1. Wake Up Early in the Morning to Dispel Kapha
It is good to wake up before the sun rises, when there are loving (sattvic) qualities in nature that bring peace of mind and freshness to the senses. Sunrise varies according to the seasons, but on average vata (space – air) people should get up about 6 am, pitta (fire – water) people by 5:30 am, and kapha (water – earth) by 4:30 am (to lose weight and heal depression). Right after waking, look at hands for a few moments and then gently move them over face and chest down to the waist. This cleans the aura and is essential to good digestion, and mental health.
2. Say a Prayer to the Divinity before Leaving Bed
“Today I am fortunate to have woken up, I am alive, I have a precious Human Life – I am not going to waste it; I am going to use all my energies to develop myself. To expand my heart out to others, to achieve Enlightenment for the Benefit of all beings, I am going to have kind thoughts toward others, I am not going to get angry, or think badly about others as much as I can.” God,you are inside of me, within my very breath, within each bird, each mighty mountain. Your sweet touch reaches everything and I am well protected. Thank you for this beautiful day before me. May the Four Unlimited Minds of kindness, compassion, joy, equanimity – renunciation; and the Six Perfections of generosity, precepts (no killing, no stealing, no sexual misconduct, no lying, no taking drugs-alcohol-cigarettes), patience, vigor, mindfulness and wisdom be part of my life and all those around me on this sacred day. I am healing and I am healed.” After this prayer touch the ground with your right hand, then the same hand to the forehead, with great love and respect to Mother Earth.
3. Clean the Face, Mouth, and Eyes
Splash your face with cold water and rinse out your mouth. Wash your eyes with cool water (or one of the eye washes mentioned below) and massage the eyelids by gently rubbing them. Blink your eyes 7 times and rotate your eyes in all directions. Dry your face with a clean towel. Tridoshic eyewash: try triphala eyewash - ¼ tsp. in 1 cup water, boil for 10 minutes, cool and strain. (Can buy from www.oilbath.com). Pitta eyewash: use cool water or “ rose Water Eye Wash” made from organic rose petals (www.Ayurveda-World.com) - commercial rose water has chemicals in it that will sting the eyes. Kapha eyewash: try diluted cranberry juice, 3-5 drops in a teaspoon of distilled water.
4. Drink Water First Thing in the Morning to Cleanse
Then drink a glass of room temperature water, preferably from a pure copper cup (for vata and kapha) filled the night before. This washes the GI track, flushes the kidneys, and stimulates peristalsis (bowel movement). It is not a good idea to start the day with tea or coffee, as this drains kidney energy, stresses the adrenals, causes constipation, insomnia and is habit-forming.
5. Evacuation – Bowel Movement – Triphala is Key
Sit, or better squat, on the toilet and have a bowel movement. Improper digestion of the previous night’s meal or lack of sound sleep can prevent this. However the water, followed by sitting on the toilet at a set time each day, helps to regulate bowel movements. Alternate nostril breathing may also help. Taking 1 tspn of Triphala tea before bed will help. After evacuation wash the anal orifice with warm water, then the hands with soap.
6. Scrape your Tongue to Remove Toxins (Ama)
Gently scrape the tongue from the back forward, until you have scraped the whole surface for 7-14 strokes. This stimulates the internal organs, helps digestion, and removes dead bacteria. Vata can use stainless steel scraper, pitta silver, and kapha copper. Stainless steel can be used by all. (Can buy from Elephant Pharmacy or from www.BanyanBotanicals.com or from www.Ayurveda.com).
7. Clean your Teeth with Natural Toothpaste
Always use a soft toothbrush and an astringent, pungent, and bitter toothpaste or powder. The traditional Indian toothbrush is a neem stick, which makes strong, healthy gums. Licorice root sticks are also used. Roasted almond shell powder can be used for vata and kapha, and ground neem (Azadirachta indica) for pitta and kapha can be added to Tom’s of Maine toothpaste.
8. Gargling
To strengthen teeth, gums, and jaw, improve voice and remove wrinkles from cheeks, gargle twice a day with warm sesame oil or neem oil for pitta and kapha. Hold oil in mouth for 1-2 minutes, swish it around vigorously, then spit it out and gently massage the gums with a finger.
9. Chewing
Chewing a handful of sesame seeds helps receding gums and strengthens teeth. Alternatively, chew 3-5 dried dates and an inch of dried coconut meat. Chewing in the morning stimulates the liver and the stomach and improves digestive fire. After chewing, brush the teeth again without using toothpaste.
10. Nasal Drops (Nasya) for Good Prana - Qi
Putting 3 to 5 drops of warm ghee or Super Nasya oil into each nostril in the morning helps to lubricate the nose, clean the sinuses, and improve voice, vision, and mental clarity. Our nose is the door to the brain, so nose drops nourish prana-qi and bring intelligence. For vata: sesame oil, ghee, or vacha (calamus root Sidha Soma oil. For pitta: brahmi ghee for anger - migraines, sunflower or coconut oil. For kapha: vacha Sidha Soma oil for depression, (Available from Ayurveda.com or Elephant Pharmacy).
11. Oil Drops in the Ears (Karna purana)
Conditions such as ringing in the ears, excess ear wax, poor hearing, lockjaw, and TMJ, are all due to vata in the ears. Putting 5 drops of warm sesame oil in each ear can help these disorders. Then give the ears a light dusting with your constitution herb. Wrap it in a few layers of cheesecloth then tap against the ear. (BanyanBotanicals.com) Vata: mahanarayan oil, dust with dashamula powder. Pitta: brahmi oil, dust with sandalwood powder. Kapha: neem oil, dust with vacha powder.
12. Apply Oil to the Head & Body (Abhyanga)
Rub warm oil over the head and body. Gentle, daily oil massage of the scalp can bring happiness, as well as prevent headache, baldness, graying, and receding hairline. Oiling your body before bedtime will help induce sound sleep and keep the skin soft. For vata use Vata Oil, Ashwagandha-Bala Oil, or Mahanarayan Oil diluted with very warm sesame oil. For pitta use Pitta Oil, Neem Oil, Bakuchi Oil, Maha Ganesh Oil diluted with warm sunflower or coconut oil. For kapha use Kapha oil diluted with warm sesame, corn or mustard oil and some drops of eucalyptus. (Available at Banyanbotanicals.com or Elephant Pharmacy)
13. Bathing-Showering – Best in Morning not Evening
Bathing is cleansing and refreshing. It removes sweat, dirt, and fatigue, brings energy to the body, clarity to the mind, and holiness to your life. No hot water on eyes.
14. Dressing – Sattva is Clarity, Purity, Calm, Peace
Wearing clean fresh clothes brings beauty, virtue, sattva.
15. Use of Natural Scents, Perfumes, Aromatherapy
Using essential oils (from Banyanbotanicals.com) brings freshness, charm, and joy. It gives vitality to the body and improves self-esteem. For vata the best scent to use is hina, rose, jatamamsi or amber. For pitta try using khus (vetivert), sandalwood, lavender or jasmine. For kapha use myrrh, tulsi, eucalyptus, pine, juniper, cedar, camphor. (From www.Ayurveda.com or Elephant Pharmacy)
16. DAILY Exercise is the KEY to Good Health
Regular exercise, especially yoga, improves circulation, strength, and endurance. It helps one relax and have sound sleep, and improves digestion and elimination. Exercise daily to half of your capacity, which is until sweat forms on the forehead, armpits, and spine. Vata: Sun salutation 12x, done slowly; Leg lifting; Camel; Cobra; Cat; Cow. Slow, gentle exercise, Tai Qi, Qi Gong, swimming, walking, no running or jogging. Pitta: Moon salutation 16x, moderately fast; Fish; Boat; Bow. Calming exercise, Tai Qi, Aikido, hike or swim. Avoid intense competitive sports or hot mid-day exercise. Kapha: Sun salutation 12x, done rapidly; Bridge; Peacock; Palm tree; Lion; vigorous hot exercise, jumping, jazzercise, jogging, running in the very early morning before sunrise are excellent.
17. Pranayama - Breathing Meditation
After exercise, sit quietly and do some deep breathing exercises as follows: 12 alternate nostril breaths to calm and balance vata; 16 cooling shitali breaths (curling up your tongue lengthwise and breathing through it) for pitta heat, irritation, inflammation and anger; 100 bhastrika (short, fast breaths) for kapha depression.
18. Prayer followed by Silent Meditation
In these hectic modern times it is vital for mental-physical health to meditate silently morning and evening for at least 15 minutes. Meditate in the way you are accustomed, or silently walk in nature or practice counting your breath for 21 or 108x or try mantra meditation, chant 108x “Om Kshanti – Shanti Paramita” (Perfection of Patience and Peace), then 3x “Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love. Where there is injury, pardon. Where there is doubt, faith. Where there is despair, hope. Where there is darkness, light. Where there is sadness, joy. Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console; to be understood, as to understand; to be loved, as to love. For it is in giving, that we receive. It is in pardoning, that we are pardoned. It is in dying, that we are born to eternal life.” Such auspicious meditation brings healing, protection, balance, peace and accomplishment into life.
19. Now it is time for your breakfast!
Your meal should be light in the hot months or if your agni is low, and more substantial in the cold. Vata should have a nourishing, warm spiced breakfast with ghee (no cold or raw food for vata). Pitta: cereal or toast with ghee. Kapha should take no meat (no bacon-ham-sausage), no yogurt-milk-cheese. No one should mix fruit (fructose) with dairy products (lactose). Being veggie decreases pitta’s anger; Kapha should be vegan to lose weight. Enjoy your day of compassionate service to the Universe !
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