I’ve been lucky enough to study the schedules of some pretty aspirational women in my career, and I’ve pored over the AM rituals of even more thanks to one of my favorite Camille Styles columns. Out of all of them, it’s the women who embraced Ayurvedic morning routines that have always grabbed me most.
Maybe it’s the way they talk about their more unique habits—warm lemon water, tongue scraping—with a kind of quiet conviction. Though it’s long been widely practiced in India, Ayurveda has become more mainstream in the U.S. in recent years. But these women never seemed to be trend-chasing. It was just something they’d committed to. Finally, I decided it was time to learn why.
“Ayurveda is this idea that when you live in harmony with nature, you will have optimal health and a vibrant life—but what does that really mean?” says Dr. Avanti Kumar-Singh, a former physician who now works as an Ayurveda wellness expert, integrating ancient wisdom with the best of Western medicine. “My goal is really just to help people understand the power of Ayurveda.”
Ahead, Dr. Kumar-Singh discusses the role of routine in Ayurvedic tradition, along with a few morning rituals to start the day centered, healthy, and in harmony with nature.
Featured image by Michelle Nash
It’s become more and more mainstream, but what exactly is Ayurveda?
“Ayurveda is the 5,000-year-old healing system of India,” Dr. Kumar-Singh explains. “It’s really considered the mother of all healing systems—most other healing systems actually have their roots in Ayurveda, including traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine.”
In Ayurveda, there are five elements—space, air, fire, earth, and water—that make up everything in the universe, including humans. Our natural state is to be in harmony with them.
“When we start to go out of harmony, that’s when very subtle symptoms start to show up—something like a small headache or stomach ache we might blow off,” Dr. Kumar-Singh explains. “It’s not that we should stress about every symptom, but it’s about developing an awareness. The symptoms are showing up to tell us something.”
When we begin to feel off-balance, how do we get back in harmony with nature?
“When you’re out of sync with the daily rhythm of the sun, that’s when the problems start,” Dr. Kumar-Singh says. “We know from a medical standpoint that circadian rhythm regulates everything in the body physiologically. The perception of light throughout the day, through our retina and into our brain, controls the release of hormones — specifically cortisol and melatonin.”
Even without today’s medical data to back it up, Ayurvedic practitioners understood thousands of years ago how important it is to stay in sync with the cycles of nature — most fundamentally, the daily cycle.
“That’s where this idea of routines becomes so important,” Dr. Kumar-Singh adds. “They aren’t trendy things, or woo-woo. Routines are the foundation of Ayurvedic healing. That’s the first recommendation a practitioner will make.”
What are some of your most recommended Ayurvedic morning routines?
Dr. Kumar-Singh believes it’s the small, simple changes that have the most profound effects on our health.
“Of course, simple doesn’t mean easy,” she adds. “But when you commit to these things, stay consistent, and let them add up cumulatively, that’s when the real effects start to happen.”
Go to Bed at the Same Time Every Night
“It seems so obvious but it’s true: your day starts the night before,” Dr. Kumar-Singh explains. “A good night’s sleep influences everything the next day, from your food choices to your mood.”
- By an Ayurvedic clock, 10 p.m. is the time our bodies begin detoxifying.
- Turn off blue lights at least 30 minutes before bed. When your brain senses there’s still light, it won’t turn off the cortisol and turn on the melatonin.
Stick to the Same Wake-Up Call
Though 4 a.m. shows up as a popular Ayurveda-recommended wake time in a quick Google search, Dr. Kumar-Singh doesn’t prescribe a specific hour. Instead, she suggests a consistent wake-up time to help regulate your days.
Get Regular in the Morning
The most important thing to do in the morning is to detoxify. “Everything that’s coming out is because your body doesn’t need it,” Dr. Kumar-Singh shares. “Holding your stool for a long time is very toxic from an Ayurvedic perspective.”
- A good way to get things moving early: drink a large glass of warm filtered water with fresh lemon juice as soon as you wake up.
Detoxify Every Orifice
Beyond the bowels, toxins accumulate in our eyes, ears, nose, and mouth overnight—and should be cleared each morning.
- Rinse out your eyes. Do a neti pot. Brush your teeth and scrape your tongue. Dr. Kumar-Singh is a big fan of Terra & Co.‘s oral hygiene products.
- Tongue analysis, a classic Ayurvedic practice, can reveal a lot about the state of your digestion—which, per Dr. Kumar-Singh, is central to overall health.
Regulate Your Meal Times
Try to eat around the same time each day—it calms the nervous system and supports digestion. Lunch should ideally be your largest meal of the day.
Does embracing Ayurveda mean giving up Western medicine?
Ayurveda may be having a moment in the U.S., but Dr. Kumar-Singh isn’t suggesting anyone ditch their primary care doctor. “If I break my arm, I’m going to the emergency room, not an Ayurvedic practitioner,” she laughs.
Still, she believes there’s real value in combining Ayurveda’s proactive approach with the reactive strengths of modern medicine.
“We need Western medicine, but it’s not the whole story,” Dr. Kumar-Singh says. “There are other healing modalities that are very important, and when you integrate them, that’s where the magic is.”