Dinacharya (Daily Routine)

Overview

Dinacharya is the Ayurvedic daily routine, and of all the ideas in the tradition it may be the most practical. The name joins two Sanskrit words, dina, the day, and charya, conduct or routine. It sets out an ordered sequence of daily practices meant to keep a person well, and to bring the rhythm of the body into step with the rhythm of the day.

The classical texts treat the routine as the ground on which good health rests. Of them all, the Ashtanga Hridayam gives the fullest and most orderly account, in its chapter on the daily routine. It begins with the simplest instruction of all: a healthy person should rise in the quiet hour before dawn.

The classical sequence

The texts lay the day out as a series of small acts, each in its place. Taken together they form a gentle order rather than a long list of tasks.

Rising before dawn. The day begins in the hour before sunrise, a time the texts describe as clear and calm, well suited to a settled mind. A healthy person is told to rise then, for the sake of a long life.

Morning water. Water kept overnight is taken on rising, a small habit the tradition links to easy elimination. Warm water is preferred for the cold, heavy quality of Kapha and the dry quality of Vata.

Elimination. The natural urges of the body are answered and never held back. The texts count the holding of natural urges among the causes of later trouble, and they treat regular, easy elimination as a plain sign of health.

Cleaning the teeth. Teeth are cleaned with a chewing twig of an astringent, pungent or bitter plant, such as Neem or Khadira, the end frayed soft to form a brush. Herbal tooth powders serve the same end in modern practice.

Scraping the tongue. The tongue is scraped to clear the overnight coating, the residue the texts call ama. The practice freshens the mouth and wakes the digestive fire, and the look of the coating gives a daily reading of how digestion stands.

Oil in the mouth. Gandusha, holding medicated oil or a decoction still in the mouth, and kavala, swishing a smaller amount, are described as strengthening to the jaw, teeth, gums and voice. Sesame oil is the usual choice.

Care of the eyes. A medicated collyrium is applied to the eyes, said to keep them clear and rested.

Nasal oil. A little medicated oil is placed in each nostril, the gentle daily form known as pratimarsha nasya. The texts describe it as caring for the region above the collarbone, the head and the senses.

Medicated smoke. Dhoomapana, drawing in the smoke of specific herbs and letting it out through the nose, is described as keeping the throat, head and senses clear. It is a measured practice with particular herbs, far removed from ordinary smoking.

Oil massage. Abhyanga, the daily self-massage with warm oil, is among the most prized of the practices. Charaka writes that the body of one who oils it daily is steadier under strain, pleasant to the touch and slow to age. Sesame oil is the classical default, with particular thailams chosen for constitution and season.

Exercise. Movement is taken to about half of one’s capacity, until there is a light sweat on the brow and the breath quickens without distress. Charaka warns plainly against exercising to exhaustion, and against straining beyond the season, the constitution and the age of the person.

Bathing. A wash follows massage and exercise, warm water for the body and cooler water for the head. The texts call it cleansing and reviving.

The main meal. The chief meal is taken when the digestive fire is strongest, around the middle of the day. The texts ask for a calm setting, freshly cooked food, and eating to about three-quarters of one’s fill, leaving a little room.

Evening practices

The day has its close as well, what the tradition calls ratricharya, the night routine. The texts ask for a light supper well before sleep, a short, easy walk after the evening meal, and the oiling of the feet before bed, often with ghee, which the old writers connect with sound rest. Sleep is taken in the first part of the night, in keeping with the turning of the day.

Adapting it today

The full classical routine will not fit every modern life, and the texts never demanded that it should. The spirit of Dinacharya is steadiness, not perfection. Even a few of its parts, daily oil massage, scraping the tongue, the nasal oil, eating with the day rather than against it, and keeping regular hours of sleep and waking, carry the heart of the idea. What the tradition asks is consistency, and an honest effort to live in step with the natural rhythm of the day.

This entry describes the classical Ayurvedic understanding of the routine. It is not medical advice, and anyone with a health condition should speak to a qualified practitioner.

Frequently asked

What does Dinacharya mean? It joins two Sanskrit words, dina, the day, and charya, conduct or routine. It is the ordered round of daily practices the classical texts set out for keeping well.

Do I have to do every part of it? No. The texts describe a full routine, but the value lies in steadiness rather than completeness. Even a handful of its practices, kept up daily, reflects the idea well.

When does the day begin in Ayurveda? The texts ask a healthy person to rise in the quiet hour before sunrise, a time they describe as clear and calm and well suited to a settled start.