An inside look into my step-by-step Ayurvedic morning routine

A daily routine can be a lifesaver. It can also be something that adds unnecessary stress if we take it too seriously or follow it too strictly! Throughout my life I’ve fluctuated between having no routine and keeping to a very specific schedule. As an artist, there have been times in my life where it felt impossible to follow a routine – for example when I was working 12-hour days on film sets: some days the call time would be at 7pm and other days at 5am! 

However, over time I’ve learned that for myself, when my work is irregular and unpredictable, it’s even more important that I create some sort of daily routine that can act as a container for all the other fluctuations. I think the key to a good daily routine is to make sure it leaves room for a bit of flexibility and can adapt to your life circumstance. 

The sanskrit term for an Ayurvedic daily routine is dinacharya. Dinacharya is a set of habits (most of them done in the morning) that, when practiced regularly, help support health and balance. When I was first introduced to this concept, I didn’t see a whole lot of room for flexibility in it. It looked like a very long list of things I was supposed to do at very specific times, in a certain order, that required me to wake up very early. But I’ve never been one to pass up a promising morning routine, so I did my best to implement all the steps. It was fun for the first week or so, but it was totally unsustainable!

I tend to be a very “all or nothing” kind of girl, so I’ve had to learn to take baby steps and to pick and choose my favorite elements of the Ayurvedic routine to make a part of my daily lifestyle. Even so, the routine that I’ve developed will probably sound overwhelming to you. I say this to assure you that my own personal morning routine is something I’ve developed through trial and error over many years, and something that still changes all the time. 

And here’s some more disclaimers. Depending on the season, or where I am in my menstrual cycle, I will tweak elements of this routine. I find that this keeps things fresh and prevents me from getting tired of my routine. I rarely do everything on the list, every day of the week. (But some elements are non-negotiable.) That said I find it helpful to have a set structure of what I do on a “typical” day, and from there I can tweak if needed as my time, energy or day calls for. 

I hope this preamble has made clear that I’m not suggesting that my daily routine is the “right” one or the only way to do things according to the laws of Ayurveda or any other laws. I hesitate to even share my routine, because I know this is something that will look different for every person. But, since I get asked all the time what Ayurvedic practices I use in my own life, I thought it would be fun to give you a real behind-the-scenes look at the morning routine of an Ayurvedic Coach. 

Perhaps this will peak your interest into dinacharya or inspire you to rethink your personal routine. If you need some motivation, know that a regular routine is especially important during the fall season, as it is great for balancing excess vata energy. Even choosing one simple thing to do each morning will create more grounding in your day, help to reduce stress and bring balance to the body. 

Without further ado, here is my step-by-step daily routine, as it looks currently:

1.Wake up. I typically wake up between 5:30 and 6am. I don’t usually set an alarm because I naturally wake up very early. If I sleep in, I see it as a rare luxury!

2. Scrape tongue/brush teeth. Tongue scraping is a classical component of dinacharya. It removes toxins from the mouth that have built up overnight. I use a copper tongue scraper, but here’s a nice stainless one if you want a visual! I gently scrape my tongue about 5 times, from back to front, rinsing the scraper in between. Afterwards, I brush my teeth. 

3. Warm lemon water. This is another non-negotiable. Seriously, if we don’t have lemons in the house, it throws my whole day out of whack! To make my lemon water I squeeze half a fresh lemon in a large mug, and pour in half boiling water and half room temp water so that it’s warm but not too hot to drink. I usually drink my beverage sitting on the couch groggily petting my puppies if they’ve decided to join me downstairs. 

4. Eliminate. Yes, this is a very important part of my daily routine. I’ve found that if I don’t make time to go to the bathroom in the morning, I won’t go! Over time this leads to constipation, indigestion, etc. There really is magic in being regular, and I’ve had to train my body into it. The lemon water usually gets things moving right away and I have a good bowel movement right after finishing my morning beverage (hence the reason I need lemons on hand at all times). 

5. Oil massage. While my body and mind are still waking up, I find it’s the perfect time to practice abhyanga, a self-massage with warm oil. You can read my detailed “how-to” for an oil massage here. Basically, I get naked, sit on a towel on my bathroom floor and rub warm sesame oil onto my body from head to toe! If you’re thinking, Wow, I would never have the time to do this every day! know that when you get the practice down, it doesn’t have to take longer than five minutes! It’s such a luxurious and calming way to start the day. 

I tend to wake up with an active and worried mind that is already looking for the negatives. It’s really hard to keep up negative or self-critical thoughts when you’re rubbing warm oil into your skin, so that’s why it’s one of the first things on my list, before I talk to anyone; even before I meditate or journal. When I attend to my body in this way, it gets my head right. 

6. Bathe/shower. I bathe directly after my oil massage, which means I don’t have to worry about getting my clothes or the house all oily. If I’m feeling like I need extra luxury, I take a hot bath. Most days, I just do a quick shower, continuing to rub the oil into my skin in the hot water. (You don’t need to use soap to get the oil off – it’s best to let it absorb into your skin!) If I’m feeling sluggish or need an extra energy boost, I’ll switch the water to cold for the last 30 seconds or so of my shower. When I do this I always come out of my shower feeling all tingly and alive! 

7. Nose oil. I know what you’re thinking. Seriously? More oil? This is getting a bit ridiculous… But this one is quick! It takes about 30 seconds. Using a special nasya oil in a dropper bottle, I tilt my head back and put one to two drops in each nostril and inhale deeply. Nasya oil keeps the nasal passages clear, prevents dryness and irritation, and is said to enhance focus and concentration. Especially in the fall, this practice keeps me from drying out!

8. Face care. I won’t go into all the details of what I use for my face, but this is when I cleanse, tone and moisturize! The basic premise of Ayurvedic face care is, if you wouldn’t eat it, don’t put it on your skin. I try to use products with minimal ingredients that are plant derived and organic, like floral waters, herbal extracts and oils. Here’s an article I wrote that goes more in depth into Ayurvedic skin care.

9. Walk. Are you keeping track of the time? No? I don’t blame you. But on a typical day, all of this will have taken me about an hour, and by this time the sun is rising or is about to rise (during the current fall season at least!) I try to get out for a quick walk in the early morning sun every day, if possible. I’ve been working on regulating my hormones, and getting outside in natural light at the same time every day can be powerful for balancing internal rhythms and hormones, especially for women. I live in the Hollywood Hills in a very hilly neighborhood with no sidewalks and lots of steep winding roads. If I walk up the hill outside my house, there’s a nice spot where I can see the sun rising on clear days above the mountain next to the Griffith Observatory. It always feels a little bit special if I make it there at the exact moment of sunrise. My walks are usually a short loop, about 15 minutes, but could go up to an hour on more spacious mornings or when I feel inspired. 

10. Morning pages. I’ve been a regular journaler my whole life, but I picked up this specific journaling practice from The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. If you haven’t heard of it, the idea is to write three pages in a stream-of-consciousness form, not stopping to think, but just letting the words flow onto the page. I’m not sure why three pages is the magic number, but I think it has something to do with pushing yourself to write more than you want, getting past the initial surface thoughts to something deeper. I don’t always write three pages. Sometimes it’s just one or two. 

This isn’t part of a traditional Ayurvedic routine. This would often be the place you could put a meditation, pranayama or yoga practice. Those are all things I think are super beneficial and are important to me as well. But as an artist, I find that morning pages usually get priority if I have to choose. A daily writing practice has so many benefits, spiritually, emotionally, creatively… I see it as a form of meditation. 

11. Movement. This doesn’t happen at this time every day, depending on how long a walk I took, when I woke up, how many pages I wrote etc. etc. etc. But ideally I like to get in another form of exercise before breakfast. I rotate between yoga/weightlifting/cardio/pilates, and keep it to a 30-minute class. What type of workout I do depends a lot on my energy and where I am in my menstrual cycle. I don’t believe in pushing myself to the max, but I usually enjoy a little bit of a sweat if I’m in the mood. (P.S. I know it’s weird to work out after you shower. This is the traditional Ayurvedic order of things, but that doesn’t mean it’s better. Typically I don’t sweat that much especially if I’m doing yoga or something more gentle, and I prefer taking my shower early because it does so much to wake me up and improve my mood.)

12. Breakfast! Sweet lord, finally. I aim to start making breakfast at 8am every day. (Which means this whole pre-breakfast routine ideally takes about two hours.) Usually I’ve pre-soaked oatmeal or made overnight oats or something like that, so it’s quick to grab in the morning. Some Taylor Swift or Ed Sheeran or one of those cheesy “Have a Great Day!” Spotify playlists comes in handy right about now, to get my vibes up while I make breakfast. My husband and I dance in the kitchen, on good days. 

After all that incredibly nurturing and virtuous morning routine stuff, and before getting into the work day, breakfast is just a time to relax, laugh with my husband, and not take life too seriously. We usually watch a comedy show or some dumb reality tv — right now we’re obsessed with Married at First Sight. And yes, I know and believe in the benefit of eating without distractions, in silence and contemplation. But watching strangers go on their honeymoons makes me so dang happy, and being happy isn’t bad for digestion! 

Did I mention that I do all this before turning my phone on? I keep it on airplane mode at night and try not to bring it back to life until after breakfast. I like to have control over what comes into my awareness during this time, as much as possible. Especially in the last year as I’ve started my own business, I’ve learned that if I don’t keep clear work/life boundaries, every moment will get eaten up with things that fall under the “work” category. I choose to believe that work, news, and anyone who might need my attention can wait until after breakfast. 

Whew! I think it took more time to write all that down than it actually takes to practice it. I didn’t realize how many “steps” were involved. The truth is, most parts of this routine have become second nature to me and don’t take much effort or thought. I know that I’ll feel my best when I practice these habits, and I’m used to making the time for them. Just remember, it’s best to stay slow and steady when making lifestyle changes, so when thinking about your own routine, start with one new thing you could add, and do that one thing until it becomes second nature. Then you can add on from there. 

My evening routine is a lot simpler, and more flexible, but it’s also important. Next week I’ll share some thoughts on evening routine and Ayurvedic sleep tips!