The Ayurvedic Clock
For many of us, a typical day looks like this… wake up, rush to get yourself (and possibly the kids) ready for work/school, down some coffee, and hit the road for 8+ hours of work. When work is done, we rush home to make dinner, take care of any chores/homework, and collapse on the couch. Oftentimes getting sucked into hours of mindless tv shows. Before we know it, it’s 1:00 am. We slink off to bed and try (usually with much difficulty) to get a good night’s sleep so we can do it all again tomorrow.
We all know this is unhealthy and that the pattern doesn’t work, but it’s a difficult one to break. The main reason it is so difficult to break is that by operating in this manner, we are not allowing our bodies the proper time to rest, digest, and nourish themselves. By staying up late, it makes it more difficult to wake at a reasonable time. We wake up exhausted, and the cycle continues.
In order to break this cycle, once and for all, I suggest aligning yourselves with the Ayurvedic Clock (commonly known as the circadian rhythm) as a means to bring the body into balance and create optimal health. According to Ayurveda, the day is broken into six four-hour zones—one day and one night zone for each of the three doshas.
The day begins at sunrise with Kapha dosha ruling the scene from 6am - 10am. The environment, as well as your body, may feel cool, heavy, and earthy during this time. At 10 am we transition to Pitta dosha and this fiery, sharp, “master of digestion” is present until about 2 pm. From there we move into Vata dosha —light, airy, and dry, until 6 pm, when the cycle repeats itself.
Rise with Ease and Purpose
In an ideal world, you should wake before sunrise. Vata is still active and it’s mobile, clear and ether-like qualities will allow you to start the day fresh minded and ready to take on the world. It’s also a great time to practice mediation. When we sleep past 6am, Kapha dosh and it’s heavy, dull, and sluggish qualities take over the body and mind. This is why it becomes harder and harder to drag yourself out of bed even with an alarm set for 7am.
Be Productive & Assimilate
As the morning progresses, you will typically see a shift around 10am… this is when we start to feel more productive and driven to get things done. This is the start of Pitta dosha and the time of day you should tackle anything task-oriented. It’s also the best time of day to enjoy a larger meal. I know… not how we typically do things in the west, but Ayurvically speaking the body (and mind) are at their peak capacity for digesting during the window of 10am - 2pm.
Eating your largest meal mid-day will sustain you through the afternoon requiring only something light for supper.
Let the Creativity Flow
After lunch, you may notice that it’s difficult to return to that task-oriented projects from the morning. You may feel spacey or have the desire to get up and move. This is a great time to go for a walk, do some yoga, or spend time brainstorming.
Even if you have to get back to work, taking time to let the vata energy flow will allow you to have a more productive afternoon vs. plowing through the work without the creative or movement break.
Wind Down Peacefully
At about 6 in the evening, we move again from Vata to Kapha dosha. The same Kapha energy—dull, slow, sluggish, and heavy—that makes it difficult to wake up before sunrise, now supports us as we move towards sleep. If you allow yourself space to pay attention, you will notice that the body naturally winds down, the mind gets fatigued and your desire for a good night’s sleep comes to the forefront.
Winding down and being asleep (or close to asleep) by 10 pm is ideal because at 10pm we see another transition from Kapa into Pitta dosha. This is when the mid-night oil starts burning and we get a “second wind”. This four-hour stretch of time is essential to our well-being… it’s the time that we digest experiences, emotions, and any remaining food from earlier in the day. It’s when the body repairs itself and renews. If you fight through the desire to go to sleep during the Kapha time and stay up too late, you’ll likely catch this second wind and be up for hours. This my fiends is the perfect way to say goodbye to a good night’s sleep.
Syncing our rhythms with the rhythms of nature can seem daunting in the modern world, but I assure you, the payoff is worth it. Many, if not all, of the aliments we face as non-stop, crazy-busy humans —insomnia, heartburn, anxiety, and depression—are directly linked to the lack of balance in our lives. Syncing our mealtimes, wake/sleep cycles, and general activities to the cycles of the doshas will help restore balance - and our good health.
Start Small
Aim to be in bed by 10pm. This may take a few weeks to adjust to, depending on what your normal sleep time is now. Some things that can help make that possible include:
Stopping all screen time at least one hour before bed (this includes TV, smartphone, iPad, eReaders, etc.)
Use that time for a little self-care or self-reflection. Journal about your day, do a restorative yoga practice or meditate.
Heat some sesame oil up (in a hot water bath or with an oil warmer) and use it to massage the feet. Feel free to add a little lavender or rose essential oil. Be sure to slip on a pair of socks that can get oily to prevent falling.
Enjoy some warm spiced milk to help induce sleep. Pour 4 to 6 ounces of milk or non-dairy milk (I LOVE oat milk for this) into a small saucepan. Add a pinch or two of cardamom, nutmeg, cinnamon, and saffron. Add a tsp of coconut oil or ghee and simmer for about 3 mins. Allow to cool a bit and sweeten to taste with maple syrup or raw honey.
