My Practice: A Daily Ayurvedic Routine

In My Practice, we share personal routines that create wellness and happiness from spiritual teachers, yogis, nutritionists, and more, in hopes to inspire your own healthy rituals.

Michelle S. Fondin is the author of The Wheel of Healing with Ayurveda. She holds a Vedic Master Certificate from the Chopra Center and is a member of the National Ayurvedic Medical Association and Yoga Alliance. She treats clients at her Ayurvedic Path center, speaks and offers workshops, and lives in Herndon, Virginia. We asked Michelle to take us on a journey into her daily life and the practices that work for her.

“My daily routine stems from a 5,000-year-old medical system from India called Ayurveda. Often, when people read about an Ayurvedic daily routine, it freaks them out because it seems so long and rigid. In reality, my routine isn’t rigid at all. It’s disciplined but as a result, I wake up everyday feeling fantastic.

Being a Vata type (one of the three Ayurvedic main mind body types), I typically awaken around 6-6:30 a.m. The first thing I do upon awakening is say “thank you” to God for the day. Starting my day with gratitude gets me centered.

When I get up, I drink a warm glass of water, use the restroom, brush my teeth and scrape my tongue with a stainless steel tongue cleaner.

As a Vata type, who naturally resists routine, my morning always includes daily meditation, reading scripture or spiritual literature, walking or running or a gym workout but not in any specific order. My favorite yoga routine to include is a set of movements called the Sun Salutations (surya namaskar). But since I teach several classes a day, I usually get many sets in daily.

My mind body type calls for a breakfast, which includes more of the sweet, sour and salty tastes. I usually opt for a homemade mocha using organic grass-fed milk and after my run, I cook two organic eggs with a half a slice of Havarti cheese with butter and a veggie sausage on a whole wheat English muffin. To flavor, I add salt, pepper, hot sauce, a tomato slice and cilantro. With that meal, I include all six tastes of an Ayurvedic eating plan.

The end of my day starts much like it begins. I like to settle down with journaling, spiritual literature and quiet reflection. In the fall, winter and spring, I like to do a mini-Ayurvedic massage with Vata oil mixed with massage-grade sesame oil. In two minutes, I massage the soles of the feet, my tummy, the back of the neck and ears. And following the advice of an Ayurvedic practice I go to bed between 10:30 and 11 p.m. every night.”

Do you have a practice you’d like to share? Comment below or email us at [email protected].