Not a morning person? These Ayurvedic rituals will turn you into an
early riser and change how you face the day.
By Catherine Guthrie

If that morning mantra "rise and shine" strikes you as the ultimate
oxymoron, you might have something to gain from Ayurveda's approach
to waking up. According to Ayurvedic philosophy, choices that you
make regarding your daily routine either build up resistance to
disease or tear it down. Ayurveda calls for getting a jump-start on
the day by focusing on morning rituals that work to align the body
with nature's rhythms, balance the doshas, and also foster self-
esteem alongside self-discipline. Adopting just one or more of the
following practices for a month can radically alter your experience
of the day. Don't be surprised if you begin to view mornings in a
new light.

Beat the Sun. Roll out of bed at least 20 minutes before sunrise.
Vata energy fills the atmosphere during these pre-dawn hours, and
since vata is known for movement this is the ideal time to rouse
your body. "By waking up before sunrise, you are exposed to the
special energy in the air," says Vaidya Rama Kant Mishra, an
Ayurvedic expert in Colorado Springs, Colorado. "It's a good idea to
wake up, go out, and get that breeze in your body." For when
sunlight illuminates the sky, vata energy is replaced by kapha, or
muscle, energy, explains Michael Sullivan, the director of Riverview
Spa, an Ayurvedic yoga retreat in Buckingham, Virginia. Sunrise
means it is time to get moving. And indeed if you are already up,
the transition will be a snap. Once your feet hit the floor, savor
the stillness by indulging in a brief round of pranayama and Sun
Salutations or by going to the cushion for a short meditation.

Activate Your Innards. The Ayurvedic philosophy believes the first
item you ingest sets the mood for the remainder of the day. With
that thought in mind, drink a glass of lukewarm water flavored with
a fresh slice of lemon or lime. Here, the Ayurvedic reasoning is
twofold. The warm water serves to stimulate the gastrointestinal
tract and peristalsis—the waves of muscle contractions within the
intestinal walls that keep things moving. Secondly, lemons and limes
are high in minerals and vitamins and help loosen ama, or toxins, in
the digestive tract.

Face Value. Sleep is tough on the face. Rinsing your face upon
waking is an easy way to disperse heat, or leftover pitta energy,
and prepare the skin for the day's challenges, namely heat, stress,
and pollution. Thus Mishra recommends splashing the face seven times
with cool, preferably nonchlorinated water. (An auspicious number in
Ayurveda, seven represents the body's chakras, or energy
centers.) "The face is the most exposed area of the body, so morning
rehydration is crucial," he says. "All day the face is bombarded
with stresses. The more hydration the better." Overnight, trapped
heat also dries out the mouth. So while rinsing your face, take a
sip of cool water, swish it slowly, and spit it out when it gets
lukewarm. Repeat two to three times.

Mind Your Mouth. Whereas many of us may dismiss morning tongue-fuzz
as an innocuous by-product of sleep, Ayurveda interprets it as a
sign of undigested ama lurking in the digestive tract. Ayurvedic
practitioners thus rely on the aptly named tongue scraper to
dislodge ama, lest it be reabsorbed while eating or drinking. (Both
plastic and metal tongue scrapers are sold at many health food
stores, but a stainless steel spoon works in a pinch.) Scrape the
tongue gently, working from back to front. Use seven to 14 strokes
to cover the entire area. This not only rids the tongue of ama, but
also unearths the taste buds, awakening the gastric fire for another
day of savoring food.
Then tap the teeth together a few times to stimulate the energy
meridians that lie in the mouth. For healthy gums and enamel, brush
your teeth with a soft nylon or a natural bristle toothbrush. (Using
a hard toothbrush can cause gum recession, pain between the teeth
and gums, and damage enamel.) Use a toothpaste free of synthetic
chemicals and harsh abrasives. Ayurvedic toothpastes contain herbs,
such as neem, lohdra, and kushta, that will help stimulate gums and
protect enamel. After brushing, rinse your mouth for two to three
minutes with warm olive or sesame oil (swish and spit, don't
swallow). "Gargling with warm oil strengthens the teeth, gums, and
jaws as well as protecting the voice," says Amita Banerjee, an
Ayurvedic nutritionist at New York's Ayurvedic Beauty Holistic
Center. Then use the index finger to massage the remaining oil into
the gums with small, counterclockwise motions. A gum massage
stimulates gum tissue, lubricates cells, and cleanses digestive fire.
Be Sense Sensitive. An ear massage is a boon to the entire body.
Begin at the top of the ear and use the thumbs and index fingers to
rub the rim, moving slowly down to the lobe. Then place a few drops
of sesame oil just outside the opening to the ear canal to keep
drying vata energy in check. Ayurveda considers the nose the pathway
to the brain, so Banerjee suggests rubbing up to four drops of
sesame or olive oil just inside the nostril to clean the sinuses and
ensure mental clarity.

Watch Your Peepers. In Ayurveda, eyes are viewed as "the seat of the
fire," meaning they are pitta in nature and overheat easily. So
lightly splashing cool water into opened eyes helps balance the
doshas. If your eyes are extra puffy or irritated, cover them with
either slices of cucumber or cotton balls soaked in aloe vera,
cooled fennel tea, or milk. (Goat's milk is cooler and therefore
preferable, but cow's milk is also fine.) For bloodshot eyes, try
three drops of pure rose water in each eye. Strengthen neglected eye
muscles and stimulate the optic nerve with a few simple eye
movements. Roll the eyes up and down, side to side, and diagonally.
Then rotate them in a clockwise and counterclockwise direction.
Finish by tightly squeezing the eyes shut and then releasing. Do
this several times.

Indulge in a Self-Massage. Massaging one or more energy channels
with aromatic oil floods the mind and body with healing energy.
Start by choosing an aroma that matches your dosha. To balance vata
use ginger, cardamom, or orange; pitta prefers the cool, sweet
scents of sandalwood or lavender; kaphas respond best to eucalyptus,
rosemary, or sage. Place a drop of oil on the ring finger of the
right hand and rub it gently onto the third eye point between your
brows, using small, clockwise circles. Deepen and slow your
inhalation and exhalation as you count 11 full breaths. If you feel
groggy, Mishra suggests stimulating the energy channels between the
head and heart by using light pressure against the temples with the
flat sides of four fingers. Do not push with the fingertips;
instead, press gently on the sides of your head.

Take a Dip. A bath rehydrates the skin and fends off fatigue. All
three doshas benefit from a quick cleansing, but water temperature
varies by constitution. Pittas benefit from cool water, while
lukewarm water is ideal for vatas, and even warmer temperatures are
best for balancing cool-natured kaphas. A core belief of Ayurveda is
that anything put on the skin is eventually assimilated by the body,
so lower the body's toxicity by avoiding products rife with perfumes
and synthetic chemicals, opting instead for Ayurvedic soaps and
shampoos.

Eat Wisely. It's never wise to skip breakfast, cautions Banerjee.
But, you shouldn't overindulge in the morning either. "From sunrise
to 10 a.m. is kapha time, a time for exercising and moving," says
Sullivan. "A light meal won't overload the digestive fire, which
doesn't peak until noon." Begin your day with fruit, vegetable
juice, nonfat yogurt, or grains, like muesli or granola.