Dinacharya are self-care rituals that are part of Ayurvedic health and wellness. Especially having a morning and evening routine is so important. Try one or two of the ideas below and gradually let the rituals grow!

1. Wake up and manifest! Set a positive intention for your day the second you wake up. Also breath in thoughts of gratitude.
   
2. Pump the belly about 10 times with sharp exhales through the nose ( kabhalabati breath) This will help prepare for the digestion of food.
3. Drink warm water with lemon or lime
4. Eliminate
   
5. Use a Neti pot to cleanse the nasal passage
6. Dry brush your body with a silk or wool gharshana glove, or loofah sponge
   
7. Give yourself a morning self-massage
8. Spend 5 to 15 minutes practicing Pranayama breathing techniques
   
9. Meditate
10. Do Yoga
    
11. Sweat daily - If you cannot physically exercise to sweat consider a sauna or steam shower
12. Eat your heaviest meal at lunch
    
13. Chew your water and drink your food to help help aid in digestion (Try to chew your food 25 times)
14. Get out in nature everyday
    
15. Don’t eat after 7:00 pm
16. Unplug from all electronics at least 1 hour before bed
    
17. Go to bed early by 10:00 - 10:30
18. End your day with an intention and thoughts of gratitude

This week I wanted to incorporate some Ayurvedic practices into my classes. Ayurveda is the sister-science to yoga and guides us to healthier live styles and healing through many different modalities including diet, herbs, supplements, and massage. Combing yoga with Ayurvedic practices truly begins to make yoga a lifestyle.  With this intention it brought up the question for me - why yoga?


Here is my personal reflection and list:


Why Yoga?

• Reduces stress
• Gives me a sanctuary to go to when needing peace-within.
• Increased my lung capacity so hiking and biking steep climbs are easy.
• Improved my memory - in a huge way! I always kid that it is because of doing head stands but it is much more than that. All the mindfulness of yoga helps to improve ones memory.
• Helps me to be less reactive.
• Helps me to always communicate with my children without raising my voice or in a condescending manner so that we will always have a close relationship and speak to each other with kindness. 
• It has helped my communication skills and through mindfulness I have  become a better listener.
• Yoga healed a back injury years ago. Yoga is great for the flexibility of the back and they say ““you are as young as your back is flexible”.
• Savasana completely changed the way I sleep. I always begin on my back (like savanna) and then turn to my side. I go to bed early and get up early.
• It has slowed my eating down.
• My immune system is strong and I haven’t had a cold in years.
• Friends would ask me years ago how do you have time to do yoga 90 minutes a day and my answer was “because it actually gives me more time”. The practice of yoga helps you to balance the hemisphere’s of the brain which aids in turn helps you to be  more organized and therefore it takes less time to get things done.
• I am more minimalistic  - I have rid myself of so many “things”! I now have a small simple home where everything has it’s place and serves a purpose.
• Back when I was performing as a cabaret singer - yoga literally removed my stage fright and also improved my singing as I learned  to relax my body more.
• Yoga greatly increases your energy. For years and years now I no longer have the afternoon lows. I am an energizer bunny right until I go to bed at night!
• Encourages me to take more risks in life because I have taken risks on the mat.
• I actually realized years ago through yoga that sugar was causing me stress. Now I know my limitations and limit my intake. It has helped my diet immensely because your body becomes more sensitive as you begin to go inward and you “listen” to your bodies likes and dislikes.

There are many more reasons to “Why Yoga”? You can google it yourself but I think my personal list would entice anyone to give it a try. Change first begins with daily commitment and with daily commitment maybe we can even transform!
Enjoy the journey!

Sue