Below are some Major general practices for Healthy Living according to Ayurveda,

1. Rise and shine! It’s time to get up and start your day.

ब्राह्मे मुहूर्त उत्तिष्ठेत्स्वस्थो रक्षार्थमायुषः

Brahma Muhurta: The Hour of Divinity. 

Wake up the hour before sunrise, that is around 5 – 6 am. Ayurveda believes that to be a great start for the day & a healthy routine. This might be also because of certain health habits Ayurveda advises to follow in the morning which needs time. This pre-dawn time is when the Vata dosha is dominant, and the energy present in the environment will make it easy for you to wake up.

Many scientific researches have been carried out to determine the biological changes happening in the body during Brahma muhurta. Considering the beneficial effects, every study concluded it as the best time to begin a day. The Oxygen levels in the atmosphere during these early hours are around 41% which is very much favorable to the lungs. Practicing breath techniques during this time thus comes with its own benefits, with the purest air flowing in and out of the system. Plan and start your day with Happiness.

2. Do Brush and Oil Pulling for Oral Hygiene

अर्कन्यग्रोधखदिरकरञ्जककुभादिजम्

Tooth brushing is one of the essential routines of Ayurveda daily practices. Traditionally it has been advocated with a soft twig of medicinal plants such as arka (calotropis procera), nyagrodha / vata (ficus benghalensis), khadira (acacia catechu), karanja (pongamia pinnata), kakubha (terminalia arjuna), etc. with or without herbal tooth powder. There are so many medicinal plants have been described in this context.

ततो नावनगण्डूषधूमताम्बूलभाग्भवेत्

Oil pulling is referred to in Ayurvedic texts as kavala or gundusha, and it claims such health benefits as improving oral flora, preventing tooth decay, alleviating bad breath, and strengthening the tissue of teeth and gums. It is also an important aspect of Ayurveda daily routine. In addition to brushing your teeth, flossing, and scraping your tongue, oil pulling with sesame oil, coconut oil, or one of our specially formulated Daily Swish oils is a safe and effective bonus to a healthy oral hygiene routine.

Oral hygiene products are so much advanced and globalized nowadays. There are so many types of toothbrushes; dentifrices, dental floss, tongue scrapers, mouthwashes, oral irrigators, etc. are available along with specifications. Contemporary oral hygiene products esp. dentifrices are chemically rich and have their side effects. No doubt these products have their advantages like easy availability and adjustability according to current lifestyle. But their safety is questionable on long-term use. Herbal products have additional benefits: they are natural, easily adjustable, and acceptable with body physiology.

3. Drink Warm Water / Warm Herbal Teas

Drinking a glass of warm water / Herbal tea is the perfect way to jumpstart your day. Ingesting this prior to any other beverage is recommended in order to initiate Agni, or digestion, and prepare the body for elimination (bowel movement). It is found that drinking warm water/Herbal Teas on an empty stomach increases the body’s metabolic rate.

Herbal Teas that are Caffeine free, anti-inflammatory, rich in antioxidants, and help to alkalize the body. so this dinacharya practice helps to keep the immune system healthy and free from infection. Lastly, Herbal Teas flush out the liver, detoxify the entire body, and can improve skin tone and complexion.

4. Have a bowel movement

शरीरचिन्तां निर्वर्त्य कृतशौचविधिस्ततः

Ayurveda views elimination as an important indicator of overall health because healthy elimination generally points to strong Agni (digestive fire), which is one of the cornerstones of well-being and longevity. It is one of the most important Ayurveda Daily Routine.

Ayurveda recognizes that the digestive tract is the very first place where imbalances arise in the body. This being the case, our stools tend to offer very early warning signs that something is amiss physiologically, even if the imbalance is fairly minor at first. If an emerging imbalance is not properly addressed, it will either take root in the digestive tract (as a more serious condition) or spread to other tissues and create disturbances there. If, on the other hand, we can learn to understand and respond to the early indications of discord, our bodies have a remarkable ability to self-correct and heal. 

5. Do Exercise / Yoga & Breathing Exercise / Pranayama

लाघवं कर्मसामर्थ्यं दीप्तोऽग्नि: मेदस: क्षय:  विभक्तघनगात्रत्वं व्यायामात् उपजायते

Ayurveda places a critical emphasis on exercise and moving your body, through the day. According to the Ayurvedic concept of dinacharya or daily wellness regime, an individual must dedicate time every day to exercise. This aspect is intricately woven into the classical Ayurvedic texts. Though, Ayurveda does not specify a detailed exercise regimen for individuals. It merely gives recommendations with emphasis on the individual’s capacity. There is immense respect for individuality in this ancient science.

Ayurveda understands that exercise is of two kinds – Shakha Vyayam & Koshtha Vyayam. Yogic postures, Pranayam (the exercise of breath) are considered as koshtha Pranayam has an edge over the Shakha vyayam (gym workout, athletics, marathon, sports) as they are beneficial in regulating body physiology and reversing pathology in many conditions.

For any pathology, Vayu or Prana or Vata is a crucial player that let’s manifest a disease involving other factors including bodily constituents. Koshtha Vyayam is the kind of exercise that helps regulate the Prana (or Vayu or Vata) which is the root cause most of pathological events. That is the reason why Yoga proves to be beneficial in most diseases when done in a proper manner.

6. Perform Abhyanga- The Art Of Ayurvedic Self Massage

अभ्यङ्गं आचरेत् नित्यं, स जरा श्रमवातहा । दृष्टिप्रसाद पुष्टि आयु:स्वप्नसुत्वक्त्वदार्ढ्यकृत् ॥

शिर: श्रवणपादेषु तं विशेषेण शीलयेत् । वर्ज्योऽभ्यङ्ग: कफग्रस्तकृतसंशुद्धि अजीर्णिभि: ॥

Ayurvedic oil massage does not always mean a professional Ayurvedic oil massage. Abhyanga is the Ayurvedic term for self-massage with Ayurveda massage oil. It is a way in which one can spend a few minutes every day using oils to nourish and enhance one’s health. A daily Abhyanga practice restores the balance of the doshas and enhances well-being and longevity

The tradition of applying oil over one’s body and then massaging it in is a good way to show self-love. It makes one feel better both emotionally and physically. A simple massage can improve circulation and relieve toxic buildup. When time permits one can massage the entire body for 15 minutes. When time is short it can be confined to selected parts of the body.

7.Bathe – Ayurveda Daily Routine

दीपनं वृष्यमायुष्यं स्नानं ऊर्जाबलप्रदम् 

कण्डूमलश्रमस्वेदतन्द्रातृड्दाहपाप्मजित्

Finally, it’s time to slip into the shower! A dinacharya that we are all already familiar with. This morning ritual needs no explanation, as cleansing the body is a universal practice; however, we can share some Ayurvedic tips on how to get the most out of your morning shower.

Rather than use a regualr soap bar or liquid soap, which strip away the skin’s protectant sebum, Ayurveda recommends gently exfoliating the body with an all natural loofah and salt or sugar scrub. Herbal Cold pressed Soaps to have additional benefits over it that those are natural and easily adjustable and acceptable with body physiology. Since you already have oil on the skin from your morning self-abhyanga, any of the exfoliating tools mentioned will work well with the residual oil to simultaneously cleanse and nourish.

8. Look Your Best – Ayurveda Daily Routine

स्नानशीलः सुसुरभिः सुवेषो अनुल्बणोज्ज्वलः

धारयेत्सततं रत्नसिद्धमन्त्रमहौषधीः

If there is something that the whole world is equally crazy about, it would be the changing trends in clothing. If you think our ancestors had only limited knowledge regarding this, you may be surprised at the detailing given in Ayurveda classics. Vastradharana and Anulepana were considered as the post-operative procedures of snana.

Anulepana is the smearing of the paste of aromatic herbs like Chandana (sandalwood), Agaru (Aquillaria agallocha), Kesar (saffron), etc., all over the body. This process may be correlated to applying perfumes and deodorants of modern times, just that they are sprayed instead of daubing. it is explained that the application of the pastes of aromatic herbs after bath gives mental pleasure and brings Ojas and strength to the body. Pure organic pastes of such aromatic herbs are presently available in the market. So instead of using those skin irritating perfumes and deodorants, once in a while, try using such natural products and experience the goodness of Ayurveda.

Vastradharana is the process of wearing fresh, clean clothes after taking a bath, which essentially means it should not be the same cloth worn before bath. Once worn, the clothing will be drenched in sweat, dirt and is unhygienic in all aspects. Clean clothes are pleasant to the mind and the body. The cloth fabric and colors should be selected according to the seasons. It should be comfortable, neither too loose nor too tight. Tight clothing interferes with normal blood circulation and hence should be discouraged. Make it a point not to wear unwashed clothes as they are the abode of bacteria. Clothing reflects your personality all the time. Wear it confidently. 

9. Fuel Your Body 

जीर्णे हितं मितं चाद्यात् न वेगानीरयेत् बलात्  न वेगितो अन्यकार्य: स्यात् न अजित्वा साध्यं आमयम्

One should always eat, only after digestion of previous food in limited quantity. One should not induce natural urges forcefully. One should immediately attend to natural urges, whenever they come, without being busy with other activities.

Aahara is the most important Ayurveda Daily routine and Here is an Ayurvedic recommendation for meals: Ideally 2 Meals a day are sufficient for a Healthy person. Eat 1st Meal well and eat Dinner sparingly. Ayurveda tells us between 10 am – 2 pm in the morning pitta dosha is strong. MOST IDEALLY STRONG digestive Agni occurs at noon, in the daytime. So we should schedule lunchtime for the heaviest meal, as close to noon as possible. At this time, if we eat the right ahara for our Prakriti, there is the greatest chance for this food to be well-digested and properly absorbed with high nutrient retention inside the body. Dinner should be taken around 7 – 7:30 PM

Ayurveda tells us that ideally all meals should be freshly made and hot. However, because both our breakfast and dinner are eaten during a Kapha surge, please eat food that is freshly cooked and hot. At these meals, the body’s ability to digest stale meals is impaired. Stale meals are heavier according to Ayurveda. So they are more difficult to break down and can quickly aggravate Kapha. Ensure you add a small amount of high-quality, healthy fats into every meal for enhancing digestion.

Avoid difficult-to-digest food like raw food, highly complex cereals, and heavy lentils like rajma and channa for dinner. You can eat them in very small quantities occasionally at breakfast, only if the digestive fire is good and the activity level is high.

10. Relax and take a light Walk post meals

The Ayurvedic take on eating habits encourages us to relax and enjoy meals, which can take a half hour or so. Directly after a meal, it’s good to sit and relax, or even lie down on your left side for 10 to15 minutes. Then, 15 to 30 minutes after eating, go for a walk. Studies also say that the longer the walk, the better—but 15 to 30 minutes is enough to provide significant cardiovascular protection. Please don’t let anything that stops you from enjoying a post-meal walk—just do it!

11. Meditate

According to Ayurveda, Many illness can be treated by creating awareness among yourself, maintaining a balance, and controlling your mind. Meditation can achieve this. Through Meditation, the mind can be freed from all kinds of ill thoughts, and the mind can be refreshed. This whole process will help in balancing the body and decrease your stress levels and increase your circulation of blood. Meditation is one of the practices prescribed by Ayurvedic physicians to provide peace and calmness to the mind. Making Meditation a part of your lifestyle will help keep you fit and healthy.

12. Unwind Your Mind, Body & Soul

Sleep is considered to be one of the most important pillars of life. Sleep is essential to ensure good health and well-being. Good quality sleep rejuvenates the mind and body, while enabling effective functioning. It is also regarded as one of the most powerful tools to combat minor diseases and imbalances.

An important function of sleep is enhancement of Ojas or energy – the master coordinator between mind, body, and soul. Ojas, being the fine product of digestion and a life-supporting element, help to insulate the mind from daily stress and exertion. Make sure you eat your last meal of the day 2-3 hours before Sleep.

According to Ayurveda, the correct quality and quantity of sleep are necessary in disconnecting a tired mind from the senses. Partial disconnection of the mind can hamper sleep quality. Pervasive sleep deprivation is a well-known cause of bodily dysfunctions, such as obesity, high blood pressure, and frequent infections. Although people have enough knowledge about the importance of a good diet and exercise, however, they tend to ignore the importance of sleep, which can have drastic consequences on health.

Your mind, body, and physical environment are the three cornerstones that ensure sufficient, good-quality sleep.