Living in alignment with nature’s rhythms and cycles is key to cultivating inner balance, robust health and optimizing every area of your life.

There is a natural ebb and flow within the natural world, including within your own body and mind.

According to Ayurveda, the three bio-energies, Vata, Pitta and Kapha are natural forces that govern the rhythms of life at large as well as your own biological life.

Each bio-energy or Dosha, is activated at different parts of the day making certain activities more natural, easy and effective at particular times of the day.

By understanding these forces, you can tune into the inherent rhythms of nature, and make informed choices to help steer your life towards health, harmony and happiness.

WHICH DOSHA IS ACTIVE AT WHAT TIME OF THE DAY?

According to Ayurveda, each four-hour time period is dominated by one of the three bio-energies and thus influenced by the qualities of that Dosha.

These time periods are known as Vata Kala, Pitta Kala and Kapha Kala.

They are each activated twice-daily – once from dawn to dusk and then repeat again once from dusk to dawn.

In other words, there’s a Vata, Pitta and Kapha time of day and a Vata, Pitta and Kapha time of night.

The following Doshas govern the following times of the day and activate the unique energies of that Dosha:

  • 6:00am – 10:00am = Kapha Kala
  • 10:00am – 2:00pm = Pitta Kala
  • 2:00pm – 6:00pm = Vata Kala

And then they repeat again through the night:

  • 6:00pm – 10:00pm = Kapha Kala
  • 10:00pm – 2:00am = Pitta Kala
  • 2:00am – 6:00am = Vata Kala

Note: These exact times of each Kala can vary based on the season you’re in and the sunrise/sunset times of your specific location.

You can support your biological rhythm and optimize all realms of your life by aligning your daily activities such as when you wake up, exercise, work, eat and sleep to nature’s rhythms.

THE AYURVEDIC DAILY ROUTINE

The Ayurvedic daily routine known as Dinacharya is a powerful step to bring radical change in body, mind, and consciousness.

  • Dina = Day
  • Charya = routine/regimen

The optimal times for all daily activities such as self-care, exercise, meals, work, communication, play, sleep and more are all outlined through the daily Ayurvedic routine.

The various self-care practices help to establish balance in our constitution, help prevent disease and keep the channels of the body clear.

Living our daily life in alignment with nature’s rhythms regularizes our biological clock and in turn supports all body systems from digestion to hormones to stress levels and beyond.

DAILY HABITS TO ALIGN YOUR DAY WITH NATURE AND OPTIMIZE YOUR LIFE

  1. Wake up early (Brahma Muhurta)

    Waking up during Vata Kala by or before 6 am is considered the optimal time to awaken as the energetic qualities of nature and in the body reflect those of Vata– light, clear, energetic and expansive.

    Hitting the snooze button and sleeping into Kapha Kala, after the sun rises, we may find it harder to get up and rolling and bring the energetic qualities of Kapha with us into the day making us feel groggy, heavy, lethargic, slow and dull.

    Early rising gives us a clear, fresh start and an energized start to the day!
  2. Morning self-care and exercise practices (Dinacharya)

    Kapha Kala (between 6-10 am,) is a great time to nurture, nourish and cleanse the body.

    This time of day is also considered the most ideal time for exercise to counteract some of the dull, heavy Kapha energy from sleep and to energize the body and mind for the day.

    Daily Ayurvedic self-care practices such as tongue scraping, oil pulling, dry body brushing, self-oil massage, a daily yoga practice etc are a great place to start!
  3. Eat a light, simple breakfast

    During Kapha Kala, our digestive power tends to be more sluggish and slow.

    Eating a light, easy to digest and generally well-spiced breakfast gives us the energy we need to start the day without overwhelming the digestive system too early in the day.

    Fresh ginger tea is a great way to kindle digestion during the morning to keep us feeling light, fresh and clear all day!
  4. Enjoy your largest meal at midday

    When the sun is at its peak in the day around noon, our body’s inner fire is a also at its peak.

    During Pitta Kala, around midday, our digestive fire (Agni,) appetite, digestive secretions, assimilation power and metabolism are strongest.

    Unlike how many western populations eat (large breakfast, tiny lunch of soup or salad and massive dinner,) Ayurveda says we are biologically equipped to have our largest, most dense and substantial meal at midday!
  5. Eat a light, easy to digest dinner

    As the vibrant energy of the sun begins to set throughout the day, our digestive fire also begins to reduce.

    Generally, dinner is the lightest meal of the day according to Ayurveda.

    Soups, light vegetable dishes or a smaller version of lunch is a great dinner.

    It should be eaten towards the end of Vata Kala or at the beginning of Kapha Kala (generally between 5-7 pm) for the best digestive effect and for digestion to not interfere with sleep.
  6. Go to bed early

    Since the qualities of Kapha (heavy, lethargic and dull,) are most supportive of a good night’s sleep, Ayurveda advises going to bed during Kapha Kala by or before 10 pm (or by 11 pm at the latest!)

    After 10 pm, we go through a second Pitta period, which can ignite a “second wind” of Pittas energy, motivation, organization and hunger making it difficult to fall asleep the later it gets.

    Going to bed early helps us fall asleep, stay asleep and wake up feeling refreshed the next day!

By aligning your daily habits to nature’s rhythms, and with the help of these six basic tips, you have the ancient Ayurvedic wisdom to truly optimize your health, happiness and success in all areas of your life!

If you’d like to dive deeper into this subject of self-care, self-healing and the Ayurvedic daily routine:

DIVE DEEPER WITH A PRIVATE AYURVEDIC ASSESSMENT & CONSULTATION

Contact us to book a private Ayurvedic Assessment and Consultation to determine your unique mind-body type, receive an assessment of your current condition and develop a customized wellness plan with unique nutrition guidance, daily routine, treatments, herbal remedies, and more to experience greater vitality and support sound sleep!