Daily Regimen – Dinacharya According to Ayurveda

Abstract

Dincharya is the daily routine concept in ayurveda that formulates daily activities based on the cycle of nature, the three doshas Vata, Pitta, Kapha each have their period when their energies dominate during twenty-four hours a day. Building a routine according to doshas will help us to maintain a healthy life. In this article, we will learn about the morning-to-night routine that each one of us should follow.

A daily routine is necessary to bring radical change in body, and mind. It also regulates a person’s biological clock, peace, digestion, longevity, and happiness. Daily regimens begin with getting up from bed till one goes to his bed at night.

Wake Up Early In The Morning

One who wants a long healthy life should get up in Brahma muhurta. One should analyse the digestion of the food taken the previous night, get up in the early morning, look into the mirror and evacuate the natural urges facing towards nothing in the proper place. The environment is clear without many pollutants. The morning rays of the sun are very beneficial. Brahma is knowledge, which is gained by reading. The time which is ideal for the gain of knowledge is Brahma muhurta.

Drinking Water In The Morning

One should sit facing toward the north or eastern direction and sip water after cleaning the excreta of dhatus, and tears, after taking a bath, eating, sleeping, sneezing, worshipping, and travelling. The place for (sipping water) acamna should be lonely. It should be practised with full concentration, without speaking while wearing a cloth over a shoulder. The hands should be clean.

Brushing Of Teeth (Dant Dhavna)

One should brush in the morning and night after intake of food with twinges of Arka, Khridra, and Arjuna. The thickness should be of a little finger, length should be of twelve angula(equal to). One end is made like a brush by chewing and the teeth should be brushed without injuring the gums.

Selection Of Drugs For Teeth

• Nimba – Bitter ones
• Kharidra – Astringent
• Mdhuka – Sweet drugs
• Karanja – Pungent ones

Ideal Nature Of Drugs

Twing should be devoid of branches and knots, it should be grown in a good land and every day new twing should be used for tooth brushing.

Contraindication

• Indigestion
• Vomiting
• Cough
• Fever
• Facial paralysis
• Excessive thirst
• Mouth ulceration

Tongue Cleaning (Jihva Nirlekhana)

Tongue cleaning should be done with the help of an instrument which is smooth, and soft, 10 angula in length made of silver, gold, and iron.

Benefits

It removes bad taste, and odour and cures oedema stiffness.

Gargling (Gandusha)

The mouth is filled with gandusha dravya and kept without movement in gargling or gandusha. Gandusha should be done with concentration. Liquid should be kept in the mouth till the dosa gets filled in the mouth or before the eye starts watering.

Different Liquids Used For Gargling

• Snigdha Gandusha – sweet, sour, salt taste used to alleviate vata.
• Prasadana Gandusha – sweet, bitter tastes and cold quality drugs are used to pacify pitta.
• Sodhana – drugs having hot dry quality are used to expel kapha.
• Ropana – bitter-sweet astringent tastes having healing properties are used to heal wounds.

Mouthwash (Kawal)

The material used moves easily in the mouth of the kavala.

Types

• Snaihika – vata
• Prasadi – pitta
• Sodhna – kapha
• Ropana – Vrana

Collyrium (Anjana)

The Eye is the most important among all the sense organs. So to protect it one should apply collyrium every day.

Time Of Application

One should apply collyrium made of antimony every day to protect the eyes. Collyrium is applied once in five or eight days at night time for lacrimation of the eyes.

Method Of Applying

One should widen the eyes with the left hand and apply collyrium with sala ka by using the right hand. It should always be applied from the inner canthus to the outer canthus.

Contraindications

• Tiredness
• Crying
• After taking alcohol
• Anger
• Fear
• Fever
• Eye pain
• Blindness
• Excessive laceration pain
• Swelling

Smoking (Dhumapana)

Part of the vitiated kapha situated in the head is eliminated very fast by smoking. So after the application of collyrium smoking is prescribed. The inhalation of smoke and exhalation is known as dhumapana(smoking).

Types

1. Prayogika
2. Vairecanika
3. Snaihika
4. Kasaghna
5. Vamaniya

Method

First take the smoke through the nostril and then through the mouth, both times smoke should be taken out through the mouth. If it is taken out through the nostrils, then it is harmful to the vision. One should sit in a comfortable posture with a pleasant mind, smear the end of the dhuma varati with ghee or oil and place it in dhumanetra which is the instrument used for smoking.

Time

Daily regimens always prayogika variety. One should smoke after bathing, eating, tongue, scraping, sneezing, brushing.

Benefits

• Heaviness of head
• Headache rhinitis
• Hiccough, dyspnoea, weakness of teeth, infection, toothache, baldness, drowsiness, tonsillitis, loss of consciousness and excessive sleep.

Nasal Drops

The head is considered as the most important part of the body. The nose is the entryway for the head and medicines used in the form of nasal instillation, cure the disease of the head through this route only. Medicine or medicated fat is administered through the nostril.

Types

• Virechana
• Brahmana
• Shamana

Nasya indicated as a daily regimen is pratimarsa nasya.

Time For Pratimarsa Nasya

1. After sleep
2. Teeth brushing
3. While going out
4. After exercise, after sexual intercourse, when tired due to walking, after evacuation of bladder, after evacuation of bowel, after kavala, after food, after emesis, after day sleep, in the evening.

Benefits Of Nasal Drops

• White or grey hairs
• For rhinitis
• Bones, Joints, Ligaments
• Tremors of head
• The voice becomes sweet, deep, and loud
• Stiffness of jaw
• Facial paralysis
• Headache
• Proper sleep

Exercise (Vyayam)

The action which produces tiredness in the body is vyayama. The physical action, which enhances the strength of the body, when performed in the required amount is called vyayama or exercise.

Features Of Proper Exercise

• Sweating
• Increased respiratory rate
• Lightness in the body
• Increased heartbeat

Indication

Excluding cold seasons and vasant ritu, one has to do mild exercise and to prevent body pain massage should be done accordingly.

Effect Of Excessive Exercise

• Nervous and muscular fatigue
• Breathlessness
• Palpitation
• Hypertrophy of the left ventricle and reduction of pulse rate
• Cough
• Fever
• Vomiting

Benefits

• Lightness of the body
• Ability to work
• Stability
• Alleviation of dosas
• Increased agni

Massage (Abhyanga)

In this oil applied to the skin nourishes even the dhatus depending on the duration of Abhyanga. Vayu resides in the skin and is above touch sense. Abhyanaga is good for the skin or one should do it every day.

It Perform In Seven Positions

1. Sitting position
2. Supine position
3. Prone position
4. Right lateral position
5. Left lateral position
6. Sitting with legs extended to the front

Duration

• 1 matra – 19 / 60 seconds
• 300 matra94 sec – up to hair root
• 400 matra 133 sec – up to skin
• 500 matras 160 sec up to blood
• 600 matras 190 sec – up to flesh
• 700 matra 228 sec up to fat
• 800 matra240sec up to bones
• 900 matra285sec up to bone marrow

Benefits Of Massage

Daily practice of Abhyanga delays ageing, cures tiredness, and vata disorder, and improves vision, complexion, nourishment, life sleep, good lustrous skin and strength.

Contraindications For Massage

• Kapha disorder patient
• After purificatory measures
• Indigestion
• Fever
• Purgation
• Emesis
• Enema
• Disease caused by overnourishment

Udvartana (Hard Massage)

Udvartana is a process which helps to decrease kapha and fat, makes the body strong and gives an excellent, clear and good complexion to the skin.

There are different opinions about udvartana according to Charak – a massage done after an oil massage is udvartana, and a hard massage done without an oil massage is gharshana. It’s a massage with different powders of herbs with an astringent taste. According to Charak, it cleanses the body.

Contraindications

• Diarrhoea
• Fever
• Eye disease
• Ear aches
• Flatulence
• Indigestion
• Immediately after taking a bath

Benefits Udvartana

• Sleep
• Takes away kapha
• Tiredness
• Clearance of flesh, skin
• Also produces pleasure

Bath

Taking a bath is auspicious, enhances virility, longevity, strength, compactness and ojas at the same time cures tiredness, sweat, and impurities of the body.

Benefits Of Taking Bath With Hot Water

• The person will be cured of bad odour and drowsiness
• Take away heaviness
• Reduces inflammation
• Improve sleep
• Stress relief
• Better circulation
• Muscle relaxation
• Pain relief
• Enhances virility
• Agni and clears the blood

Contraindication For Bath

• During diarrhoea
• Fever
• Ear aches
• Vata disorders
• Flatulence
• Distaste
• Indigestion
• Immediately after taking the food
• Conditions like, facial paralysis, eye disorder, fever, rhinitis

Anointments (Anulepana)

The application of anointments gives luck, complexion, and a beautiful look. It enhances ojas and strength and removes sweat, bad smell, discoloration and tiredness.

Contraindications

In conditions where the bath is contraindicated, their anointments should be avoided.

Protective Measures (Rakshoghna)

Wearing flowers, beautiful clothes and gems increase the ojas, luck, beautiful look and love.

Washing Of Feet (Paad Prakshalana)

Washing the feet cleans the foot, and cures diseases of feet and tiredness. It is good for the eyes, enhances virility, and kills bacteria.

Wearing Clothes (Vastra Dharana)

Wearing clean clothes enhances beauty, success, longevity, pleasantness of mind, and recognition in society and destroys poverty.

Wearing Garlands

The application of fragrant drugs like Chandana (sandalwood), Kesari, Kasturi (musk), and the wearing of garlands, produces virility, fragrance, longevity, beauty, nourishment, strength, and pleasantness of mind and destroys poverty.

Wearing Of Footwear (Paaddharna)

Wearing footwear is good for the eyes, and skin, and destroys the disease of the foot. It enhances strength, courage and virility.

Holding Stick (Dand Dharna)

Holding a stick helps to ward off the fear of dogs, reptiles, tigers etc cruel animals with horns. In the condition of tiredness and old age it helps to walk. It enhances qualities of satva, enthusiasm, strength, courage, stability, and power. It gives support and destroys fear.

Wearing Of Protective Covering (Kavachh Dharna)

Wearing a protective covering enhances clearness, complexion, lustre, and strength.

Wearing Head Turban And Umbrella

Wearing a turban over the head helps to keep the hair clean and is good for hair. Umbrella protects from rain, wind dust fumes, mist, and the intense heat of the sun. It improves complexion and is good for the eyes and enhances ojas and is auspicious.

Conclusion

One who desires a long healthy life should get up in Brahma Muhurta. One should maintain hygiene or brighten the indries, and strengthen the body. Planet Ayurveda believes that the routine helps establish balance and that understanding the daily cycle is useful for promoting health. Ayurveda describes how to live your life healthily, we should follow a daily regimen to gain a healthy life.