The Best Time Of Day To Eat, Sleep & Exercise According To Ayurveda

If you've ever been on a guided animal safari, you may have heard a ranger tell you about the types of animals you're most likely to spot at different times of the day. Most mammals on the planet do not have evolved brains like us humans, yet they have certainly preserved their circadian intelligence.

Ayurvedic science is based on this principle from the ancient Indian text, the Yajur Veda:

"Yatha Brahmande, Tatha Pinde; Yatha Pinde, Tathe Brahmande" 

"As is the universe, such is the human body; as is the human body, such is the universe"

This means that the universe outside of us mimics patterns within us and vice versa. By simple examination of the cycles of the sun, we can understand what's happening inside our bodies, and thus, we can determine what activity is best suited for a particular time of the day. In this sense, Ayurveda was talking about the importance of circadian rhythms way before the term "circadian" was coined.

The sun is rising, and the earth is barely starting its metabolic activities. Wet with dew, the planet is still cool from the moon's effect.

Similarly, our body and its digestive environment (agni) are damp and sluggish with nasal congestion, eye boogers, and even stiff joints. Therefore, the goal is to warm up the body and get it going.

This makes this the ideal time window for Vyayam, or exercise. Exercising at other times in the day can potentially aggravate vata. But in the morning, it fires up the gut, warms up the joints, and gets all bodily fluids in motion. Abhyanga, or a gentle oil massage, before Vyayam can lower the risk of injury and increase the benefits of exercise.

As the sun begins its descent, cool and windy energy spreads across the planet. We often yawn and stretch to remove trapped wind (vata), and a bit of crankiness might set in too.

As the sun gradually disappears beyond the horizon, so does our agni. Before the invention of the light bulb, humans naturally ate their last meals before sunset.

With this in mind, dinner should be early and the lightest and simplest meal of the day. This practice honors the evening agni, leaves plenty of hours for digestion before bedtime, and maintains the body's natural rhythms.

The body has finished its cellular repair, digestion is complete, and there is a natural lightness (vata). Suddenly, sleep patterns become light, making it the hardest to fall back asleep if one is awakened during these hours. Not only that, but the newly created space can also allow for anxiousness to set in unless it's given something better to do.

It is best to stay asleep during these hours, but if not, meditating, breath work, and mantra chanting are the most effective to ground the nervous system and utilize morning high-frequency brain wave patterns.