Do you find yourself struggling to focus throughout the workday? Are you relying on that double espresso to get you through the mid-afternoon hump? Do you wonder why it’s so difficult for you to tap into your creativity and inspiration when needed?
That’s because you are likely fighting against your
Ayurveda reminds us of our connection to Mother Nature and helps us get back in tune with the cycles that exist within each day, each year, and over the course of our lives.
These energies are known as the Doshas – Vata, Pitta, and Kapha make up our mental and physical essence.
The more we connect to the natural rhythms of life, the more we can effortlessly flow and be most efficient with our time and productive with our energy.
A lot of this can seem foreign and difficult to grasp especially if this is your first time learning about the Doshas and cycles of life.
So let’s backtrack and break things down a bit.
First and foremost, Ayurveda is the Science of Life… it’s also known and the Sister Science of Yoga or the lifestyle that supports the practice of Yoga.
Ayurveda reminds us that we are creatures of nature, we are not separate from it and it sees our mind and body as ONE. It also teaches us that there are 5 building blocks that make up nature – fire, water, earth, air, and space.
When two specific elements mix they create energy also known as a Dosha.
Earth + Water = Kapha
Fire + Water = Pitta
Air + Space = VATA
These energies each possess specific qualities and knowing them allows us to stay balanced by abiding by the principle of like increases like and opposite brings balance.
Kapha time of the day: 6–10 am and 6–10 pm
When you first wake up in the morning, the world’s energy is slow, heavy, and cool. Birds are starting to chirp, things are quiet and there’s a sense of comfort and steadiness. In terms of being productive, this is the big inhale part of the day before the pace picks up and your energy starts to build.
This is a great time to ease into your workflow by completing simple tasks, scheduling calls that don’t require you to be center stage, and checking things off of your to-do list while you’re calm, steady, and gracefully focused.
BONUS: If you want to hack your energy a bit, it would be a great time to squeeze in some movement before you start your day just in case you’re feeling a little sluggish. The opposition of movement and stimulation from exercise will help you feel most energized throughout the day. (Opposite brings balance)
Alternative hack: Coffee lovers, although caffeine can increase the Vata dosha and is not recommended from an Ayurvedic perspective, this would be the most ideal time to have your beloved cappuccino or latte. This could help combat the slow, heavy energy of Kapha – a little stimulation during these hours could be the nice jolt you need to get moving.
Note: It’s most ideal to shut down your workday around 6 pm at the latest so you can then fall back into the steady, cool, calmness of the evening. This is the time to wind down and get to bed before 10 pm.
Pitta time of the day: 10 am–2 pm and 10 pm–2 am
This is the time when your brain is fired up, turned on, ready to focus and get your Type A tasks done. This is the time to dive in on big projects, close deals, hop on sales calls, give presentations, etc.
Capitalizing on this energy will allow you to prioritize the things that require more focus so that you make headway without feeling like you don’t have the energy to back up the tasks at hand. This is also the time when you’d want to schedule your biggest meal of the day: LUNCH.
When the sun is highest in the sky and your digestion is at its peak, it’s designed to digest the most amount of food. It’s crucial to make space for nourishment during this time for a healthy, hearty meal.
Fueling your vessel will allow you to feel supported and balanced throughout the day. Skipping this can lead to unhealthy decisions, unbalanced blood sugar and feeling depleted unable to perform well no matter how and which ways you structure your day.
The later part of the day between 10 pm – 2 am is when Pitta strikes again.
Have you ever noticed if you fight the natural sleepiness that sets in around 10 pm, you get a second wind? Do you feel like you could stay up and work for hours? Or maybe you just find it hard to fall asleep. Where my night owls at? That’s because the fire, focused, active energy is turned back on at this time.
However, it’s also when your liver goes into deep detox. So in order to feel the most energized and refreshed the following day, it’s best to be sleeping during these hours to let your body fully reboot and do its thing.
Capitalize on the Kapha energy between 6 pm – 10 pm to slow down, unwind and go to bed.
Vata time of the day: 2–6 pm and 2–6 am
This is the time when you are likely to feel the most creative and inspired.
Distraction and more scattered thinking may set in. You might find it more difficult to complete tasks that require more structure and organization. It’s great to do creative projects during these hours or maybe take a break to journal, go for a walk in nature, read a book and let your creative juices flow.
Release any pressure to get things done and instead open yourself up to universal downloads and to receive the inspiration that will help you move forward in ways other than getting tasks complete. Try not to feed into the urge for the second cup of coffee or double espresso during these hours thinking that you still need to be focused and productive. This will throw off the rest of your day, keeping you up later and creating a domino effect that can lead to all sorts of imbalance and depletion.
Instead, honor your energy and create space to just be.
You’d most likely want to be sleeping during 2 am – 6 am unless you are deep on the spiritual path. These are the hours that some gurus choose to practice meditation. Since the world is lighter and you are more connected to the ethers, it’s considered the ideal time to get the most out of your spiritual practice.
Keep in mind, there will be an adjustment period as your body realigns to these cycles of nature, especially if you’ve been going against the grain for a while.
Remember, Ayurveda is a holistic approach to life. It’s always a combination of diet, lifestyle, understanding yourself, and connection to nature on a deeper level that will allow you to unlock your greatest human potential.
If you feel your diet and lifestyle habits are not supporting your unique state of balance you may be experiencing heavy energy that prevents you from tapping into the natural flow of life.
If that’s the case, a great place to start is clearing out the toxins that have built up in your intestines over the months/years also known as “ama”.
Ayurveda believes that all disease and symptoms of imbalance start in the gut. Strengthening digestion will allow your body and mind to reset so that you can then feel naturally motivated and effortlessly inclined to flow with the natural rhythms of life.
If you’d like personal guidance on your diet and lifestyle reach out via my IG @ayurveda.amanda or email and inquire about the Mind-Body Reset Group Cleanse coming up on March 15th. No starving juicing or fasting involved just a delicious ancient healing dish called kitchari that supports the body as it enters detox mode.
Regardless, remember to honor your energy. If you feel like you are on an uphill climb every day, it’s just a matter of making small shifts at a time. Baby steps are the key to a long-term sustainable, healthy lifestyle that allows you to be the fullest expression of who you are designed to be.
Read next: How To Be Productive Based On Your Ayurvedic Dosha
