Daily Practice: Dinacharya

In the timeless wisdom of Ayurveda, dinacharya—the art of daily rhythm—invites us into harmony with life itself. The simple rituals we return to each day shape the way our bodies breathe, our minds settle, and our spirits radiate the light.

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Whenever I speak of this, I often hear, “I don’t have time for a daily practice.”

I understand this completely. I have said the same words.

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For a long time, I didn’t realize that I already had a daily practice. I just hadn’t yet made it one that nourished me.

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In my twenties, my morning ritual was coffee and cigarettes—truly.

In my thirties, it became running, laundry, and meal prep.

In my forties, I began to weave meditation and mantra into my mornings, before a run.

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Then, after a breast cancer diagnosis and treatment, running became painful. It was heartbreaking as this had once been my joy. But as 2020 unfolded, yoga gently filled the space that running had left behind. I completed yoga teacher training, and my movement softened into breath, asana, prayer.

In 2023, after another health challenge, I traveled to India for my first panchakarma, and from there, a deeper devotion to Ayurvedic living took root.

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Now, my dinacharya is the anchor of my day. I rarely miss it, not from discipline, but from devotion. With each practice—each breath, posture, mantra—I feel more awake, more loving, more alive.

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It’s not that I am “good” because I practice. It’s that I am human—beautifully, imperfectly human—and this practice helps me make peace with that truth. It is my refuge, my remembering, my way home to myself.

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And you, dear one—you already have a daily practice too.

Maybe it’s coffee and the morning news.

Maybe it’s a smoothie and a scroll through Instagram.

Maybe it’s three soft taps on the snooze button, or sweat and music in the spin studio.