Morning routine
- Wake early, ideally before or around sunrise (Brahma muhurta), at a consistent time — regular wake times are one of the strongest supports for good sleep.
- Warm water and emptying the bowels and bladder without straining.
- Teeth and tongue — brushing (dantadhavana) and tongue scraping (jihva nirlekhana). See bad breath.
- Oil pulling (gandusha, kavala) — swishing sesame or coconut oil for a few minutes, then spitting it out.
- Nasal drops (pratimarsha nasya) — two drops of oil in each nostril; see the safety notes below.
- Oil massage (abhyanga) with warm sesame oil (coconut oil in hot weather), especially head, ears and feet.
- Exercise (vyayama) to about half your capacity — until light sweating, not exhaustion. Yoga, walking and cycling all count.
- Bath, then a few minutes of meditation or breathing practice.
Meals
- Eat the main meal at midday, when Ayurveda considers digestion strongest.
- Eat only when hungry and after the previous meal is digested; avoid constant snacking.
- Fill the stomach about half with food, a quarter with liquid, and leave a quarter empty.
- Eat freshly cooked, warm food, sitting down, without distractions.
- Include all six tastes over the day — sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, astringent.
- Avoid incompatible combinations traditionally discouraged, such as milk with sour fruits or fish.
- A light dinner 2–3 hours before bed.
Evening & sleep
- A gentle walk after dinner (shatapavali, “a hundred steps”).
- Dim lights and put away screens an hour before bed.
- Warm-oil massage of the feet (padabhyanga) or a cup of warm milk with a pinch of nutmeg or turmeric can help settle.
- Sleep by about 10–10:30 pm; adults need 7–9 hours. Ayurveda discourages daytime sleep for most adults, except in the hot season, for the elderly, or after illness.
Ritucharya: six seasons
Ayurveda divides the Indian year into six seasons of about two months each and adjusts food and routine to each. Months vary by region.
| Season | Approx. months | Traditional advice |
|---|---|---|
| Shishira (late winter) | Mid-Jan – mid-Mar | Warm, nourishing food; oil massage; protect from cold, dry wind |
| Vasanta (spring) | Mid-Mar – mid-May | Lighter food, less sweet and heavy; more exercise — Kapha season, colds and allergies common |
| Grishma (summer) | Mid-May – mid-Jul | Cooling, liquid foods; plenty of water, buttermilk, fruit; avoid midday sun and heavy exercise |
| Varsha (monsoon) | Mid-Jul – mid-Sep | Boiled water, freshly cooked light food; ginger and warming spices — digestion is weakest and water-borne infections common |
| Sharad (autumn) | Mid-Sep – mid-Nov | Cooling, bitter and sweet foods; avoid excess heat — Pitta season |
| Hemanta (early winter) | Mid-Nov – mid-Jan | Digestion strongest; nourishing food, ghee, oil massage and exercise |
Safety notes
- Oil pulling is an addition to, not a replacement for, brushing and dental care. Spit oil into a bin, not the sink, and never swallow it.
- Nasal oil drops — avoid in young children, during a cold with fever or a nosebleed, and don't sniff oil deeply; rarely, inhaled oil reaches the lungs.
- Oil massage — skip it during fever, indigestion, or on inflamed or broken skin; take care not to slip in the bathroom.
- Early rising should not mean less sleep — go to bed earlier.
- Exercise — people with heart disease, high blood pressure, pregnancy or joint problems should ask a doctor what is right for them.