- ग्रीष्म ऋतु में सुबह सूर्योदय से पहले उठ कर शौच क्रिया एवं स्नान से निवृत्त हो जाने से शरीर में अतिरिक्त उष्णता नहीं बढ़ पाती। कुछ महिलाएँ रसोई घर के काम से निवृत्त होकर दोपहर को स्नान करती हैं। इससे शरीर में उष्णता बढ़ती जाती है। ग्रीष्म ऋतु में ऐसा न करके सूर्योदय से पहले ही स्नान कर लें, फिर रसोई घर में काम करें।
- दिन में 1-1 गिलास करके बार-बार ठंडा पानी पीते रहना चाहिए। विशेषकर घर से बाहर निकलते समय एक गिलास ठंडा पानी, बिना प्यास के भी, पीकर ही बाहर निकलना चाहिए। इस उपाय से लू नहीं लगती। इसी तरह रात को 10 बजे के बाद जागना पड़े तो हर घण्टे 1-1 गिलास पानी तब तक पीते रहें जब तक सो न जाएँ। इस उपाय से वात और पित्त का प्रकोप नहीं होता।
- ग्रीष्म ऋतु में साठी के पुराने चावल, गेहूँ, दूध, मक्खन, गौघृत के सेवन से शरीर में शीतलता, स्फूर्ति तथा शक्ति आती है। सब्जियों में लौकी, गिल्की, परवल, नींबू, करेला, केले के फूल, चौलाई, हरी ककड़ी, हरा धनिया, पुदीना और फलों में तरबूज, खरबूजा, एक-दो-केले, नारियल, मौसमी, आम, सेब, अनार, अंगूर का सेवन लाभदायी है।
- इस ऋतु में दिन बड़े और रात्रियाँ छोटी होती हैं। अतः दोपहर के समय थोड़ा सा विश्राम करना चाहिए। इससे इस ऋतु में धूप के कारण होने वाले रोग उत्पन्न नहीं हो पाते।वात पैदा करने वाले आहार-विहार के कारण शरीर में वायु की वृद्धि होने लगती है।
- रात को देर तक जागना और सुबह देर तक सोये रहना त्याग दें। अधिक व्यायाम, अधिक परिश्रम, धूप में टहलना, अधिक उपवास, भूख-प्यास सहना ये सभी वर्जित हैं।
- इस ऋतु में मुलतानी मिट्टी से स्नान करना वरदान स्वरूप है। इससे जो लाभ होता है, साबुन से नहाने से उसका 1 प्रतिशत लाभ भी नहीं होता। जापानी लोग इसका खूब लाभ उठाते हैं। गर्मी को खींचने वाली, पित्तदोष का शमन करने वाली, रोमकूपों को खोलने वाली मुलतानी मिट्टी से स्नान करें और इसके लाभों का अनुभव करें।
- चन्दन का टिका , इसका लेप लाभकारी है.
-ग्रीष्म ऋतु में सूर्य अपनी किरणों द्वारा शरीर के द्रव तथा स्निग्ध अंश का शोषण करता है, जिससे दुर्बलता, अनुत्साह, थकान, बेचैनी आदि उपद्रव उत्पन्न होते हैं। उस समय शीघ्र बल प्राप्त करने के लिए मधुर, स्निग्ध, जलीय, शीत गुणयुक्त सुपाच्य पदार्थों की आवश्यकता होती है। इन दिनों में आहार कम लेकर बार-बार जल पीना हितकर है परंतु गर्मी से बचने के लिए बाजारू शीत पदार्थ एवं फलों के डिब्बाबंद रस हानिकारक हैं। उनसे लाभ की जगह हानि अधिक होती है। उनकी जगह नींबू का शरबत, आम का पना, जीरे की शिकंजी, ठंडाई, हरे नारियल का पानी, फलों का ताजा रस, दूध आदि शीतल, जलीय पदार्थों का सेवन करें। ग्रीष्म ऋतु में स्वाभाविक उत्पन्न होने वाली कमजोरी, बेचैनी आदि परेशानियों से बचने के लिए धनिया पंचक , ठंडाई ,गुलाब शरबत , बेल शरबत आदि ले .
- धनिया पंचकः धनिया, जीरा व सौंफ समभाग मिलाकर कूट लें। इस मिश्रण में दुगनी मात्रा में काली द्राक्ष व मिश्री मिलाकर रखें।
उपयोगः एक चम्मच मिश्रण 200 मि.ली. पानी में भिगोकर रख दें। दो घंटे बाद हाथ से मसलकर छान लें और सेवन करें। इससे आंतरिक गर्मी, हाथ-पैर के तलुवों तथा आँखों की जलन, मूत्रदाह, अम्लपित्त, पित्तजनित शिरःशूल आदि से राहत मिलती है। गुलकंद का उपयोग करने से भी आँखों की जलन, पित्त व गर्मी से रक्षा होती है।
- गुलाब शरबत- डेढ़ कि.ग्रा. चीनी में देशी गुलाब के 100 ग्राम फूल मसलकर शरबत बनाया जाय तो वह बाजारू शरबतों से पचासों गुना हितकारी है। सेक्रीन, रासायनिक रंगों और विज्ञापन से बाजारू शरबत महंगे हो जाते हैं। आप घर पर ही यह शरबत बनायें। यह आँखों व पैरो की जलन तथा गर्मी का शमन करता है। पीपल के पेड़ की डालियाँ, पत्ते, फल मिलें तो उन्हें भी काट-कूट के शरबत में उबाल लें। उनका शीतलतादायी गुण भी लाभकारी होगा
Dinacharya
The Daily Routine: The Rhythm of Daily Living
A daily routine is essential to bring radical change in body, mind, and consciousness.
It is an exceptionally simple way to energize and relax the mind & body.
How you live your life determines your health and your experience of life and either builds you up or wears you down. In Ayurveda, misuse of the senses is considered one of the main causes of disease and imbalance in the body/mind. In Ayurvedic terms it is called prajnaparadha. The daily routine, dinacharya, offers simple practices to sharpen our senses and bring clarity to the mind, so that we naturally gravitate toward desires that are life enhancing. Moment to moment awareness and skillful action puts us in harmony with nature’s rhythms and creates a foundation for living a deeply satisfying life.
Arise & Shine! Wake Up Early in the Morning
Wake up before the sun rises. There are peaceful (sattvic) qualities in nature that bring peace of mind and refine and awaken the senses. Early to bed and early to rise is not just an empty saying—getting to bed earlier can improve the quality of your sleep and give your body the extra rest you need to perform your best. Research shows that Americans are chronically sleep-deprived—getting 25% less sleep than they did 100 years ago—and sleep-deprivation depletes brain reserves and increases the stress response.
* While you are still in bed say a prayer, think about something you are grateful for, affirm the possibilities that lie before you (sankalpa), absolutely anything may happen on any given day!
Drink Water in the Morning
.First thing in the morning drink a big glass of warm water with a squirt of fresh lemon juice and a spoonful of raw honey. This helps you have a regular morning bowel movement and flushes out toxins. You’ll be amazed at how vital and energetic you’ll feel once your digestion and elimination are back on track.
Freshen Up! Clean the Face, Mouth, and Eyes to Awaken the Senses
Splash your face with cold water and rinse out your mouth. The senses are how we take in information from the world around us. Sharpen and refine the senses to bring greater clarity to your perceptions and your experience of life.
Wash your eyes with cool water (or one of the eye washes mentioned below) and massage the eyelids by gently rubbing them. Blink your eyes 7 times and rotate your eyes in all directions.
Tridoshic eyewash: try triphala eyewash -¼ tsp. in 1 cup water, boil for 10 minutes, cool and strain.
Pitta eyewash: use cool water or rose water from organic rose petals – most commercial rose water has chemicals in it that will sting the eyes.
Kapha eyewash: try diluted cranberry juice, 3-5 drops in a teaspoon of distilled water.
Clean your Teeth
Always use a soft toothbrush and toothpaste or powder that is astringent (to strengthen the gums), pungent (to stimulate blood flow to the gums), and bitter (to kill bacteria).
I have reversed the condition of receding gums and avoided surgery simply by switching to an ayurvedic toothpaste. A few well-known brands that are relatively easy to find are Auromere and Vicco.
Gently scrap the tongue from back to front 10-12x using a tongue scrapper or a metal spoon. This removes bacteria from the mouth and stimulates the digestive system. The tongue is the mirror of the intestines. When there is a white coating on the tongue that indicates toxins (ama) in the digestive system. If you wake up with a thick white coating on the tongue and bad breath skip breakfast. The body is still processing yesterday’s food.
Gargling
To strengthen teeth, gums, and jaw, improve the voice and remove wrinkles from cheeks, gargle twice a day with warm sesame oil. Hold the oil in your mouth, swish it around vigorously, then spit it out and gently massage the gums with a finger.
Poophoria!
Sit, or better squat, on the toilet and have a bowel movement. Improper digestion of the previous night’s meal or lack of sound sleep can prevent this. Drinking warm water, followed by sitting on the toilet at a set time each day, helps to regulate bowel movements. Bowel movements are a great self-diagnostic tool. A healthy bowel movement is well-formed, shaped like a banana, floats, and has little to no odor. Look for undigested food, unformed or loose stools, mucus or blood, excessive dryness and a ‘BM” that sinks to determine the quality of your digestion. Herbal remedies and dietary changes will help restore your digestive fire.
Nasal Drops:
Putting 3 to 5 drops of warm ghee or oil into each nostril in the morning helps to lubricate the nose, clean the sinuses, and improve the voice, vision, and mental clarity. Our nose is the door to the brain; nose drops nourish prana and enhance intelligence.
Apply Oil to the Head & Body
Massage is an excellent way to detoxify and nourish the tissues in the body. The rubbing and stroking actions dislodge accumulated toxins, which then move out of the body through the digestive system. Gentle daily oil massage promotes healthy aging, improves circulation, calms the nervous system, increases vitality, strengthens vision, prevents dehydration, nourishes the skin, stimulates the immune system, remedies insomnia, and restores balance in the body/mind. Massage oils are an ancient and effective medium for delivering plant medicine. Be thorough and don’t forget the bottoms of your feet, ears and hands. Let the oil soak in for approximately 20 minutes before taking a hot shower or bath.
Get Moving!
Exercise restores and rejuvenates the body/mind and alleviates stress and fatigue.
Take advantage of the abhyanga massage oil’s absorption time (20 minutes) with exercise. The heat you generate through movement will help the oils penetrate more efficiently & effectively.
Regular exercise, especially yoga, improves circulation, strength, and endurance. It helps one relax and have sound sleep, and improves digestion and elimination.
Exercise daily to half of your capacity, which is until sweat forms on the forehead, armpits, and spine. Do warming yoga postures like sun salutations, take a brisk walk.
Bathing, yes, everyday!
Bathing is cleansing and refreshing. It removes sweat, dirt, and fatigue, brings energy to the body and clarity to the mind. Cleanse with a gentle soap, without chemicals.
Perfumes & Aromatherapy. Smell good, feel good.
Essential oils can be used therapeutically for mental/emotional/physical well-being or for the sheer sensual delight offered by our plant allies.
For Vata Imbalance: Use earthy, calming & warming oils: vetiver, saffron, ginger, spikenard, bergamont
For Pitta Imbalance: Use calming & cooling oils: lavender, sandalwood, jasmine, rose
For Kapha Imbalance: Use warming & stimulating oils: cinnamon, orange, grapefruit, ginger, cedar, and sage
Breath=Life
The breath, called prana, is a powerful tool for health and well-being. It is a conduit that unifies the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual bodies. Make part of your daily practicepranayama breathing exercises like kaphalabati (breath of fire), bastrika (bellows) breath oranuloma viloma (alternate nostril breathing). Poor oxygen in the body’s cells gives rise to muscle aches, poor digestion, dizziness, depression, irrational behavior, weakness, irritability, memory loss, circulation problems and stomach acidity.
Basic Nadi Shodana
Facing east or north, sit comfortably on the floor in a crossed-legged position, or upright on the edge of a chair with your feet flat on the floor Gently exhale all air. Close the right nostril with the right thumb and inhale slowly and deeply into the belly through the left nostril. Close the left nostril with the ring finger, release the thumb, and slowly exhale through the right nostril. At the end of the exhalation, inhale through the right nostril, then close it with the thumb and exhale through the left nostril. This makes one round.
Begin with 10 rounds and gradually increase to 40.
Don’t just do something, sit there!
Meditate at sunrise and sunset for at least 15 minutes. Meditate to relieve stress, meditate for clarity of mind, meditate for your health & well-being, meditate to bring balance and peace into your life! There are numerous techniques. A couple of the more common techniques are focusing on the breath or repeating a mantra.
Conscious Breathing is a basic yet profound concentration practice. Simply bring your attention to the sensation of the breath as it enters and leaves your nostrils. Keep your awareness on the duration of each breath, and when the mind wanders from the breath, just notice that and bring your attention back to the sensations of the breath. If the mind seems very distracted, you may find it helpful to label each breath “in” or “out” and each thought “thinking.” Try not to control your breath or visualize it; simply note the sensation just as you feel it.
Eat Breakfast! Eat Lunch! Eat Dinner!
Eat when you eat. Most often people realize they have finished their meal because their plate has no food left on it. Eat with mindfulness, intention (to nourish the body) and gratitude. Follow guidelines to bring balance to your body. Your meal should be light in the hot months or if your digestive fire (agni) is low, and eat more substantial meals when the weather is cool. Chew your food to stimulate your digestive juices. Remember, everything you ingest becomes part of you. Choose foods that will nourish and rejuvenate your body.
Go With the Flow ~ Ideal Daily Schedule
Wake up 6 AM
Breakfast 7-8 AM
Lunch 12 -1 PM
Supper 6 -7 PM
Sleep 9:30-10 PM
Ritucharya, The Seasonal Routine
Stay Cool This Summer
Summer is dominated by the fire element, related to the Pitta dosha in Ayurveda. As one might expect, the body and mind have a tendency to get overheated during the summer months. This is a wonderful illustration of a foundational principle in Ayurveda, ‘Like increases like and opposites create balance.’ Ayurveda provides us with simple and effective practices for keeping the fire stoked without letting it blaze out of control.
General guidelines for keeping cool & balancing Pitta
- Emphasize foods that are cool, dry and heavy
- Eat cooling herbs & spices like fennel, mint, coriander, cilantro, turmeric cumin, dill, parsley, chrysanthemum, peppermint, dandelion, burdock, aloe vera juice
- Avoid heating spices like cayenne, garlic, horseradish, chilies, basil and pepper
- Emphasize sweet, bitter and astringent tastes.
- Limit salty, pungent and sour foods
- Avoid caffeine, alcohol and refined sugar
- Use sweet, cooling and calming essential oils like jasmine, lotus, rose, lavender
- Spray the face with rose water or rose hydrosol.
- Massage body with cooling coconut oil
- Spend time in cool peaceful environments. Enjoy time in nature, moonlit walks, go for a swim
Your Yoga Practice should be done at a moderate place. Inversions increase pitta and should be avoided during the hot summer months. Spinal twists help release excess fire and toxins from the digestive system.
Keep Warm During Autumn And Winter
In Fall the air element is dominant. In Ayurveda we call this the Vata time of year. Imagine a windy autumn day. The air is dry, cool and moving. Vata, like the wind, cannot be sensed directly. Its expression is more subtle. We experience Vata by the way it colors our physical, mental and emotional experience. As these qualities in nature increase during the fall and winter seasons these qualities in our nature increase as well.
How you care for yourself during the autumn will determine your body’s ability to maintain health through the winter. Ground yourself by supporting sensitive vata dosha with Ayurveda’s ancient wisdom. Now is time to keep warm, nourish yourself and protect your vitality in preparation for the months ahead.
Follow General guidelines for balancing Vata
• Stoke your (Agni) digestive fire. If you have any symptoms like gas, bloating, heaviness, or burning, try drinking a tea made from equal parts of cumin, coriander, and fennel seeds or make fresh ginger tea. (See the recipe page for detailed instruction.Sip the warm tea throughout the day. Medicated waters are as simple as that, just add fire and water!
• Give yourself an oil massage every morning before your shower. The heat of the shower will open the pores, helping the skin to absorb the oil. This will not only help the skin but will also help to ground the air energy in the body and mind that is making you feel anxious and interfering with sleep. Scroll up the page for ‘how to do an abhyanga massage’
• Do a short cleanse. Try a mono-diet of spiced mug dal soup and rice for three days while at the same time eliminating dairy, meat, refined flour products, sugar, caffeine, and alcohol. Include a mild herbal laxative, exercise and take a hot bath with ginger to facilitate the cleansing
• Go to bed between 9:30 and 10pm. Get sufficient rest. Adequate rest is the number one remedy for increasing the immune power of the body.
Your Yoga practice:
Focus on the breath keeping it deep, slow and rhythmic
Emphasize the inhalation
Practice asanas that are grounding, stabilizing and strengthening to pacify Vata:
Standing poses like Virabhadasana 1and 3 (Warrior 1and 3),Vrksasana (Tree Pose), and Utkatasana(chair pose) practiced with an awareness of the feet on the ground and the strength and weight of the leg muscles and bones.
Calming poses like balasana (child pose), savasana (corpse pose), uttanasana (forward bend), and pashchimottanasana (full forward bend) calm the nervous system.
Pawanmuktasana, the wind relieving or knees-to-chest pose helps to expel air collected in the colon, aid constipation, relieve tension in the lower back, tone the spine and massage the stomach and intestines.
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