7 Simple Ayurvedic rituals to incorporate into your everyday
The right daily routine brings balance, grounding, and clarity. We thrive when we establish practices in our everyday lives that nurture and nourish us.
Ayurveda provides us with the tool of dincharya (daily routine). Amidst the uncertainties and stresses of daily life, we can create a blanket of safety and comfort by incorporating simple ayurvedic practices for self-care into our routine.
Despite the benefits that a routine can offer us, the thing to keep in mind is that there is no one-size-fits-all. So while we share some of our beloved ayurvedic practices that you can incorporate into your everyday, please adapt them to suit your unique needs and limitations.
7 Ayurvedic Practices to incorporate into your everyday
Here are some practices that Ayurveda offers for bringing the body into balance. They are simple and effective and are recommended to be practiced daily.
1. Wake up around the same daily
As per Ayurveda, the ideal time to wake up is between 4 am and 6 am. If this feels unattainable, what you can instead strive for is waking up around the same time every day. This helps establish a consistent body rhythm.
What waking up early also enables is spending time with yourself before you get lost in the noise outside.
Begin your morning with a short prayer of gratitude, add an affirmation that speaks to you, and take three deep breaths. You are ready to start your day.
2. Scrape your tongue
The next step after waking up is eliminating toxins from the body. Empty your bladder and colon. After, use a tongue cleaner to scrape your tongue.
You would usually notice a whitish coating on your tongue in the morning. This happens due to the accumulation of toxins through the night. Scraping your tongue will release these toxins from your body and prevent them from re-entering your system.
The next steps after tongue scraping are flossing, brushing your teeth, and swishing or oil pulling.
Oil pulling strengthens the gums and eliminates toxins from deep within the mouth. Take about 2 tablespoons (or less) of either coconut or sesame oil and swish it through your teeth and mouth. The ideal duration to do this is 15 – 20 minutes but start with less. Do not swallow the oil. Once done, rinse your mouth with water.
We suggest- Ayurvedic Copper Tongue Scraper
3. Drink warm water
After cleaning your mouth, drink a glass or two of warm water. You can even add some lemon and honey to this.
Drinking warm water first thing in the morning helps flush out the toxins that have accumulated in the body during the night. The body’s agni (digestive fire) is weak upon waking, and doing this helps to rekindle it. Also, this helps the tissues in the body to get rehydrated.
Even during the day, Ayurveda recommends drinking warm water instead of cold water. Warm water aids the digestive process.
4. Practice self-massage
Abhyanga (oil massage) is a form of Ayurvedic therapy that you can practice daily (except for the days when you are in your menstrual cycle) as part of your self-care routine. Around half an hour before taking a shower, massage your entire body with warm oil. You can choose the oil based on your dosha type.
Start with massaging your scalp and work your way down. It takes anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes to complete the massage. Wait for about 15 minutes before getting into the shower. Use soap sparingly.
There are numerous benefits of abhyanga. It nourishes and strengthens the body, softens the skin, promotes better sleep, improves digestion, and enhances blood circulation.
Daily Massage Oil-For All Body Types and Doshas
5. Add herbs to your day
Ayurveda recommends consuming supportive herbs depending upon a person’s unique constitution.
Taking these herbs at around the same time every day makes them more potent and effective. While some herbs are recommended on an empty stomach, others are to be had with warm milk or water.
Some herbs that Ayurveda recommends are triphala, ashwagandha, gotu kola, brahmi, and licorice root.
6. Practice mindful movement
Whether it is yoga, dance, or a walk, daily movement keeps the body energized and nourished.
Mornings are the best time in the day to move the body. The stomach is empty, the mind is relatively free from distractions, and the world is not knocking on our doors.
However, if for any reason mornings are not available to you for exercise, choose another time of the day that is.
Pick an activity that allows you to be mindful of your body during movement. By listening to the cues of the body, the mind body connection gets strengthened. This teaches us to work with the body rather than against it. It helps us understand the needs of the body in terms of food, effort, and rest.
Movement can therefore be a meditative practice. It can bring us closer to our own bodies.
7. Create a bedtime ritual
Winding down at the end of a day should begin at least an hour before bedtime. Turn all off screens and dim the lights.
You can add some turmeric milk or herbal tea to your bedtime routine. Brush your teeth. Massaging the soles of your feet with warm oil is another effective practice that promotes good sleep.
Journaling before bedtime can be therapeutic. Practicing restorative yoga is an excellent way to get longer and deeper sleep.
Say a prayer of gratitude for all the blessings of the day and set an intention for the next day.
