Daily Body Rhythm
- Sleep cycle: A good sleep routine can help balance the body energy by aligning the three doshas (kapha, pita, and vata). Ideally, one should wake up by 6 am and sleep by 10 pm.
- Drink warm water: Warm water helps detox and cleanse various channels in the body. Have a glass of lukewarm water with some lemon juice the first thing in the morning.
- Brush teeth and scrape the tongue: After drinking warm water, brush your teeth in a gentle circular motion, and then scrape your tongue. A lot of people get disgusted by the thought of using a tongue scraper but imagine keeping all the bacteria, and toxins glued to your tongue inside your mouth. It’s best to get rid of it every morning.
- Bowel movements: Drinking warm water also helps regularise bowel movements. You can also take a short brisk walk to initiate and regulate your morning motion routine.
- Dry brush the body: Dry brushing (garshana) detoxifies the lymphatic system, refreshes the skin, and helps revive the mind. Use a soft natural bristle brush to gently brush the body and then take a shower.
- Oil massage: A warm oil massage (abhayanga) after the shower improves circulation and helps remove toxins out of the body. Make sure you oil the soles of your feet.
- Warm liquids: Sip warm tea {ccf tea (cumin, coriander, and fennel), green tea, or jasmine tea}, water or veggie broth throughout the day to help clean accumulated toxins at regular intervals.
- Regular mealtimes: If we keep fixed meal times, then our body adapts, and learns the meal routine. It then produces digestive juices beforehand as it’s aware that we’ll eat soon and aids the digestion process.
- Big meal afternoons: Human bodies are meant to be in sync with nature. The more we do to maintain that sync, the better we’ll feel – physically, mentally, and emotionally. The sun is strongest at noon, so is the digestive fire in our belly. Remember to have the biggest meal of the day for lunch.
- Avoid in-between meal snacks: To aid proper digestion, a minimum of a 3-hour gap is recommended between meals. If you tend to get hungry between meals, then have fruit or nuts. Avoid packaged, processed food as snacks.
- Use herbs & spices: Herbs and spices help digest food quickly and reduce the chances of undigested food turning into toxins. Include fresh herbs and dry spices in your food.
Seasonal Body Rhythm
To maintain good health in all (four) seasons, we should adjust our eating, sleeping, and exercising habits as per the seasonal changes.
Spring
- Go for morning walks. Include sun salutations in your exercise routine.
- Avoid afternoon naps.
- Spring is the ideal time to observe a juice fast. Try apples, berries, or pomegranate.
- Avoid heavy, oily food. Choose bitter, pungent foods over sweet and sour foods.
- Avoid dairy products in the mornings. Reduce intake of ghee as well.
- Include herbs like ginger, black pepper, cumin, coriander, and fennel in your food and beverages.
- Stick to plant-based food. If you eat meat, then continue with chicken, reduce red meat and avoid seafood completely.
- Go to sleep at no later than 10 pm.
Summer
- Avoid strenuous exercise. Go for a light-paced walk early in the morning or late evening.
- Do not expose yourself to direct sun. Avoid stepping out at noon.
- Increase water intake considerably. You can enjoy a glass of lassi, or fresh juice every day. Avoid alcohol.
- Drink room temperature or slightly chilled drinks. Avoid the instinct to quench your thirst with ice-cold water or drinks.
- Eat lots of watery, juicy, seasonal fruits and veggies like melons, cucumbers, plums, and pears. Eat light meals like khichdi and salads.
- Wear light and breathable cotton clothes. Use coconut or sesame oil for massages. Sandalwood and jasmine are the ideal summer fragrances.
- Go to sleep at no later than 11 pm.