the Ayurveda way to see your day

Here are the instructions to draw The Ayurveda Clock. You can skip to the end to read text of the legend. Or, to learn it as you go, begin by drawing your own copy as I explain how to move through your day – and your night. Plan to use ideal times of day or evening for regular activities, such as the sometimes elusive practice of meditation. If meditation is hard for you, study this chart and memorize it by making it visual .

To begin, get a blank sheet of paper, a big one at least 8 1/2 by 11 . You might want a black marker and 3 other colors to represent the dosas of Pitta ( the Fire element), Vata ( the Air element) and Kapha ( the Earth element).

Remember that every normal person contains all three of the dosas. Now and then your primary dosa might go out of balance.

The secret to a balanced life, via Ayurveda, is to prevent any one dosa from going out of whack and leading you – and all the other dosas – astray.

Draw a circle as you see it here. Label the circle as though it is a clock face. The number 12 goes at the top and represents both noon and midnight. The number 6 goes at the bottom to represent 6 am and 6 pm.

The numbers 10 and 2 are written to the left and right of 12:00 just where you would find them on a clock.

Remember they will represent both AM and PM.

Next. Create three equal blocks that will give you pie shapes for each of the three primary dosas.

A pie cut labelled P for PITTA begins at 10 and connects to 2 after traveling to the center of the clock.

Draw a line from the center of the clock to the number 6 and voila! you have a pie shape for Kapha to the left and Vata to the right. Letter those blocks accordingly. Soon, you will write the most suitable activities into blocks that represent times of day ( 12 to 2 — 2 to 6 — 6 to 10 ). But first,

Within the Vata-dominant morning, the hour of God is the hour before Sunrise. As you will soon see, at that time of day, before sunrise, Pitta has cleansed the liver, removing bodily ama. Creative Vata is beginning her morning tour. Just before dawn is an unusually great time for meditation. The birds will sing to signal your beginning or your ending; your choice.

Kapha, of course, is still sound asleep ! For Kapha is strong between 6 am.and 10 am. Label those hours for strong exercise and steady work projects. Be on the move for sturdy Kapha will be supportive. But between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. Kapha wants to be an earthly self. Eat a small meal, Slow Down! Go to bed.

You wonder about Meditation. The best time slot for a quiet mind straddles the 6:00 line between Vata and Kapha. So, let’s look at Vata next. She governs the bottom left – call that the southwest – corner of our pie. In the early morning hours ( the Hour of God before Sunrise) after 2 a.m. – until 6 a.m. – we want to Cleanse, Study, Meditate, and even Dream, for Vata rules Creativity. If you are awake early, it will be easier to meditate and easier to find novel solutions to problems old and new. In the evening, Vata wants to be ready for the Kapha-ruled slowdown that begins at 6 p.m. So, in the late afternoon, book a gentle massage, plan a quiet and restful sort of yoga practice and for sure plan to meditate.

Notice that Kapha emphasized a small meal in the evening. That sets us up for the Pitta-governed hours of 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. when Pitta cleanses the liver, nourishes the blood and internally clears the body of toxins and prepares it for the next day. In the morning hours of 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. the agni ( fire) of Pitta is strong. There is already enough heat there: Do not Overwork, no fiery standing poses or you will send Pitta into overbalance. But because agni is good, eat a big meal and allow the fire to transform nutrition into usable blocks for a healthy body.

If you have any questions do ask away. Write to me at mindoveryoga@yahoo.com. or call at 717-576-2099.

Enjoy your Ayurveda day.

roberta strickler RYT 500-E and Ayurveda health counselor.