Does this sound like your day? You wake up rested, enjoy clear meditation or personal time, relish your productive workday, appreciate your friends and family during recreation, and peacefully slip off to sleep at night...It may seem obvious, but our quality of life is directly related to how well we take care of ourselves. We function best when we honor our body’s cycles and its need for rest, food, and exercise. In our culture, it’s common to override nature’s intelligence by staying up late, waking up with alarm clocks, skipping meals or eating on the run.
“Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.” —Benjamin Franklin
Michael Roizen, MD and Mehmet Oz, MD, authors of You—The Owner’s Manual, say, “Getting a good night’s sleep is one of the most crucial things you can do for your body.” They advise against sleeping pills, and encourage natural ways to promote sleep. A consistent schedule, including daily exercise, is key.
Nancy Lonsdorf, MD* says, “Keeping a regular routine of early bedtime, waking time, and mealtime aligns all of your biorhythms into a harmonious and coordinated flow.”
Dr. Lonsdorf is a primary-care physician and also an expert in Maharishi Ayurveda—the complete system of natural medicine from the ancient Vedic civilization of India. Ayurveda attends to the root of health through natural means such as diet, herbal supplements, daily routine, and exercise. Transcendental Meditation (TM) is the foundation of Maharishi Ayurveda because it develops consciousness, the basis of our physical and mental well-being. TM provides deep rest, and research has verified many health benefits.**
When I work with nature's cycles, I feel like a different person; I feel a smoothness that permeates my activity. When I rest before I get tired I'm more satisfied with the accomplishments of the day.
Here’s the ideal daily routine, according to ayurvedic knowledge of daily cycles:
•Wake up by 6 AM.
•Gentle yoga or light stretching, followed by TM, prepares you for a good day.
•Exercise between 6-10 AM for greater stamina and energy. If you're looking for an exercise program that's fun, try Nia!
•Light breakfast. Depending on your needs, favor protein, whole grains, and stewed fruit.
•Lunch at noon. Digestion is strongest midday. Make lunch your main meal. If you eat meat, have it at midday.
•Gentle yoga or light stretching, followed by TM to release the stress of the day.
•Dinner by 7 PM. Favor a light, vegetarian meal such as soup.
•Walk after dinner. If this is the only time you have for exercise, do something that won’t be too stimulating before you up before bed. Walking for 30 minutes is great for everyone.
•Pleasant evening activities. Avoid computer work, especially in your bedroom.
•Be in bed by 9:45 PM. Even if you’re awake with your eyes closed, you’re establishing a restful routine which will promote sleep.
If changing your routine all at once sounds overwhelming, Dr. Lonsdorf advises a gradual start. “First establish one ‘anchor time’ each day—a regular bedtime, waking time, or mealtime—whichever is easiest for you. Focus on anchoring that one event at a particular time of day for one, two, or three weeks, until it becomes easy and automatic. Then add a second anchor time in your schedule, and later a third and fourth."
If going to bed is a challenge, Dr Lonsdorf suggests, “Begin with a do-able time. For example, if you’re in the habit of going to bed at 1 AM, but you know you could get to bed by midnight, start with that. Gradually move your bedtime earlier by half-hour or fifteen-minute intervals. Allow a few weeks to pass after each change for the new time to become automatic. Make 9:45 PM your eventual goal."
“Eventually, every meal, bedtime, and waking time will have its own stable place in the soothing, balancing rhythm of your day.”
* Dr. Nancy Lonsdorf: www.drnancylonsdorf.com
** For research on TM and comments from doctors who recommend it, see www.doctorsonTM.org and www.tm.org
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