6 Morning Makeovers

Do you hide under the covers when the sun comes up? Not to worry. With a few tweaks in your routine, you can transform your morning into the most nourishing, energizing part of your day. Try the seven simple rituals below for two weeks and see if ayurveda’s promises come true for you. According to the vaidyas (healers), these techniques will cleanse your body of toxins, balance your doshas, and infuse you with joy, peace, and strength–so that as dawn turns into day, you’ll be more prepared to face whatever comes your way.

1. Wake Up Before Sunrise

According to ayurveda, pure, tranquil, sattvic qualities dominate the atmosphere during the pre-dawn hours. That’s why yogis tend to meditate between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m., when it’s easiest to attain peace of mind. Although that’s probably too extreme for your schedule, try waking up about 20 minutes before sunrise and notice how alert you feel.

2. Rehydrate & Cleanse
With cool water, gently splash your face and eyes. Gently massage your eyelids, then blink your eyes seven times and rotate them in all directions (side to side, up and down, diagonally, clockwise, and counterclockwise) to foster alertness.

Next, drink a glass of room temperature water- ideally, from a pure copper cup filled the night before. The slightly bitter taste of this water kindles agni (gastric fire), flushes the kidneys and gastrointestinal tract, and stimulates peristalsis, which will encourage a healthy bowel movement.

Brush your teeth with ayurvedic toothpaste, then scrape your tongue with a stainless steel tongue scraper from back to front 7 to 10 times to remove ama (dead bacteria and toxins) and improve digestion.

3. Massage Yourself
Indulge in a five-minute gentle body massage, using warm (not hot!) organic oils to pacify your dominant dosha. (To learn more, take our dosha quiz) For vata: sesame oil; pitta: sunflower oil; kapha: corn oil. Then take a shower and scrub your skin with natural soap.

4. Anoint Yourself
Dab one drop of essential oil on your temples, nipples, and belly button. Then put your finger at the spot where your earlobe meets your jaw. Trace the line of your jaw downward just until it curves toward your chin. At the bottom of that curve, apply another drop of oil. According to ayurvedic tradition, applying attars (oils) at these areas, where prana (life-force) is pulsating, will give you the aura of a saint. For vata: tulsi or vacha oil; pitta: khus, sandalwood, or jasmine; kapha: amber or hina.

5. Move!

Walking in the fresh, early-morning air is the best way to get your mind and body in sync with the morning. Then loosen up with one of these quick hatha yoga routines. For vata: do 12 slow, meditative sun salutations followed by three rounds of nadi shodhanam (alternate nostril breathing) or ujjayi pranayama. For pitta: do 16 moderately fast sun salutations followed by three minutes of sitali (the cooling breath) or sitkari (the hissing breath). For kapha: do 12 vigorous, rapid sun salutations followed by five minutes of bhastrika (bellows breath) or kapalabhati. (For more information about sun salutations, click here.)

6. Meditate
Wind down with a systematic relaxation in shavasana (corpse pose) [for a guided shavasana practice click here] with and at least five minutes of meditation. Following this morning routine regularly will bring harmony, happiness, and health into your life.

World-renowned ayurvedic physician Vasant Lad, BAMS, MASc, is the founder of the Ayurvedic Institute (ayurveda.com) in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

By Vasant Lad, Yoga+

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Sarah B.

8:27AM PDT on Aug 16, 2010

This is a great article. I used to do some of these things, but fell out of it and haven't felt as good since. I just started doing some of these exercises again and feel great! Now I'm just happy that this listed some I hadn't thought of before!

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Heather B.

10:24PM PDT on Mar 14, 2010

Interesting advice. Thanks for sharing this, Megan.

2:45AM PST on Jan 26, 2010

I've noted, thanks :).

Ariela B.

3:42PM PST on Jan 24, 2010

very special

Donna B.

2:17PM PST on Jan 4, 2010

Good advice, thanks.

Jessica R.

9:55AM PST on Dec 25, 2009

definitely interesting!

Bee H.

8:53AM PST on Dec 16, 2009

Hydration is the first thing I think about on waking. Loads of water. I always awake very thirsty, All of the other suggestions except one seem that they would be either refreshing or enlightening, but I would struggle too much to get up before the sun rises.

Jelica R.

3:23PM PST on Dec 3, 2009

I added this article to my favorites. I'm not a morning person, and I hope this can help.

Lauren H.

9:41AM PST on Dec 3, 2009

Great article thanks for the suggestions!