Ayurveda Wellness Tools

Practical tools and resources to support your Ayurvedic lifestyle including daily routine guides, healing recipes, meditation practices, herbal medicine information, and seasonal wellness recommendations.

Daily Routine Guide (Dinacharya)

A well-structured daily routine aligned with natural circadian rhythms is fundamental to Ayurvedic health. Dinacharya helps maintain balance, optimize energy, and prevent disease.

Morning Practices

  • • Wake before sunrise (5-6 AM)
  • • Eliminate wastes promptly
  • • Tongue scraping
  • • Oil pulling (gandusa)
  • • Self-massage (abhyanga)
  • • Gentle exercise or yoga
  • • Meditation and pranayama

Meal Timing

  • • Breakfast: 7-8 AM (light)
  • • Lunch: 12-1 PM (largest meal)
  • • Dinner: 6-7 PM (light, early)
  • • Eat in calm environment
  • • Chew thoroughly
  • • Avoid snacking between meals
  • • Fast 12-14 hours overnight

Exercise Guidelines

  • • Best time: 6-10 AM (Kapha)
  • • Exercise to 50% capacity
  • • Vata: Gentle, grounding
  • • Pitta: Moderate intensity
  • • Kapha: Vigorous activity
  • • Avoid excessive sweating
  • • Listen to body signals

Evening Rituals

  • • Light dinner before sunset
  • • Short walk after eating
  • • Reduce screen time
  • • Gentle stretching or yin yoga
  • • Warm oil foot massage
  • • Gratitude reflection
  • • Sleep by 10 PM

Personalized Routine by Constitution

Vata Constitution

Focus on grounding, warmth, and routine:

  • • Consistent wake/sleep times
  • • Warm oil massage daily
  • • Regular, warm, nourishing meals
  • • Gentle, calming exercise
  • • Avoid raw, cold, dry foods

Pitta Constitution

Emphasize cooling and moderation:

  • • Avoid intense heat and sun
  • • Cooling foods and herbs
  • • Moderate exercise intensity
  • • Take breaks during work
  • • Practice patience and forgiveness

Kapha Constitution

Prioritize stimulation and lightness:

  • • Wake early, avoid sleeping in
  • • Vigorous daily exercise
  • • Light, warm, spicy foods
  • • Dry brushing before bathing
  • • Seek variety and new experiences

Ayurvedic Recipes

Healing recipes designed to balance doshas, support digestion, and nourish body and mind with wholesome, seasonal ingredients.

Vata-Balancing Meals

Warm, moist, grounding, and nourishing

  • Kitchari: Basmati rice and mung dal cooked with ghee, warming spices (cumin, ginger, turmeric). Perfect for cleansing and nourishment.
  • Root Vegetable Soup: Sweet potato, carrots, beets with coconut milk and warming spices.
  • Golden Milk: Warm milk with turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, and honey before bed.

Pitta-Balancing Meals

Cool, sweet, and soothing foods

  • Coconut Rice: Basmati rice with coconut, cilantro, lime, and cooling spices like fennel and coriander.
  • Cucumber Raita: Yogurt with cucumber, mint, and cumin for digestive cooling.
  • Sweet Lassi: Blended yogurt with rose water, cardamom, and dates.

Kapha-Balancing Meals

Light, dry, warm, and spicy dishes

  • Spiced Quinoa: Quinoa with vegetables, black pepper, ginger, and mustard seeds.
  • Bitter Greens Salad: Arugula, dandelion greens with lemon-ginger dressing.
  • Ginger Tea: Fresh ginger with honey and lemon to kindle digestion.

Seasonal Recipe Collections

Spring Cleansing Recipes

Light soups, bitter greens, detox teas, sprouted grains

Summer Cooling Recipes

Fresh fruits, cucumber dishes, mint lassi, coconut-based meals

Fall Grounding Recipes

Root vegetables, warming grains, ghee-rich dishes

Winter Nourishing Recipes

Hearty stews, nut milks, warming spices, oily preparations

Digestive Teas & Tonics

CCF Tea (Cumin-Coriander-Fennel)

Equal parts cumin, coriander, fennel seeds. Supports all doshas and improves digestion.

Ginger Digestive Tea

Fresh ginger boiled in water. Kindles digestive fire (agni).

Triphala Tea

Herbal blend for gentle detoxification and colon health.

Chyawanprash

Traditional rejuvenating jam with amla and herbs for immunity.

Constitution Assessment

Understanding your unique Ayurvedic constitution (Prakriti) and current imbalances (Vikriti) is the foundation for personalized health recommendations.

Prakriti Assessment

Your birth constitution (Prakriti) is determined at conception and remains constant throughout life. A comprehensive assessment includes:

  • Physical characteristics: body frame, skin type, hair quality, digestion patterns
  • Mental-emotional traits: thinking patterns, emotional tendencies, stress responses
  • Childhood patterns: growth patterns, tendencies from youth
  • Pulse diagnosis: traditional assessment method by qualified practitioner

Vikriti Assessment

Current imbalances (Vikriti) show which doshas are aggravated now. Assessment includes:

  • Current symptoms: digestive issues, sleep problems, skin conditions
  • Recent changes: appetite, elimination, energy levels, mood
  • Environmental factors: season, climate, life stressors
  • Lifestyle habits: diet, sleep, exercise, daily routine

Personalized Recommendations

Based on your assessment, a qualified Ayurvedic practitioner can provide personalized guidance in these areas:

Dietary Guidelines

  • • Foods to favor and avoid
  • • Tastes to emphasize
  • • Meal timing and portion sizes
  • • Cooking methods
  • • Seasonal adjustments

Lifestyle Practices

  • • Daily routine (dinacharya)
  • • Exercise type and intensity
  • • Sleep recommendations
  • • Stress management techniques
  • • Seasonal practices (ritucharya)

Herbal Support

  • • Constitutional herbs
  • • Dosha-specific formulations
  • • Digestive support
  • • Seasonal cleansing
  • • Mind-body tonics

Work with a Professional

For accurate constitutional assessment and personalized recommendations, consult with a qualified Ayurvedic practitioner. Find an AABC practitioner near you.

Meditation & Breathwork

Ancient practices to calm the mind, balance the nervous system, and cultivate inner peace and clarity.

Pranayama Techniques

Nadi Shodhana (Alternate Nostril Breathing)

Benefits: Balances left and right brain hemispheres, calms nervous system

Best for: All doshas, especially Vata imbalance, anxiety, insomnia

Sheetali (Cooling Breath)

Benefits: Cools body and mind, reduces anger and inflammation

Best for: Pitta imbalance, heat conditions, summer season

Kapalabhati (Skull Shining Breath)

Benefits: Energizes, clears lungs, improves mental clarity

Best for: Kapha imbalance, congestion, lethargy

Ujjayi (Ocean Breath)

Benefits: Builds heat, improves focus, calms mind

Best for: Vata and Kapha, yoga practice, concentration

Bhramari (Humming Bee Breath)

Benefits: Reduces stress, anxiety, and anger instantly

Best for: All doshas, especially Vata and Pitta imbalances

Mindfulness Practices

Mantra Meditation

Repetition of sacred sounds to focus and purify the mind. Common mantras include "Om," "So Hum," or personal mantras from a teacher.

Practice: 10-20 minutes daily, morning or evening

Yoga Nidra (Yogic Sleep)

Conscious relaxation technique guiding body and mind into deep rest while remaining aware.

Practice: 20-40 minutes, excellent for insomnia and stress

Trataka (Candle Gazing)

Fixed-gaze meditation on candle flame to improve concentration and eye health.

Practice: 5-15 minutes, especially beneficial for Vata types

Body Scan Meditation

Progressive awareness through body parts to release tension and increase body awareness.

Practice: 10-30 minutes, grounding for Vata

Loving-Kindness (Metta) Meditation

Cultivating compassion towards self and others through directed well-wishing.

Practice: 10-20 minutes, balancing for Pitta

Dosha-Specific Meditation Recommendations

For Vata Types

  • • Grounding visualizations
  • • Body-based practices
  • • Consistent time and place
  • • Warm, comfortable setting
  • • Guided meditations

For Pitta Types

  • • Cooling visualizations (moon, water)
  • • Forgiveness practices
  • • Non-competitive approach
  • • Evening meditation
  • • Loving-kindness focus

For Kapha Types

  • • Energizing visualizations
  • • Early morning practice
  • • Active meditation forms
  • • Stimulating breathwork
  • • Walking meditation

Herbal Medicine Guide

Common Ayurvedic herbs and their therapeutic uses for supporting health and balancing doshas.

Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera)

Properties: Adaptogenic, rejuvenating, calming

Dosha Effect: Balances Vata and Kapha

Uses: Stress, anxiety, energy, immune support, sleep

Dosage: 300-600mg twice daily

Turmeric (Curcuma longa)

Properties: Anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, blood purifying

Dosha Effect: Balances all doshas

Uses: Inflammation, joint health, digestion, skin

Dosage: 500-2000mg daily with black pepper

Triphala (Three Fruits)

Properties: Gentle detoxifier, antioxidant, rejuvenating

Dosha Effect: Balances all doshas

Uses: Digestion, elimination, eye health, immunity

Dosage: 1-2g before bed or upon waking

Brahmi (Bacopa monnieri)

Properties: Cognitive enhancer, nervine tonic, cooling

Dosha Effect: Balances Vata and Pitta

Uses: Memory, focus, anxiety, mental clarity

Dosage: 300-450mg daily

Shatavari (Asparagus racemosus)

Properties: Rejuvenating, cooling, nourishing

Dosha Effect: Balances Vata and Pitta

Uses: Women's health, fertility, digestive support

Dosage: 500-1000mg twice daily

Trikatu (Three Pungents)

Properties: Heating, digestive stimulant, expectorant

Dosha Effect: Reduces Kapha and Vata

Uses: Low digestion, congestion, metabolism

Dosage: 250-500mg before meals

Guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia)

Properties: Immune modulator, anti-inflammatory, detoxifying

Dosha Effect: Balances all doshas, especially Pitta

Uses: Immunity, fever, chronic infections, allergies

Dosage: 300-600mg twice daily

Holy Basil / Tulsi (Ocimum sanctum)

Properties: Adaptogenic, antimicrobial, respiratory support

Dosha Effect: Balances Vata and Kapha

Uses: Stress, respiratory health, immunity

Dosage: Tea 2-3 cups daily or 300-600mg extract

Amalaki (Emblica officinalis)

Properties: High vitamin C, rejuvenating, cooling

Dosha Effect: Balances all doshas, especially Pitta

Uses: Immunity, hair/skin health, digestion

Dosage: 500-1000mg daily

Usage Guidelines & Safety

General Guidelines

  • • Consult qualified practitioner for personalized recommendations
  • • Start with lower doses and increase gradually
  • • Take herbs consistently for 2-3 months for best results
  • • Use organic, high-quality sources when possible
  • • Consider bioavailability enhancers (e.g., black pepper with turmeric)

Safety Considerations

  • • Inform healthcare provider of all herbs being taken
  • • Be aware of potential herb-drug interactions
  • • Pregnancy/nursing: consult qualified practitioner first
  • • Children: use lower doses under professional guidance
  • • Discontinue if adverse reactions occur

Seasonal Wellness

Align your wellness practices with the changing seasons to maintain balance, prevent disease, and optimize health throughout the year.

Seasonal Dosha Influences

Spring (Kapha Season)

Qualities: Heavy, wet, cool, cloudy

Common Imbalances: Congestion, allergies, lethargy, weight gain

Prevention: Lighter foods, increase activity, reduce dairy, spring cleansing

Summer (Pitta Season)

Qualities: Hot, sharp, penetrating, bright

Common Imbalances: Inflammation, anger, rashes, digestive issues

Prevention: Cooling foods, avoid excessive heat, moderate activity, stay hydrated

Fall (Vata Season)

Qualities: Dry, light, cold, windy, erratic

Common Imbalances: Anxiety, insomnia, dry skin, constipation

Prevention: Warm, oily foods, routine, grounding practices, adequate rest

Winter (Vata/Kapha Season)

Qualities: Cold, heavy, wet, dark

Common Imbalances: Depression, weight gain, respiratory issues

Prevention: Nourishing foods, stay warm, maintain activity, adequate vitamin D

Seasonal Cleansing Protocols

Spring Cleanse (March-April)

Focus: Remove excess Kapha accumulated in winter

  • • Kitchari mono-diet for 3-7 days
  • • Bitter and pungent herbs (neem, turmeric)
  • • Dry brushing and vigorous exercise
  • • Reduce heavy, oily, sweet foods

Summer Reset (July-August)

Focus: Cool and soothe excess Pitta

  • • Lighter cleanse with cooling foods
  • • Aloe vera juice, coconut water
  • • Avoid heating spices and fermented foods
  • • Gentle, cooling practices

Fall Grounding (September-October)

Focus: Stabilize and ground Vata

  • • Gentle cleanse with warm, oily foods
  • • Abhyanga (oil massage) daily
  • • Warming herbs (ginger, cinnamon)
  • • Establish regular routines

Winter Nourishment (December-January)

Focus: Build strength and immunity

  • • Building foods and tonics
  • • Chyawanprash for immunity
  • • Warming spices and herbs
  • • Moderate, not extreme cleansing

Preventive Measures Throughout the Year

Dietary Adjustments

  • • Eat seasonally available foods
  • • Adjust cooking methods by season
  • • Balance tastes according to season
  • • Modify portion sizes seasonally
  • • Incorporate seasonal spices

Lifestyle Practices

  • • Adapt exercise intensity
  • • Modify sleep duration
  • • Adjust oil massage frequency
  • • Change daily routine timing
  • • Seasonal meditation practices

Herbal Support

  • • Spring: Bitter, pungent herbs
  • • Summer: Cooling, sweet herbs
  • • Fall: Warming, grounding herbs
  • • Winter: Nourishing, building herbs
  • • Year-round: Constitutional herbs

Ready to Begin Your Ayurvedic Journey?

Connect with experienced Ayurvedic practitioners for personalized guidance and support in implementing these wellness tools.