Building a Morning Routine

Dinacharya: The Daily Practice

How we begin the day shapes everything that follows. Ayurveda offers dinacharya - a morning routine that aligns with natural rhythms and prepares body and mind for the day ahead. This is not about adding more to do, but about beginning well.

The Wisdom of Rising Early

Brahma Muhurta

The traditional recommendation is to rise during brahma muhurta - approximately 96 minutes before sunrise. This period, translating to “the hour of Brahma,” is considered optimal for spiritual practice.

During this time:

• The world is quiet
• Vata predominates, making the mind more subtle
• Sattva is naturally high
• The transition from sleep to waking is gentle

For most people, this means rising between 4:30 and 6:00 AM, depending on season and location.

Rising with the Sun

If brahma muhurta isn’t practical, rise at least before or with the sun. Sleeping past sunrise allows kapha to accumulate, leading to:

• Heaviness and sluggishness
• Difficulty fully waking
• Dampened digestive fire
• Foggy mind

The body is designed to wake with light. Honoring this rhythm supports energy throughout the day.

Constitutional Considerations

Vata types: May need slightly more sleep; should not rise so early that they become depleted. A gentler, warmer awakening serves them.

Pitta types: Generally wake easily and can rise quite early. Should ensure adequate rest before early rising.

Kapha types: Most need early rising to counter their tendency toward excess sleep. The discipline of brahma muhurta particularly benefits kapha.

The Sequence

A traditional dinacharya includes many elements. Start with what is manageable and build gradually.

1. Waking

Before rising, take a moment:

• Notice how you feel
• Set an intention for the day
• Offer gratitude for waking
• Avoid immediately reaching for a device

2. Elimination

Upon rising, empty the bladder and, ideally, the bowels. Regular morning elimination is a sign of good health:

• Drink warm water to stimulate the bowels if needed
• A consistent wake time helps regulate elimination
• Don’t force; simply create the conditions

3. Oral Care

Tongue scraping: Use a metal scraper (copper is traditional) to gently scrape the tongue 5-7 times. This removes the coating (ama) that accumulates overnight and stimulates digestion.

Teeth cleaning: Brush with natural toothpaste or traditional tooth powder.

Oil pulling: Swish 1-2 tablespoons of sesame or coconut oil in the mouth for 10-20 minutes, then spit out. This draws out toxins and strengthens teeth and gums.

4. Sense Care

Eyes: Splash with cool water; optionally apply rose water or triphala wash.

Ears: Apply a drop of warm sesame oil to each ear, massaging gently.

Nose: Apply a few drops of nasya oil (medicated sesame oil) to each nostril and inhale. This lubricates the nasal passages and protects against airborne irritants.

5. Abhyanga (Self-Massage)

Warm oil massage is one of the most valuable daily practices:

Benefits:

• Calms the nervous system
• Nourishes the skin
• Moves lymph
• Grounds vata
• Promotes circulation
• Creates a loving relationship with the body

Method:

• Warm the oil (sesame for vata/kapha, coconut for pitta)
• Apply oil to entire body, working from extremities toward heart
• Give extra attention to feet, scalp, and ears
• Use long strokes on limbs, circular strokes on joints
• Allow oil to penetrate 15-20 minutes before bathing

Even a brief 5-minute abhyanga is beneficial.

6. Exercise

Some movement in the morning awakens the body:

• Yoga asana
• Walking
• Light stretching
• Whatever suits your constitution and capacity

Morning is ideal for kapha types who need activation. Vata types should keep exercise moderate. Pitta types benefit from cooling exercise.

7. Bathing

Bathe after exercise and abhyanga:

• Warm (not hot) water
• Natural soaps or no soap on oiled skin
• The oil continues to nourish after bathing
• Dry vigorously to stimulate circulation

8. Pranayama and Meditation

The cleaned, oiled, exercised body is now prepared for inner work:

• Even 10-15 minutes of pranayama and meditation sets the tone
• This is the most important part of the morning
• What happens here influences the entire day

9. Prayer or Intention

Traditional dinacharya includes prayer - connecting with something greater than the individual self. This might be:

• Mantra recitation
• Reading of scripture
• Gratitude practice
• Setting daily intentions
• Whatever opens the heart

10. Breakfast

After the body is awakened and the mind is settled:

• Eat only if hungry
• Light breakfast appropriate to constitution
• Warm, cooked food generally preferred to cold or raw

Simplifying

The full dinacharya takes 1.5-2 hours. This is not possible for everyone. Simplify based on what is sustainable:

Minimum Viable Morning (15-20 minutes)

1. Tongue scraping, brushing
2. Warm water
3. Brief movement or stretching
4. Short meditation or conscious breathing
5. Intention setting

This maintains the essence while fitting real constraints.

Building Over Time

Add elements gradually:

• Week 1-4: Establish tongue scraping and warm water
• Month 2: Add brief meditation
• Month 3: Add oil pulling or abhyanga (alternating days)
• Month 4: Extend meditation

Build what you will maintain rather than attempting everything and abandoning it.

Common Obstacles

”I’m Not a Morning Person”

This is often a kapha imbalance or late-night habits. Address by:

• Earlier bedtime
• Setting the alarm across the room
• Morning light exposure
• Evening routine that supports sleep
• Patience as the body adjusts

Most people can become morning people with consistent practice.

No Time

Examine priorities. Time spent scrolling, extra sleep that isn’t restorative, or evening activities that could shift - where is the time going?

Morning routine often creates time by improving efficiency and energy throughout the day.

Traveling or Schedule Disruption

Simplify during disruption:

• Maintain the minimum (tongue scraping, warm water, brief meditation)
• Return to full routine when possible
• Some routine is better than none

Children and Caregiving

Adaptations for parents:

• Rise before children if possible
• Do some practices with children present (they learn by watching)
• Split routine (some before children wake, some during naps)
• Accept imperfection during demanding phases

The Deeper Purpose

Morning routine is not about checking boxes. It is about:

Beginning consciously: Instead of being thrown into the day by alarm and reaction, you choose how to enter waking life.

Self-care as practice: The morning routine is a form of tapas - discipline that generates energy for transformation.

Alignment: By honoring natural rhythms, you come into harmony with the larger order.

Accumulation: The benefits compound over months and years. Each morning adds to the last.

Starting Tomorrow

Choose one element to begin:

• Tongue scraping (simple, quick, immediately noticeable)
• Warm water upon waking
• Five minutes of quiet sitting

Do it for one week. Then add another element. In a year, you will have a morning routine that serves your health and your growth.

The morning belongs to you. How you use it determines much about how life unfolds.