Ushapan: The Nectar of Earth

Yes, it’s hard to believe, isn’t it? But practice just this ONE daily ritual in your life, and you will be amazed to see the long list of benefits Ayurveda bestows on you! “Ushapan,” water therapy is done first thing in the morning and can be the start of increased energy–but one must embrace it daily. Maintaining your ideal weight to your body constitution, strong immunity, clarity of mind, increased energy, and focus–who doesn’t want this to be the “new normal” in our everyday life?

Ushapan: The Nectar of Earth

By Akshata Sheelvant

All these benefits can become a reality by incorporating this simple and inexpensive ritual with no burden on the pocket. The rich and the poor can take advantage of nature’s gifted remedy from Ayurveda. Unfortunately, this ritual is so simple that one tends to ignore its powerful benefits–drinking one liter of plain water!

Ayurveda calls water ‘the life-giving nectar of Earth.’

If you research Ayurveda on water, you will get tons of information written on it. For example, when to drink, how to drink, how much to drink, and when not to drink (this will be my next post); the more you dive deep into understanding this life nectar, a/k/a water, you will be amazed by the wisdom of the Indian sages poured down into Ayurvedic texts called sutras.

The word sutra comes from the Sanskrit language, basically ancient Indian texts from the Vedic literature, where a specific teaching or a ritual is woven together to form a specific guideline to follow.

Ushapan (Drinking water first thing in the morning)

The custom of drinking water first thing in the morning is highly regarded in Ayurveda. It is called “Ushapan,” which is water therapy done first thing in the morning. The ideal time to do ushapan is before sunrise, immediately after waking up, and before brushing your teeth. Yes, brushing your teeth is considered very beneficial, according to Ayurveda, as the stored-up saliva in the mouth has strong medicinal properties.

Confession: To be honest, I personally have a hard time drinking water before brushing my teeth, and I have tried a few times, but somehow am not able to stick to it. But eventually, yes, I am drinking water after brushing my teeth every day.

I was first introduced to the sutra of drinking one liter of water daily in Kerala, India, which I call this state the ‘Mecca’ for Ayurveda. Then, one of the renowned Ayurvedic physicians, Dr. Franklin, convinced me to incorporate this into my daily activity.

Until now, I used to drink about two cups of warm water, mainly lime juice, mineral salt, and natural sweetener, first thing in the morning. I had good results with this, but I must tell you switching to drinking one liter of water daily has made a huge difference. Below is where I share my observations after drinking one liter of hot water daily for a few months. I plan to continue this ritual as a lifestyle, as there is enough evidence from trying it out on myself that it would be foolish not to follow this simple daily habit.

Ayurvedic Guidelines on Ushapan

Following the Ayurvedic guidelines on Ushapan, here is how to drink one liter of water on a daily basis:

Heat approximately five (5) cups of water on a stovetop. Microwave is discouraged.

According to U.S. standards, approximately 4 1/2 cups make up one liter of water. Ayurveda strongly encourages heating the water on a stovetop as it heats up evenly, unlike in a microwave. This gives uniform heat when you drink, and you will also notice the water heated on a stovetop lasts warmer for a longer period of time.

You can also store one liter of water in advance (overnight) in a copper vessel to make the water more recharged and easily absorbed by the body.

Drink about 4 1/2 cups of water. The temp is hot–comfortably hot, not burning hot.

Depending on your body dosha, it’s important to drink hot water, lukewarm, or room temperature. Ayurveda never recommends drinking cold water. This Ushapan ritual is like giving a steam-clean to our body cells when we do this first thing in the morning and also kindles the digestive fire to keep us energetic and alert throughout the day!

During the winter months, you could drink hot water (even if you are pitta) and switch to room-temperature water during the hot summer months. Vata body types can drink it warm, and Kapha body types can drink to bearable hot temperatures.

If you are pitta-dominant dosha drinking bearable hot water and see any imbalance in pitta like breakouts or rashes, switch to lukewarm water. I am high pitta, and this winter season, I have been drinking bearable hot water, which seems to work well with my body. But I don’t drink hot water throughout the day. It is only the one-liter first thing in the morning. Throughout the day, I stick to room temp or lukewarm.

One liter of plain water, nothing added, no lemon or lime or salt, just nothing.

This was very much stressed by the Ayurvedic physician I met in Kerala, and there is a good reason for it. According to Ayurveda, water has a subtle genetic pattern that has the power to detox, hydrate, regulate, eliminate, and bring our bodies back to nature’s rhythm. So to make this process work efficiently, it is important we drink plain water with nothing added to it.

Some of my clients add mineral drops to their water, as today’s modern world, especially our reverse-osmosis water, takes off all the vital minerals to make our water safe to drink. So I would suggest you add the mineral drops to the water you drink later in the day and not to this water you have in the morning.

The best way to drink is to drink sips of water; never gulp it down.

The wisdom of Ayurveda also tells us what is the right way to drink water. Taking small sips and enjoying the taste of water in the mouth is the right way to drink it. To make it more beneficial, drink this sitting in a sukhasana (cross-legged, seated position).

Do not eat anything for at least 30 to 40 minutes.

This is very important to make sure we don’t eat anything for at least 30 minutes after drinking one liter of water. This time of 30-40 minutes is what the body takes to steam-clean our body cells, hydrate and energize the cells, and start removing all the ama (toxins) accumulated in the body.

According to Ayurveda, it takes about 38 minutes for a healthy individual to urinate when we drink hot/lukewarm water on an empty stomach first thing in the morning. In my experience, after drinking about 4 to 4 1/2 cups of water, I urinate after 35 minutes, and my second and third one is between 20 and 30 minutes apart.

If you practice eating healthy and nutritious food to your body type, you will generally empty your bowels immediately after waking up. However, if this is not the case with you, then making this habit of drinking one liter of warm/lukewarm water will build enough pressure for you to empty the bowels before you have your first meal of the day, breakfast.

I take my breakfast after one hour of drinking one liter of water. I know it’s not practical for everyone, so at least give a gap of 30 minutes before you eat your first meal.

You have to incorporate Ushapan as a daily ritual to reap all the benefits. The results are inevitable; the only thing Ayurveda begs from you is patience and consistency.

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About the Author

Akshata Sheelvant brings together the best of East and West in her presentations on living a healthy, wholesome life. Her forte is crafting multi-cuisine dishes by perfectly blending them with seasonal and dosha-specific Ayurvedic herbs and spices. Jeeva Lifestyle is a platform showcasing her efforts to bring this balance to her life. For more: http://jeevalifestyle.com

Originally published Feb 11, 2016

Source: http://jeevalifestyle.com/one-ayurvedic-ritual-resulting-in-weight-loss-increased-energy-clarity-of-mind/