KK Ayurveda August News

In ayurveda, the daily routine was handed down by the ancient "seers". It's meant to put you in harmony with the rhythms of nature--something we often forget to think about unless forced to do so. Following a regular daily routine, according to Dr. Lad, establishes constitutional balance, aids our digestive processes, and generates self esteem, discipline and peace. Sounds good to me.

The ayurvedic daily routine has many elements (some of which may not make much sense to our modern minds) that can't be fully explained in this context. I'm simply going to give you a list of things to do in the morning for now.

·Wake up early. Anywhere from 4:30 a.m. to 6:00 a.m., depending on your constitution.

·Say a prayer. It's important to remember the Divine.

·Wash your face, mouth and eyes. Don't forget to blink seven times and rotate your eyes in all directions!

·Drink a cup of room-temperature water, preferably from a copper cup, to wash the GI tract and stimulate the kidneys.

·Evacuation. It's important to poop every morning. If you don't, you need to have a consultation with me.

·Clean your tongue and teeth. Be sure to use a tongue scraper to remove ama (toxins) from your tongue. Do not brush your tongue with your toothbrush!

·Gargle with warm sesame oil. You're thinking, "are you kidding?", right? I know. I don't do this one although it is useful for some people.

·Nose drops. Ayurvedic nose drops clean the sinuses (important if you live in a city) and improve voice, vision and mental clarity.

·Oil Massage. This improves circulation, calms the mind and reduces anxiety. Depending on the oil you use, it also helps to correct imbalance.

·Bathe. Dr. Lad says, "Bathing every day brings holiness into your life." Who are we to doubt Dr. Lad?

·Exercise. This means yoga, people!

·Pranyama. This means breathe, people!

·Meditation. This means slow down and find your divinity, people!

You are now free to have breakfast, go to work or do whatever it is that you do. There are some seasonal variations to this routine that I'll be sharing with you from time to time. (Refer to last month's newsletter for ways to cope with the heat of summer. You will soon be able to archive past newsletter on the website at Newsletters.)