Set a Schedule
Children of the 80’s might remember the PSA: It’s 10pm. Do you know where your children are?
It was a big media campaign to encourage curfews for young folks. Many celebrities lent their talents helping to make the advertisements, including Cyndi Lauper.
In Ayurveda we joke that 10pm is ‘Ayurvedic Midnight’, because we know nothing good happens in our bodies if we stay up too late. We know that a set schedule is of utmost importance.
I know most of you are on a schedule for work or school, but do you follow a schedule for meal times and sleeping/waking?
Does it follow the actual circadian rhythm or do you find yourself pushing it to stay up later all the time?
I’ve got bad news if you are one of those that like to push the envelope. You can’t get out of the circadian rhythm people, it’s programmed into our CELLS!!!
If meal times are all over the place and your body doesn’t know when it is going to get to rest next, you are most likely going to be all sorts of out of whack!
Indeed, vata dosha needs a container to feel comfortable. Vata is all air and ether with nothing to ground it, so it can vitiate easily, but with the proper structure in place, it feels taken care of and you get to relax.
If you suffer from insomnia, indigestion, anxiety, gas, bloating, brain fog, or are easily irritated, it may be that your vata doesn’t feel ‘safe’.
I like to think of vata as an overtired little kid, it needs the consistency of a schedule and the reassurance that a steady rhythm can bring.
BORING, you say?? Well, I challenge you to try and maintain a regular schedule for 2 weeks and see how it works for you. Often this is all I will give new clients to do for a month to see if they can start to effect change this way. It can be harder than you think.
I find, to maintain what is a healthy schedule for me, I have to really set boundaries with the people in my life. I have to let them know that I won’t be available after 7:30pm, because I like a lot of wind down time before I turn the lights out at 8:30/9. With clear communication, though, it goes really well.
If we look at the circadian rhythm from an Ayurvedic perspective we can see the rise and fall of the doshas each day, which helps us to see how to craft our days for the best results for our health AND our productivity.
Not sure what I am talking about?? No worries, I developed an Ayurvedic Clock so you can see how to set your schedules for a better day (and night). Click here to download your copy!
Following Ayurvedic rhythms can really help to bring that vata back down to earth.
Hope it helps! Don’t hesitate to let me know what you think and what might be a struggle for you as you try to adopt an ayurvedic schedule.
I am here to help!
In Love,
Veronica
