Top 14 Ayurvedic Daily Self Care Practices For Well Being
Alexandra Sargent February 20, 2021
In sanskrit, the word dinacharya means to follow the knowledge of the day. What we do on a day to day basis has tremendous power. Our routines can either allow us to maintain a healthy body and mind, or if we don't have any we can let the day take us over; as we rush around, do too much, and neglect to take care of ourselves.
Self care practices keep us grounded, keep our doshas balanced, strengthen our digestive fire, and support our ojas, or our immunity.
Self care isn’t something to be seen as what we “should” do, rather they are practices that refuel us, connect us to nature and our higher self. When we dedicate time daily to nourish our body, mind and spirit we cultivate a deep respect and love for ourselves and ultimately for others.
Even though self care can vary from individual to individual- there are some general practices that can offer benefits for all.
1. Get Good Sleep ~ Nidra
Sleep deprivation takes a huge toll on our health. Exerting the mind and the body should naturally result in sleep. Imbalance from overexertion disturbs sleep. Over time, poor quality sleep lowers your vitality and well being. Depending on your dosha, your recommended amount of sleep can vary. But it is always recommended to go to bed by 10 pm: this will make it easier to fall asleep. Also try cutting off electronic usage an hour before you go to sleep to allow your nervous system to wind down.
Dosha sleep needs:
Vata- 6-7 hours
Pitta-7-8 hours
Kapha- 8-9 hours
NOTE: Naps and sleeping during the day is not recommended as it increases kapha and promotes dullness in the mind. The exception for this is pregnancy, illness, and excess heat during summertime.
2. Early Rising ~ Prataruithana
The dosha’s have an influence on the time of day, and because of this Ayurveda recommends rising before 6 am. When we sleep past 6, we may find that we feel heavier, and that it becomes more difficult to get out of bed and start the day. Eventually rising before 6 will also have you go to bed at an earlier time.
3. Easy, Healthy Morning Elimination ~ Mala visarjana
A bowel movement first thing in the morning allows us to release toxins or ama and is an indication that your digestive fire or Agni, is strong. If you depend on coffee or don’t eliminate until after you have eaten breakfast, this is an indication that your agni is compromised and that further diet and lifestyle recommendations are needed to strengthen it. Connect with me for more info if this applies.
5. Cleaning the Teeth ~Dantaghavana
We all learned to brush our teeth twice a day as children, and this is because when we disturb the bacteria under the gum every 12 hours we prevent the accumulation of material or infection.
Ayurveda recommends you gently press your toothbrush under the guns at a 45 degree angle, and go all the way around the inside and outside of your teeth, in addition to flossing. Then rinse the mouth and brush. At the end you can gently rub your gums with sesame oil for further benefits to your gums.
4. Oil Pulling ~ Gandusha snehan
Introducing the daily ritual of oil pulling is a lovely addition to brushing your teeth. The practice of oil swishing is to hold and swish sesame oil in the mouth for 5-10 minutes, then spit it out. Gently rinse the mouth after. Gandusha snehan is a rejuvenative for the gums and teeth, it wards off bad breath, prevents tooth decay, and is strengthening for the jaw.
*Make sure you wash it down the drain with hot water or spit it out in the trash.
5. Scraping The Tongue ~Jihva Nirlekhana
From an Ayurvedic perspective, tongue scraping should be performed on a daily basis. This ritual helps to stimulate the internal organs through energetic connections with the rest of the body, improve digestion by increasing your sense of taste, and cleanses the body by removing toxins and bacteria from your oral cavity. A copper, gold, or silver scraper is recommended. To scrape start at the back of the tongue going forward 7-10 strokes. The scraper may be rinsed off in between strokes if there is a lot of accumulation.
6. Nasal Wash ~ Jala Neti
Nasal wash is a practice in both Ayurveda and Yoga to cleanse the nasal passage and sinuses and enhance physical, mental, and spiritual health. This ritual cleans the hairs that filter the air you breathe, disinfects the nasal cavity, clears mucus blockages in the sinuses and stimulates the nerves connected to the sinuses, eyes, and brain. It is wonderful at preventing colds and flus and minimizes allergies and asthmatic symptoms. Done regularly, it decreases congestion and headache, improves energy levels, eases breathing, improves immunity, clears the mind, enhances mental function and memory and deepens the practice of pranayama and meditation.
Neti is practiced with warm, salted water. Dilute 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of mineral salt in your neti pot. Then tilt your head horizontal to the ground and insert the tip of the neti into each nostril and pour the mixture through. It will move through the nasal passage and come out the other nostril. For yogic purposes, it is best to do early in the morning before your pranayama practice. If you feel like you are getting sick, you could do this 2-3 times a day until you feel better.
7. Nasal Oil Drops ~ Snehan Nasya
Nasya is the nasal administration of a medicinal herbal oil, which usually has a sesame oil base. The daily application of nasya is a powerful ritual to incorporate after you use your neti pot in the morning. Nasya oil soothes the sinus membranes and contains herbs that promote mental functioning, mental clarity, nerve function, and the reduction of mucous. Nasya is nourishing and nurturing for all doshas, and especially vata. To use tilt your head back, apply 1 to 2 drops per nostril, gently sniff it up and then gently press the nostrils together. Nasya keeps the mucous membrane lubricated, reducing opportunity for viruses and allergies, as well as protecting the mucosal lining from environmental pollution.
8. Eye Salve ~Sauviranjana
Applying a drop of ghee in the corner of each eye in the morning acts as a cooling oil ritual to address the imbalances of pitta dosha. It is also wonderful for dry or fatigued eyes that look at screens all day. Once the drop of ghee is placed with a dropper in the corner of each eye, open and close the eyes a few times to spread the ghee around. Then keep the eyes closed for a few breaths to let them rest. This is a calming for vata and pitta dryness or inflammation of the eyes.
9. Sesame Oil In the Ear Canal ~ Karnapurna
The ears are open to the outer world and are affected by the elements every day. Administering warm herbal oil to the ears is an excellent way to support healthy ears. This simple daily practice supports the sense of hearing, cleanses and moisturizes the tissues of the ear, and helps balance all doshas, particularly vata. Lie on your side and fill the ear canal with an Ayurvedic ear oil or plain sesame oil. The oil will soften the wax and it might come out. If you have earaches you could leave the oil in the ears all night. You can do this ritual once a week, or put a couple drops of oil in the ears every morning.
10. Warm early morning Water ~ Usha Pana
Ayurveda commonly suggests having warm water first thing in the morning. The warm water serves to hydrate and remove excess toxins from our system. Adding lemon to your morning water has become very popular; but lemon juice increases pitta, and over long periods of use can wear away the enamel of your teeth. Having a plain cup of warm water in the morning still does the trick. Sit with it in hand as you watch the sunrise on another beautiful day.
12. Daily exercise ~ Vyayama
We all know that physical activity improves our moods, boosts our energy, helps ward off disease, and promotes better sleep. But often people can go to extremes with physical exercise: of either doing too much (overexertion is actually imbalancing for vata and pitta) or none at all (which imbalances kapha). Cultivating a short daily yoga asana which focuses on lengthening and strengthening the body offers tremendous benefits if we are consistent with it. Even just 10-15 minutes of practice every morning is great. The more you can take the pressure of yourself to do huge workouts, the more you will find you can fit short ones into your day. For example, taking a short stroll after eating a meal, called cankramana, aids digestion and contributes to overall good health.
In summary; yoga asana, hikes, and other activities which are paced for the individual and their body’s needs contribute to vibrant health.
13. Daily Self Oil Massage ~Abhyanga
The application of warm herbal oil to the body is one of the best practices for calming the doshas, and especially vata. Abhyanaga is a soothing and healing ritual that brings grounding and nourishment to the body and mind. It nourishing the mucous membranes and joint tissues and provides lubrication to the skin, which helps better protect the layers of tissues, or dhatus. Done regularly, this ritual will enhance circulation, calm the nervous system, reduce anxiety, spaciness and feeling overwhelmed, and it adds resilience to the muscles and slows the aging process. For instructions please see my article here.
14. Pranayama & Meditation
Breathing is living. The body breathes whether we are awake, asleep or exercising. The benefits of conscious breathing have been heavily studied and researched in modern times, but 5,000 years ago the ancient Seers knew the potency that lay within the breath. The word pranayama translates to the control of life force. Creating a breath work practice doesn’t mean they have to be advanced techniques. It can be as simple as bringing your attention to your breath three times a day. Breathing slowly and deeply has numerous health benefits from lowering blood pressure, reducing the risk of hypertension, relaxing the muscles, decreases stress, and increases overall mental and physical well being.
Ayurveda recommends meditation after your breathing practice. A daily practice of mantra or prayer and meditation cultivate the space for spiritual growth. Remember there is no right way or wrong way to meditate. What matters is that meditation helps reduce stress and provides a sense of overall well being. Even a short 5-10 minute practice can be profoundly beneficial.
If you are wanting to learn more about any of the above practices; as well as what daily rituals would be beneficial for your specific constitution and state of balance, please explore all of my consultation packages below.