Dinacharya

Dinacharya is a concept in Ayurveda that looks at the cycles of nature and bases daily activities around these cycles. Ayurveda is a system of medicine that originated in India over 5000 years ago. Dinacharya is made up of two words: "Dina" means day or daily and "acharya" means to follow or close to. So, Dinacharya is the daily routine or the daily cycle of nature.

Concept

The concept of Dinacharya is that the routines of our body should be aligned with the nature and its cycles. It involves the various practices that are to be done at specific times of the day such as waking up, eating, exercising, sleeping and so on. The idea is to balance the natural elements of the body with the nature outside.

Practices

There are several practices that are part of Dinacharya. These include:

• Brahma muhurta: This is the time that is ideal for waking up. It is approximately 1.5 hours before sunrise. It is believed that the mind is very calm, serene and fresh during this time.

• Abhyanga: This is a form of Ayurvedic medicine that involves massage of the body with large amounts of warm oil. The oil is often pre-medicated with herbs for specific conditions.

• Pranayama: This is a practice related to controlling the breath. There are various techniques of pranayama like Anulom-Vilom, Kapalbhati, Bhastrika etc.

• Dhyana: This is the practice of meditation. It is the seventh limb of the eight limbs of Yoga.

Benefits

Following Dinacharya helps to keep the body, mind and spirit in complete harmony with the nature. It helps to maintain the health, prevent diseases and promotes longevity.

See Also

• Ayurveda
• Brahma muhurta
• Abhyanga
• Pranayama
• Dhyana

Dinacharya Resources
Latest articles Most recent articles Ongoing trials	Wikipedia