In our recently shared Autumn Ritucharya article, we shared an Ayurvedic seasonal guide to support your wellness as we transition out of Summer and into those crispy cool Autumn days. In this guide, we offer a daily routine, or Dinacharya, to support your wellness rituals for the season of Autumn.
We already established that in Ayurveda, wellness involves adapting our diet and our lifestyle for the season. This is the pathway to sustained energy levels, greater vitality, hormonal balance, immune strength, weight management and so much more.
They say it is the little things that we do daily that contribute most to our wellbeing, rather than the grandiose once yearly retreat (which also has its place). This daily schedule reveals insights into an Ayurvedic practitioner’s wellness routine and invites you to shake up your own routine this Autumn.
Waking with the Sun.
As per year-round, we greet the brand-new day with (or close to) the rising of the sun. There are so many benefits to aligning your sleep-wake routine with the sun cycle. Energy levels, immunity and mental hygiene are just the beginning. If you struggle with this, try drinking Tulsi SLEEP before bed and Tulsi WELLNESS on rising for at least 21 Days.
Tongue Scraping
Removing the build-up of toxins by scraping the tongue with a copper or steel tongue scraper. Tongue scraping can help remove debris, bacteria, and dead cells and may have other benefits, including improving your sense of taste. Tongue scraping is a fast way to remove extra particles — including the ones that cause bad breath — from the surface of your tongue.
Oil Pulling
Try oil pulling while getting dressed. 1 tablespoon of cold pressed extra virgin olive, coconut oil or black sesame oil, swilled around the mouth (do not swallow this) until it becomes liquid and slightly frothy, and then spit it out. Rinse your mouth afterwards with filtered water. Scientific evidence suggests that oil pulling therapy may reduce the total oral bacterial count and reduce plaque and gingival scores.
Stillness
Take a moment to be still in the peace of the early morning. Breathe, meditate, pray, or read a verse. Greet the day with reverence, and in your own way.
Hydrate
Drink warm water with or without lime, lemon, or ginger as the first thing that you ingest, early in the morning, on an empty stomach. Mix up your morning beverage to incorporate a wide range of nutrients, and digestive aids. Warm apple cider vinegar with half a teaspoon of honey and any of the Tulsi teas could be included here. We love Tulsi CLEANSE, and the Tulsi Ginger blends (Tulsi Ginger, Tulsi Lemon Ginger, Tulsi Turmeric Ginger) are all Autumn favourites.
Move
Roll out your yoga mat or pop your sneakers on for a morning walk. If you move your body in a grounded and calming way, you will be working to balance Vata, our job in Autumn. Seasonal modifications to your yoga practice will further refine your wellness.
Here are some suggestions for an Autumn yoga practice:
- Be sure to warm up well, with Surya namaskar.
- Include heating standing poses such as Virabhadrasanas, the Worrior series.
- To balance, incorporate Vrksasana, tree pose.
- Focus on strength and stability with cat, cobra & child’s pose.
- Include forward bends, either standing or seated, to sooth the mind.
- Legs up the wall will offer nervous system nourishment.
- Now that Autumn is here it is important to cover your body during for final relaxation in shivasana (corpose pose).
Eat
Enjoy your main meal as close to the midday sun as you can manage. Our agni (digestive fire) is strongest when the sun is at its peak. Your digestion will respond well to the alignment of this rhythm.
Breathe
Pranayama for the season should include Nadi shodana, alternative nostril breathing. An evening practice of 10-15minutes will help slow your breath, relax, balance the brain hemispheres and generally bring about a sense of body-mind harmony.
Sleep
Flow with the season and start turning in earlier. Staying as active and open as we did in Summer can result in feeling off balance. Try to be sound asleep by 10pm, to allow plenty of rest before sunrise, when you wake to greet the brand-new day.
Dabble
Whether you wish for a radical wellness overhaul or to try a new tool, we do encourage you to explore the opportunity to be as well as you possibly can be this Autumn Season.
