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 be...