Skip to main content

Morning routine that can change your days

Not an early bird? That doesn't mean your mornings can't change for the better. 

I want to share this morning routine described by World-renowned ayurvedic physician Vasant Lad, BAMS, MASc.


Do you hide under the covers when the sun comes up? Not to worry. With a few tweaks in your routine, you can transform your morning into the most nourishing, energizing part of your day. Try the seven simple rituals below for two weeks and see if ayurveda's promises come true for you. According to the vaidyas (healers), these techniques will cleanse your body of toxins, balance your doshas, and infuse you with joy, peace, and strength…so that as dawn turns into day, you'll be more prepared to face whatever comes your way.

Wake Up Before Sunrise

According to ayurveda, pure, tranquil, sattvic qualities dominate the atmosphere during the pre-dawn hours. That's why yogis tend to meditate between 3am and 6am  when it's easiest to attain peace of mind. Although that's probably too extreme for your schedule, try waking up about 20 minutes before sunrise and notice how alert you feel.

Say a Prayer

Before your feet touch the earth, say a prayer. Spontaneous or traditional, it should connect you to the Divine. If you'd like, you can try this prayer, translated from the Vedic scriptures:
Dear God, you are inside of me, within my every breath, within each bird, each flower, each mighty mountain.Your sweet touch reaches everything and I am well protected. Thank you, God, for this beautiful day before me. May joy, love, peace, and compassion be part of my life and all those around me on this day.
After praying, touch the ground (or floor) with your right hand as you step out of bed, then touch your hand to your forehead, remembering your love and respect for Mother Earth.

Rehydrate and Cleanse

With cool water, gently splash your face and eyes. Gently massage your eyelids, then blink your eyes seven times and rotate them in all directions (side to side, up and down, diagonally, clockwise, and counterclockwise) to foster alertness.

Next, drink a glass of room temperature water—ideally, from a pure copper cup filled the night before. The slightly bitter taste of this water kindles agni (gastric fire), flushes the kidneys and gastrointestinal tract, and stimulates peristalsis, which will encourage a healthy bowel movement.
Brush your teeth with ayurvedic toothpaste, then scrape your tongue with a stainless steel tongue scraper from back to front 7 to 10 times to remove ama (dead bacteria and toxins) and improve digestion.
Indulge in a five-minute gentle body massage, using warm (not hot!) organic oils to pacify your dominant dosha.
For vata: sesame oil
For pitta: sunflower oil
For kapha: corn oil.
Then take a shower and scrub your skin with natural soap.
Dab one drop of essential oil on your temples, nipples, and belly button. Then put your finger at the spot where your earlobe meets your jaw. Trace the line of your jaw downward just until it curves toward your chin. At the bottom of that curve, apply another drop of oil. Applying attars (oils) at these areas, where prana (life-force) is pulsating, will give you the aura of a saint.
For vata: tulsi or vacha oil;
For pitta: khus, sandalwood, or jasmine;
For kapha: amber or hina.

Move!

Walking in the fresh, early-morning air is the best way to get your mind and body in sync with the morning. Then loosen up with one of these quick hatha yoga routines.
For vata: do 12 slow, meditative sun salutations followed by three rounds of nadi shodhanam (alternate nostril breathing) or ujjayi pranayama.
For pitta: do 16 moderately fast sun salutations followed by three minutes of sitali (the cooling breath) or sitkari(the hissing breath).
For kapha: do 12 vigorous, rapid sun salutations followed by five minutes of bhastrika (bellows breath) or kapalabhati.

Meditate


Wind down with a systematic relaxation in shavasana (corpse pose) and at least five minutes of meditation.  Try this meditation http://spirithealers.blogspot.com/2013/06/kundalini-meditation-that-creates-great.html
Following this morning routine regularly will bring harmony, happiness, and perfect health into your life.

-->
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Home Remedies For Warts

Warts are small benign growths on the skin, caused by a variety of related, slow-acting viruses HPV (human papilloma virus). There are at least sixty known types of HPV. Warts may appear singly or in clusters. We will talk about three types of warts: Common warts, Plantar warts, and genital warts. Common warts can be found anywhere on the body, but are most common on the hands, fingers elbows, forearms, knees, face, and the skin around the nails. Most often, they occur on skin that is expose to constant friction, trauma, or abrasion. They can also occur on the larynx (the voice box) and cause hoarseness. Common warts may be flat or raised , dry or moist, and have a rough and pitted surface that is either the same color as or slightly darker than the surrounding skin. They can be as small as a pinhead or as large as small bean. Highly contagious, the virus that causes common warts is acquired through breaks in the skin.   Common warts can spread if they picked, trimm...
276 comments
Read more

Zhan Zhuang - Foundation of Internal Martial Arts

I found another good article on my favorite topic. Zhan Zhuang  - foundation of Internal Martial Arts by Karel Koskuba Most Internal Martial Arts use some form of standing practice as foundation training (and  Taijiquan  is no exception in this regard).  These standing exercises are usually called  Zhan Zhuang   (pole standing); sometimes they are called  'Standing Qigong'.   The  standing exercises  are supposed to relax and help you   'accumulate Qi'.  I n this article I shall try to outline my theory that should explain, from western perspective, why these exercises are so important both for Internal Martial Arts and Qigong , how this western view correlates with the traditional  Qi   view and give training advice on how to practice them. In writing this article I have drawn upon my experience from Taijiquan, Yiquan and information from medical postural rehabilitation research and sport...
21 comments
Read more

Qigong for Strengthening the Kidneys

In  Chinese Medicine,  as in reality, there is no way to separate the mind and the body.   The most pronounced emotion related to Kidney Deficiency is fear . This type of imbalance would be marked with unfounded fear and anxiety during everyday life rather than fear relating to true danger.  Unchecked, it can manifest as infertility, sexual dysfunction , menopause,  prostate  problems, i mpaired immunity, chronic inflammation, high blood pressure, heart irregularities and  anxiety. Adrenal glands sit on top of the kidneys and produce adrenaline that participates in the body’s fight/flight/freeze response and cortisol that stimulates stress. Long-term adrenaline and cortisol over production, partly brought on by chronic fear , can lead to adrenal burnout and chronic fatigue. The kidney meridian  st arts at the underside center of the foot. It moves to the inside of the foot and circles the ankle. Then it moves up the insi...
38 comments
Read more