In this episode of “5 Minutes,” Dr. Robert Svoboda explores Dinacharya, the Ayurvedic understanding of daily routine and how conscious habits support balance and well-being.
Dinacharya is the Sanskrit word for daily routine. Daily routine is important because all of us have routines. Some of them we have deliberately created, while others have simply become part of our lives without us even realizing it.
The first thing I encourage you to do is examine everything you do habitually. Identify the habits that are serving you well and continue them. Identify the habits that are not serving you and remove them. Once you have done this, you can begin to consider which activities should ideally be performed in the morning and which can be done at other times during the day.
Exercise is ideally performed in the early morning and early evening, but because modern life is often very busy, the most important thing is to exercise whenever you are able. It is also beneficial to connect with Supreme Reality through prayer, meditation, or whatever method you follow first thing in the morning. If that is not possible, then do it at another time during the day, but it should become a daily practice.
Possibly the first thing you should do in the morning as part of your routine is breathe. You can practice simple, deep, regular, balanced abdominal breathing while you are still in bed after waking. Or you can practice simple alternate nostril breathing without retention. The important thing is to spend a few minutes focusing on your breath so that you establish a pattern that can continue throughout the day.
After you rise, it is valuable to purify the sense organs so they are prepared to interact with everything you will encounter, especially your food. Begin with the eyes by using appropriate eye drops or collyrium. This helps remove accumulated Kapha from the eyes. Some of this may move downward into the nose, and then the nose can be purified with a Neti pot, Neti string, or a purifying oil such as Anu Thailam.
If you use oil in the nose, only use a drop or two on your little finger rather than using a dropper. This helps prevent oil from entering the lungs, where it can accumulate and interfere with breathing.
Once the nose has been purified, some Kapha may move into the mouth and throat. These should be purified by brushing the teeth, scraping the tongue, and applying oil to the mouth through a practice called Gandusha. This is similar to what many people call oil pulling, but the emphasis here is on holding and moving oil throughout the mouth so that the gums and tissues become properly nourished.
After the mouth has been purified, the ears can be calmed and cared for by placing a drop or two of oil on the little finger and gently applying it into each ear.
Next, it is time to support the sense of touch through Abhyanga. Abhyanga means applying oil to the body. You do not need to use a large amount of oil. A thin layer is sufficient, with perhaps a little extra attention given to the larger joints.
If you apply oil before bathing, the warmth of the shower or bath will encourage the pores to open and allow the oil to be absorbed, reducing the need to wash it away. As much as possible, avoid using soap on the skin because it can remove the natural oils that help protect and nourish the body.
By beginning the day with awareness, proper breathing, care of the sense organs, and appropriate self-care, Dinacharya helps create a foundation for a healthier, calmer, and more balanced life.