Dinacharya

Dinacharya (Sanskrit: दिनचर्या "daily-routine")is a concept in Ayurvedic medicine that looks at the cycles of nature and bases daily activities around these cycles. Ayurveda contends that routines help establish balance and that understanding daily cycles are useful for promoting health. Dinacharya says that each day two cycles of change occur, that correlate with the Ayurvedic concept of dosha. Routines covered by dinacharya include: waking time, elimination, hygiene, massage, exercise, bathing, meditation and prayer, meals, study, work, relaxation and sleeping.

Rising A healthy person must get up two hours before sunrise. This hour is considered auspicious as there is peace, freshness and happiness. 'Ozone', the dense form of oxygen, is present early in the morning in the atmosphere, hence we may benefit if we start our activities before sunrise. This time is called 'Brahma Muhurta'

1. Our first act is to think of god and to pray. We must adopt an attitude of thanks and joy for the wonderful universe and its blessings. One should try to carry this attitude of awareness into one's daily activities.
2. The peaceful atmosphere promotes concentration, hence any study done, in this Brahma muhurtha remains fresh in the memory.
3. Rising early also gives adequate time for routine activities, which in turn promotes relaxed mind a gateway to disease free, long life.
4. Wash the face with clean and fresh cool water. This removes dullness.
5. Water intake on an empty stomach is called 'Ushahpaan'. This is ideal because it facilitates the elimination of urine and stool in the morning. So toxins are cleared. Water has no side effects as tea and coffee have.
6. Early morning clearing of bowels is a must after taking water. Modern day busy and stressful living causes many people to suffer from lack of bowel movement in the morning. therefore after drinking a glass of water, do an exercise of moving stomach from one side to the other for eight times and back and forth for eight times. This helps the bowel movement.
7. Cleaning the teeth with a twig of neem, mango or babool tree is good as these have got medicinal qualities. When these are used as brush, the teeth and gums are protected from oral diseases. The tongue then is to be scraped with the twig, so that it's surface is cleaned. Teeth must be brushed before retiring at night also.
8. Morning walk in greenery is good as a way to get in the fresh air.

Exercise

• Yoga asanas, soorya namaskara or any deliberate physical activity, running and swimming are called exercises. Exercises lend strength ans stability to the body. Regular exercise helps improve digestion. It raises agni, keeps the channels unobstructed, expels the wastes of cell metabolism, and keeps the muscles supple.Almost every one will benefit from exercise; but the exercise must be suitable for the constitution. Too much exercise increases vata.
• Ayurveda says one should exercise to half of the capacity. For example, if after running for 30 minutes one is exhausted, then he should not run for more than 15 minutes, or the optimum amount exercise is when he begins to sweat.
• During summers, rains and autumns, the time limit of exercise should be further reduced as these are the seasons of vayu aggravation. To relieve tiredness, the body should be massaged very lightly after exercising.
• Exercising is very beneficial. It tones and strengthens every muscle and reduces fat accumulation. The sweating caused lightens and energises the body. The capacity of of work and bear pain increases and aggravated and spoilt doshas, especially kapha, are calmed down.
• Exercising more than the body's strength causes thirst, asthama, cough, fever etc. Excess exercise destroys the body, just like a tiger pulling an elephant gets killed.

References

1. Meaning of mudra mentioned in the above content is borrowed from wikipedia. [1]
2. The above mentioned information is added from the book called "MUDRAS & HEALTH PERSPECTIVES" by "SUMAN.K.CHIPLUNKAR".