as clean and boost our energy level all while balancing ojas, tejas, and prana (our vigor, our internal flame, and our life force).
Bhastrika (bellows breath)
Kapalabhati (skull shining breath)
Anuloma Viloma (alternate nostril w/retention)
Ujai
Ugjeet
Sh*tali - cooling breath
Sitcari - cooling breath
Bramari-bumble bee breath
After some pranayama, do some yoga. Even just a few easy poses.. get your blood moving. If you work out, now would be the time to do your workout routine. Start/continue/deepen your practice while you have the time! After you get done movinā your body around, try meditating!! Even if itās just for a few minutes. Then sit quietly afterwards and just be aware.
Okay, now that we are feeling pretty accomplished at this point, let us eat breakfast š Nothing big during this time, that comes later! Oatmeal, buckwheat cereal, breakfast soup.. all these are good breakfast ideas right now since we are actually in the kapha season! Kapha is heavy, damp, dense, static... think of water & earth (which kapha is made up of).. itās rainy all the time and the earth is heavy!! So we donāt want to eat yogurt or any/a lot of dairy during this time.. [if you have questions about what to eat during this time just message me!!!] After breakfast is the ideal time to take something like Chyavanprash (Ayurvedic herbal jam) to help give your immune system some support during this crazy time of illness. Just a teaspoon will do! I take it and itās amazing. There are other jams out there, like with anything, just ask me!!! Alrighty, so now itās time for any focused work you have to get done. If youāre working from home, this is when your grounded and ready to focus on anything that may need your attention.
Cool, itās 10am, we are coming into Pitta time of the day (10am-2pm), and youāve gotten done basically everything that you wanted to get outta the way. Pitta is the fire element, fire is transformative and is able to digest!!!! So, it would be during this time that you take the time to prepare a nice big lunch for yourself and who ever you maybe with. Lunch should be your biggest meal; when the sun is at its highest point in the sky, burning brightly, so is your internal flame (Agni) and we are able to digest the best at this time! š cool huh?! Whip up some tofu tacos (or naturally raised meat tacos if you eat meat), prepare an Indian meal with some herbs and spices, a veggie soup, or a hummus and veggie or chicken wrap! If youāre a hungry person that likes food (*ahem*), nows your time to shine! After you eat a meal, especially a big one, itās always a good idea to lay on your left side for about 10-20 minutes to help your food digest properly (or as me and my fellow kripalu KSA students call it, L*D- left side down). Nows a nice time to go take a walk as well, especially during this season.. the sun isnāt too hot and itās a nice time to get out of the house, even just walk down your road, feel some sunlight on your face. Sometimes this is an ideal time to do anything that takes ādigestingā. Maybe this means communication with other people, or reading material, studying.
Next up is Vata time again (2-6pm) and your heavy lunch that you so beautifully digested is now helping your nervous system with the fuel that your body needed for the rest of your day to focus. Take this time to get done whatever else you have left to get done. Some cleaning, finishing up your work day, conversations with family and loved ones, or take this time to do something creative!! Vata loves communication and creativity. Play a game, paint a picture, start/continue a DIY project, do a puzzle... this is the time to do it!
Kapha time is up again (6-10pm). We are winding down now... throw in the leave in conditioner, cook yourself a light supper...carrot and ginger soup with some roasted chickpeas or some white bean and artichoke croquettes (thank you Kate OāDonnell!!!!). Then give yourself a nice oil massage; itās time to relax and recharge before Pitta time comes...
Lastly, the day is over and itās Pitta time (10pm-2am) and itās time to hit the hay. Be in bed with a book by this time, take the time to maybe journal or write about your day. Try to fall asleep at least two hours after sunset (I know this can be hard, but we are all stuck at home with not much to do, so why not give it a try if you can?!)
I hope youāve found this a little helpful. Once again if you have questions about anything feel free to message me about anything Iāve mentioned, or anything at all š. I hope safety and health finds everyone. Love and light. Namaste š
