Morning routine for Vata

Your Morning Routine

The first step in creating a morning routine is to choose a consistent time to wake up. Because rest is essential, please give yourself permission to sleep later than you normally might if your schedule requires you to stay up late, or if your bedtime routine is disrupted for some reason. Otherwise, vata does best to awaken in time to take full advantage of the peaceful stillness surrounding dawn—ideally around 6 or 7 a.m.

Morning Hygiene

Upon waking, it is best to begin the day by taking care of your personal hygiene. We’ve included the most vata-pacifying Ayurvedic hygiene practices below. But remember, you do not have to commit to doing all of them.

• Eliminate. Ayurveda recommends that we eliminate upon waking every day. If you are not already in the habit of having a bowel movement first thing each morning, simply relaxing on the toilet for a few minutes can encourage the body to develop a sense of regularity. Cleaning the tongue and drinking warm water (see below) will also support this habit.
• Clean your tongue. In Ayurveda, scraping your tongue with a metal Tongue Cleaner is considered as indispensable as brushing your teeth. Doing so gently cleanses and awakens the digestive system for the day. It also removes accumulated toxins and bacteria from the tongue that can contribute to foul-smelling breath. If you are new to this practice, please see our resource on How to Clean Your Tongue.
• Brush your teeth. Again, good oral hygiene is intricately linked to our overall health. Take your time with this practice, and be gentle.
• Swish with oil. Oil pulling is an ancient Ayurvedic practice that helps to nourish and rejuvenate the teeth and gums, balance oral bacteria, and relax the muscles of the neck and jaw. You may use our specialized oil pulling formula, Daily Swish, which is a cleansing and refreshing herbal oil blend. If you are new to this practice, please see our resource on How to Do Oil Pulling.
• Drink warm water. Drinking 1–4 cups of warm (or hot) water after your oral hygiene routine helps to stimulate and gently awaken the digestive tract, hydrate the tissues, and also promotes peristalsis—which can encourage a healthy morning bowel movement.

A successful and supportive daily routine is all about consistency and finding what is feasible for you. After all, this is your routine! Try integrating one new practice every week, building your daily routine over time. Use this weekly check list to get inspired and help you stick to your goals, but remember to stay flexible and listen to the needs of your body.

Morning Nourishment

Even more impactful than your morning hygiene practices is the energy with which your day begins. Taking a few minutes of quiet time to get the day off to a calm and grounded start can literally change your life. This is an extensive list of suggestions, but again, the idea is not necessarily to do all of them. In fact, committing to just one fifteen-minute morning practice is often a perfect place to start, and can make a world of difference in how you experience the rest of your day.

• Quiet meditation or prayer. If you have an established practice, feel free to stick with that. If you are new to meditation, try Empty Bowl Meditation.
• Pranayama. Yogic breathwork is a potent means of balancing both the mind and the physical body. If you are new to pranayama, start with Full Yogic Breath. Once that feels comfortable, Nadi Shodhana (Alternate Nostril Breathing) is deeply vata-pacifying.
• Abhyanga. Lovingly massage your entire body with oil before a shower or bath. This ancient practice is incredibly calming, nourishing, rejuvenating, and stabilizing. Use the herbal oil included in your bundle recommendation.
• Nasya. This is the practice of applying medicated oil to the nasal passages, which soothes their delicate tissues, promotes unobstructed breathing, relieves accumulated stress, and supports mental clarity. If this practice is new to you, please see our helpful resource on How to Do Nasya. Nasya should not be performed by pregnant or menstruating women.
• Rejuvenating herbs. Rejuvenatives help to rebuild the body’s natural strength and stamina and counter excess vata’s tendency to leave us feeling depleted or run down. In addition to your recommended herbs, consider taking a teaspoon of Chyavanprash each morning before breakfast, to nourish and rejuvenate the tissues.
• Digestive herbs. About twenty minutes before breakfast, take two of your recommended digestive herbal tablets to help balance agni (the digestive fire) and encourage proper digestion.
• Breakfast. Complete your morning nourishment with a nutritious and healthy breakfast. Starting your day with a healthy meal is incredibly stabilizing for vata.

Source: Banyan Botanicals