In this episode of “5 Minutes,” Dr. Robert Svoboda explores basic Dinacharya recommendations and the importance of a regular daily routine.

So Dinacharya, in case you have forgotten, is your daily routine, your basic daily routine. Your daily routine should reflect, in general, a certain degree of regularity. Now, by saying that, it does not mean that every day has to be identical, but it does mean that there needs to be a certain periodicity in what you do.

Let us hope that you work out on a regular basis. We certainly want you to be doing something like walking or some other kind of simple activity that is not excessive and definitely not overexerting yourself. It should be done every day, even if it is only walking for half an hour. But two or three times a week, you should be doing something more, exerting yourself further. So in that case, your Dinacharya on the day when you are having your workout will be different from the day before and the day after.

We should really look at Dinacharya over a period of time, such as a week, or whatever period is appropriate for you. Perhaps you are someone who follows a Vaishnava tradition and organizes things around the paksha, the fortnight, instead of the week. That is also fine. What matters is that you understand what period and what rhythm you are following, and that you continue according to that pattern. This also applies to having one day when you limit your food intake. You may not do that every day, but you can schedule it regularly.

When we talk about Dinacharya, it is not only about the day itself. There are certain things that should happen every day, whether you are exercising or not. One of those things is going to sleep at the same time and waking up at the same time. Of course, sometimes you will not be able to do that, and this is the point of Dinacharya. You should limit those disruptions to about one day a week, just as you may be more flexible with your food, sleep, or other activities on one day.

Otherwise, you want your body to have the expectation that you will wake up at the same time, sleep at the same time, eat at the same time, and meditate, do Tai Chi, yoga, or exercise at more or less the same time. Then your body develops the habit of preparing itself, and this is an efficient way to work with your organism.

Dinacharya also means that you have studied yourself to some reasonable degree, so you know the best time of day for you to eat more, the best time to eat less, and the times that are most suitable for walking, exercising, meditating, or whatever practices you are doing. This depends on your interests, your abilities, and how the rest of your life is arranged.

Yes, it is ideal to meditate at dawn and dusk. But the ideal is one thing, and practical reality is another. The most important thing is that you actually meditate, exercise, and create periods when you are not eating. Schedule these things into your life, even if they are not exactly at the specific moments described in the texts. They have to fit into your lifetime.

So fit them into your life, fit them into your schedule, and make it a point to continue doing this every day, at least six out of seven days of the week, for at least two months at a time. You can always revisit after one month, but it is better to wait for two months and allow your body to truly adapt. Then, if you want to make changes, allow another couple of months and continue experimenting.

Especially if you live in a place where the seasons change dramatically, you may find that your Dinacharya differs in summer and winter, or during the rainy season and the dry season. Allow that to happen. But always understand that the reason you are doing Dinacharya is to help your organism develop the habit of behaving in a healthy way. Whatever you can do to support that process will benefit you and will benefit your Dinacharya.