DINACHARYA
- Ayurveda has clearly indicated the do’s and dont’s in daily regimen for a healthy living.
- Following a healthy daily routine is essential for prevention of diseases, especially lifestyle disorders that are prevalent in all communities and age groups now a days.
- Ayurveda clearly explains when & how to start a day to make it more productive and stress free.:
- Waking up early in the morning lengthens your lifespan
- Brush your teeth- without hurting your gums
- Abhyanga/ oil massage- if possible; should be done daily, at least over head, ears and feet. Abhyanga can relieve fatigue, improves skin tone, nourishes body tissues, imparts good sleep and delays ageing, if practised daily.
- Vyayama/exercise- regular exercises that are done after assessing your health condition helps in burning excess fat, imparting lightness of body, improving digestive power and ability to do work.
- Snana/Bathing- done with warm water over body and cold water over head. Bathing improves digestion, removes sweat, dirt, burning sensation and itching,relieves tiredness, excessive thirst and improves vitality
- Personal hygiene: cut nails, hair and moustache regularly
Keep ears, eyes, nose, feet & private parts clean
Take bathe daily
Wear simple, good outfits
Use footwear and umbrella while going out
DO’S
- Wake up during Brahma muhurtha
- Brush your teeth, exercise, oil application and take bath daily
- Apply anjana(kajal),mouth gargle, inhalation of steam and powder massage
- Take meals only after digestion of previous meal
- Help those who are in need
- Respect elders, teachers, god and guests
- Maintain personal hygiene
DONT’S
- Over sleeping and sleeping late at night
- Over exercising without considering your health.
- Taking bath immediately after having food.
- Violence, stealing, abusing, lying, quarrelling and jealousy
- Over straining your sense organs(indriyas)
- Sit on ones own heels for long time
- Insult people publicly
- Gaze at sun/ glazing objects continuously
- Carry heavy weight on head.
- Believe or suspect someone easily/instantly
- Sneeze, cough or yawn without covering mouth.
The word ‘Dinacharya’ is made of two words- ‘dina’ meaning daily and ‘charya’ meaning routine activities. Even for the daily routine that one should follow for a healthy living there are restrictions and contra indications. For example persons suffering from vomiting, fever, facial palsy, mouth ulcer etc should avoid brushing and people suffering from diarrhoea, indigestion, facial palsy, rhinitis etc should avoid taking bath. Even if we feel some practices are outdated, the principles behind it are still relevant and valid. These routines were detailed on the basis of the principle that ‘prevention is better than cure’. The fact that ayurveda treatises have explained these routines and rituals before explaining diseases and their treatments shows how much Ayurveda emphasis on the preventive aspects. Ayurveda also states that most of the diseases arise due to improper routine or lifestyle and maintaining a proper lifestyle can cure or control most of them. The explanation of ‘Dinacharya’ does not limit on daily routine activities but also include social conducts that should be practised and avoided. Those recommendations underline the fact that Ayurveda is not only a medical science but is a way of living.
RITHUCHARYA
The word Ritu means season and charya means routine- Ritucharya explains regimens to be followed in six different seasons of the year- sisira (winter), vasantha(spring), greeshma(summer), varsha(monsoon), sarath(Autumn), hemantha(pre-winter) to maintain optimal health throughout the year. Rithucharya explains specific diet, lifestyle and daily routine in each season in order to adapt to the evolving environment. These seasonal modifications in diet and lifestyle helps to attain an equilibrium between our bodies’ internal and external environment. The main aim of these recommendations is to make our body compatible with the changes in our surroundings and climate in each season.
In Ayurveda these 6 seasons have been divided into 2 categories- Aadana kaala (Uttarayana) comprising Sisira, Vasantha and Greeshma & Visarga kaala (Dakshinayanam) comprising Varsha, Sharath and Hemantha rithu. During Aadana kaala the weather is warm to hot and dry. It has a debilitating effect on the environment and hence on humans also. The sun and wind during this time of the year (January to june) are very strong and it depletes earth of its Soumya gunas. During the Visarga kaala (July to December) the effect of sunlight is lightened by clouds, rain and cold breeze. The temperature falls and the environment has a restorative effect on human strength.
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