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ow you start your day is a good indicator
of how the rest of it will pan out. So
why not kick it off with the healthy,
balancing principles of Ayurveda on
your side? Here’s how to make a few simple
adjustments in your morning routine so your
light will burn even brighter all day long!
Wake before sunrise. Just as each
dosha (Ayurvedic constitution or quality) rules a
season, they also govern different times of day.
The hours of 6:00 to 10:00 am are ruled by kapha,
which is dense, heavy and slow. In order to balance
those qualities, rise bright and early, before the
sun. This is when the birds are chirping and the
dog is scratching at the door to be let out—and if
your goal is to live in harmony with nature, that
means it’s time for you to get up, too! Experiment
with an earlier waking time, and see if you feel
more energized throughout the day.
use a tongue scraper. before drinking
water in the morning, scrape your tongue, using
either a stainless steel or copper tongue scraper.
(The plastic ones are harder to keep sanitary.)
Stick your tongue out and allow it to be loose
and heavy. Work the tongue scraper back to
front five to seven times, gently removing any
coating and rinsing the scraper after each round.
Tongue scraping is thought to effectively reduce
odor-causing bacteria. Follow up with brushing
and flossing.
efits, including softening the skin, nourishing the
body, increasing circulation and strengthening
the immune system. Sesame oil is heating, which
makes it a good choice for cooler kapha and vata
types. If you tend to run on the warmer (pitta)
side, try coconut oil. Once you have oiled up, step
into a warm shower to open your pores and al-
low the oil to work more of its magic.
get moving. The body is at its strongest
between 6:00 and 10:00 am, so make this your
time to move! boost your metabolism and shed
any sluggishness that accumulated during the
night. go for a brisk walk, do 12 Sun Salutations,
dance to James brown—whatever lights you up.
Even if you only have five minutes, get your heart
rate pumping and notice how this affects the
entire body.
Sound like a lot to take on? Change can be
overwhelming, so incorporate these new habits
slowly. Choose one item on the list, and add
another after a few weeks. Along the way, notice
how your mind and body react to your new routine.
before long, you might find that you’re more
of a morning person than you ever imagined
you could be—and odds are, you’ll find the rest
of your day transforming for the better as well,
thanks to the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda.
Building an
drink a mug of Warm lemon
Water. First thing in the morning, boil some
water and add a squeeze of fresh organic lemon.
Drinking warm water in the morning provides
a gentle flush for the whole system while also
stimulating peristalsis. This beverage is purifying to
both the stomach and liver, which in turn stimulates
the gall bladder and lymphatic system.
try a neti pot With nasya oil.
Irrigate your nasal passages using a saline
solution and neti pot. This helps to clean the
sinuses of any dirt, pollen or other allergens.
Afterward, apply nasya oil or sesame oil (a drop
in each nostril) to help lubricate and protect the
inside of your nose. If you skip this step, you
might find that the saline solution is too drying.
Nasya oil is also thought to soothe sinus infections
and relieve tension in the head.
splash your eyes With cool
Water, or spritz With roseWater.
The eyes are governed by pitta dosha, which is
comprised of fire and water. You might notice
that your eyes get red or irritated at times; this
is due to excess heat. To keep the eyes cool and
refreshed, splash them with cool water or spritz
with pure rosewater.
invigorate your skin. Self-massage,
called abhyanga in Ayurveda, has numerous ben-
Kripalu Ayurveda
H
ayurvedic morning routine
7 easy s t e p s
Ayurvedic Morning Routine. Ayurvedic Morning Routine
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photo top right: Kerstin brachvogel