compare the sense of slowness and heaviness—kaphaqualities—that can
result from waking later in the morning. The main meal of the day is best
taken at midday, when the digestive fire, along with the sun, burns bright-
est, under the domination of the firey doÓsa, pitta, which governs metab-
olism and distribution of energy. The afternoon v ̄ataperiod can be a time
of mental fluidity and efficiency. In the evening one should not fight
kapha’stendency toward a slow and relaxed pace, and one should go to
sleep early, before the resurgence of pittabrings about the inclination to
wakefulness and activity.
There is another way that time is important to health, not in terms
of scheduling daily and seasonal activities, but as regards living within
measured time and being either relaxed or suffering from ‘time-pressure.’
Stress disorders are increasingly recognized in Western medical philoso-
phy. Along with psychological tensions, and physical irritants such as
chemical toxins and noise pollution, a sense of time pressure can aggra-
vate and even produce medical problems. In the contemporary world,
many persons struggle painfully to accomplish all their tasks within
amounts of time that are barely sufficient. Very little unscheduled time is
available in modern schedules for rest, recreation, socializing, creative
work, and worship. An Åyurvedic approach to life calls us to question
the extent to which we sacrifice our health for the sake of our goals and
desires, some of which are necessary and worthwhile, and others that can
perhaps be relinquished or recast. Åyurvedic living nurtures sensitivity to
one’s individual requirements for maximal well-being, and can cultivate
degrees of energy and vitality beyond what we might have thought pos-
sible. This vitality can be used to accomplish goals, but one must put
one’s health first in order to cultivate vitality.
A suggestion for health-care reform, made by anthropologist and
M.D. Melvin Konner, is greater realism (on the part of both patients and
providers) about the efficacy of technological solutions for medical
problems. He suggests that the public’s expectation that high-tech solu-
tions will rescue them from health problems contributes to individuals’
meanings of health in ̄ayurveda 81Six Phases of the Day According to Maharishi Åyurveda^96
Day Night
6a.m.–10 a.m.—Kapha 6 p.m.–10 p.m.—Kapha
10 a.m.–2 p.m.—Pitta 10 p.m.–2 a.m.—Pitta
2 p.m.–6 p.m.—Vata ̄ 2 a.m.–6 a.m.—V ̄ata
The times listed vary with season and location.