Doshas and the times of the day
Morning, afternoon, evening, middle of the night… Your energy levels differ during different times of the day. Have you noticed that engaging in certain activities just feels good to you at some particular time, while doing others feels just ’ugh’? You sometimes force yourself to do stuff without considering what time it is, just because you need to check things off of your to-do list. But did you know that Vata, Pitta, and Kapha govern different times of the day? You can use the powerful aspects of the doshas and plan your day accordingly to maximize your productivity, creativity, and rest.
So, how do doshas play out during the day?
Kapha governs the morning from 6 AM to 10 AM and the evening from 6 PM to 10 PM.
Pitta is at its highest between 10 AM-2 PM and during the night, from 10 PM to 2 AM. Vata rules during the afternoon from 2 PM to 6 PM, and then from 2 AM to 6 AM. (These times are approximative, not set in stone!)
Kapha morning (6-10 AM) is the time in which Earth and Water elements are at their highest. You feel a slight heaviness when you transition from sleep to waking state. Liquids have accumulated in the body during the night, so you get up and want to get Kapha moving so as not to fall into stagnation and lethargy. You urinate, eliminate, rehydrate - morning classics. It is a good time to exercise a little bit, as well as eat lightly and prepare for the day. 6 AM to 10 AM is the time in which you want to bring light and mobile qualities in order to balance the Kapha dosha that is already highly present in Nature.
Pitta midday (10 AM-2 PM) is when the element of Fire is predominant. That’s when you want to use the powerful aspects that Pitta brings up, such as enhanced learning and productivity. It’s a good time for planning, taking action, organizing things doing focused work, and sending emails. During this Pitta portion of the day, usually around noon, the Sun is at its highest point, which is the best time to eat the heaviest meal of the day as our digestive Fire is the strongest (remember the idea of you being a microcosm mirroring the phenomena of the macrocosm? ;-))
Vata afternoon (2-6 PM) As Vata is all about quick movement, you may want to prioritize things that will calm down your nervous system. Of course, you can move, but you may want to do it in a way that is at the same time restorative. Consider choosing a slow yoga flow or pilates instead of HIIT, which could be more beneficial during Kapha morning. Vata doesn’t like extremes, it’s definitely not the time for the most intensive thinking of the day. The afternoon is a great time to do some creative work to go with the Vata flow, as well as tune into your Spirit. It’s also the time when socializing is the easiest. Ideally, you would eat the last meal of the day at the end of Vata afternoon.
Kapha evening (6-10 PM) is the time to slow down, unwind, and prepare for sleep. Engage in your favorite activities that enhance all the bright qualities of Kapha as love, stability, and being slow without rushing.
Pitta night (10 PM-2 AM) is the time when the body enters a state of deeper cleansing. I call it a sacred time for the liver. The liver digests all the food and emotions we experience during the day. Between 10 PM and 2 AM is its time for detoxification. If you don’t sleep at that time, your energy gets diverted away from the liver (and other parts of the digestive system) and it fuels the thinking or whatever else you are doing. When you finally go to sleep afterward, your body doesn’t have the energy necessary for cleaning itself out of toxins. So yes, you may really want to consider going to bed around 10 PM.
Vata night-morning (2-6 AM). Time of light sleep. If you have some Vata imbalances, you may experience insomnia somewhere in that timeframe. If you enjoy waking up very early it’s a good time for meditation, visualization, and creation.
During the next couple of days, try to notice how you feel about doing certain things at specific times of the day. If you feel like there is some room for improvement, you may want to consider scheduling different activities honoring the flow of the doshas and see if it helps optimize your energies. Let me know in the comments below.
