Morning Routine
🦍: Namaste, Dr. Poonam! Your clinic always smells like my Indian friend's grandmother's kitchen - so soothing!
👩🏽⚕️: Namaste, Scimmione! Ah yes, that's the fragrance of traditional agarbatti and dhoop. In India, we believe sacred scents help purify both space and mind.
🦍: What's this interesting object? Looks like something from an ancient treasure chest!
👩🏽⚕️: This is a jihwa prakshalaka, crafted from traditional panchaloha - a sacred blend of five metals. Our ancestors have used these for thousands of years as part of their morning ritual, or dinacharya.
🦍: Dina... charya? Is that like India's version of "rise and shine"?
👩🏽⚕️: You could say that! Dina means "day" and charya means "routine" in Sanskrit. It's a beautiful sequence of self-care practices that align us with nature's rhythms. In our tradition, we consider brahma muhurta - about 45 minutes before sunrise - as the most sacred time.
🦍: That early? Not even my espresso machine is awake then!
👩🏽⚕️: Here, try this tulsi chai instead. You see, according to our ancient texts, the early morning hours carry special prana - life force. That's when Mother Nature blesses us with the purest energy.
🦍: Mmm... this is amazing! But tell me more about these morning practices. What's this oil I see everywhere?
👩🏽⚕️: Ah, that's tailam for abhyanga - my copper vessel for warm oil massage. This particular oil is infused with herbs picked during specific moon phases. My grandmother taught me how to prepare it.
🦍: And you just... massage it in?
👩🏽⚕️: Yes, but with intention. Each stroke follows the body's energy pathways - what we call nadis. Then we practice gandusha, or oil pulling, traditionally with cold-pressed sesame oil blessed with Vedic mantras.
🦍: These bottles are beautiful!
👩🏽⚕️: They're handcrafted by local artisans in Varanasi. Each design tells a story from our scriptures. And this is for nasya - nasal drops made with medicinal herbs from the Himalayan valleys.
🦍: You put oil... in your nose?
👩🏽⚕️: Indeed! Our ancient texts say the nose is the gateway to consciousness. Even warriors and kings practiced nasya for clarity and strength.
🦍: This isn't just about health, is it? It seems like... a celebration of life itself.
👩🏽⚕️: Exactly! In Ayurveda, we don't separate wellness from our cultural heritage. Each practice carries centuries of wisdom, passed down through generations. Even the simple act of washing your face becomes sacred when you use traditional ubtan made with chickpea flour, turmeric, and rose petals.
🦍: looking around with new appreciation It's like each object here tells a story...
👩🏽⚕️: gathering some herbs Would you like to start your own dinacharya journey? I can prepare a small kit with blessed oils and herbs from my family's garden in Kerala.
🦍: Yes, please! But... maybe we can start with something simpler than the nose oil?
👩🏽⚕️: Of course! Let's begin with the tongue scraper - it's been a companion to seekers of wellness since the time of ancient rishis.
🦍: Well, if it worked for the rishis... When do we start?
👩🏽⚕️: Right now is always the most auspicious time to begin. Shall we? That will cleanse you and make you more beautiful than ever.
Check out our amazing Ayurveda oils and Self Care products at Sattva Best of India.
For more information about the principles of the Ancient Ayurveda Tradition, check my blog: Dictionary of Ayurveda.