There was a Real temperature rise in past month (April 2017) as the summer started this year. One morning when I woke up late , after 8 am, I felt like I was having a sun stroke. I haven’t been outside in the sun at all. This was because it was a hot night and probably my water intake was low whole day.
Sun rays are almost perpendicular to the earth during summers. Besides, the infrared and the ultraviolet rays affect you even when you are indoors. The amount or density of sun rays is more and the angle of sun rays is almost perpendicular at the summer time. As a result, the environment is rarefied, so that the rays penetrate it without any hindrance.
Sun rays kick start our metabolism, starting with the lungs. The Brahma Muhurat or the transition time between night and daybreak is the time most of the organs of the body start waking up. This is like getting ready for your office. During sleep, most of the body relaxes and the maintenance and repair system works. After we wake up, attend nature’s call, brush our teeth, have bath, have breakfast and plan for the day. Then we are ready for the day. Body does the same, provided it is given proper time.
Early morning body removes garbage. The garbage or the faces is a source of heat for the body. It produces heat as it rots. It also attracts diseases causing germs. The body temperature at Brahma Muhurat is the best for faces elimination because it is properly formed after adequate water absorption and ready to move out. Large intestine is like a suction pump for water, which sucks water from the excreta. This water is used for multiple purposes, esp.,maintaining body temperature. After the daybreak, as the environmental temperature rises, more water is lost in the temperature regulation process. If feces stays for long time in large intestine, it keeps losing water, gradually dries and becomes harder. It becomes difficult for the army of tiny cilia or the peristaltic movement in the intestine to push out the hardened stool. Early morning, however, the metabolism and the resulting temperature of body is less and the stool is not hardened. This is crucial for people having frequent constipation. They should check if they are waking late or after sunrise regularly and try to change the habit.
In a healthy body, excretion is the first instinct after waking up because Apana vayu (Nervous control of excretion process) is stable in the body. Like the way we clean ourselves or our house in the morning, the body also cleanse itself in the morning. If apana vayu is unstable or vitiated by excess, then there will be no urge of excretion in the morning because excess vata , instead of moving excreta downward( which is the normal course), will dry it up. Some people receive nature’s call after breakfast. Digestion initiated after eating generates heat. The heat balances the excess apana vayu, which starts it’s natural work. Some people clear their stomach only after morning tea. Some are not able to defeacate for some days altogether or without the help of some artificial method or medication.
Besides all 3 dosha are balanced at the time before daybreak. It means that body is fresh, repaired and cleaned. It is like a car fresh from service center. Our body goes to service center every night ! A bath at this time will prepare the body for a rise in temperature in the daytime. Also it increases the blood circulation. It serves as an biological alarm to the body organs to wake and get ready. By the time sun is in the sky, body is well prepared for the day.If you wake up with the alarm, you have ample time to get ready for your work. You can have a bath at leisure, dress yourself properly, review your days plan and drive comfortably to your workplace. But what if you don’t wake up with the alarm or if there is no alarm ? You will have to rush or skip your breakfast, dress haphazardly and rush to your office. Trust me, you might not have a very productive day at office in the later case.
It is important to set the alarm at the right time so that there is enough time for preparation. Similarily, Brahma muhurat is the right time for bath. Body organs are gradually completing or postponing their repairs and gearing up for days work. The stomach should be ready to digest when you eat, the muscles should be ready to move when you want and the brain should be ready to think before the day starts. The increase in blood circulation is like a internal bath for the organs. It removes the physiological debris, high respiration rate provides more oxygen to the waking organs, reduces temperature of the body resulting in increased blood circulation.
The type of bath is even more important than the time of bath. Type of bath is dependent on the Constitution, body condition and time of the day. However , bath in Brahma muhurat is blessed with ideal body condition( completion of digestion, body repairs and removal of organic debris and co2 from muscles) and ideal external and internal temperature. External temperature in Brahma muhurat is neither too hot nor too cold, same goes for body temperature in normal conditions. It is good to have bath at this time for all types of prakrati or Constitutions.
For vata dominant people, normal or warm bath is recommended. For pitta dominant people, normal or cold bath is recommended. for kapha dominant people, warm or normal bath is recommended. Seasonal temperature fluctuations are pivotal factors to decide the best option of the above 2 recommendations. However , the logic of having a late bath in winters does not actually works. For best health results, better have a hot bath in Brahma muhurat in winters rather than having a late normal water bath. Pitta people can have a cold water bath as well in winter, but it might not suit everyone.
According to my personal experience, when I started having early morning bath, I could feel a difference. In summers, I would feel hot even after having bath many times , if I woke up late. But after having an early morning bath, my body will adjust better and I would be more comfortable in same temperature that used to make me uncomfortable. Probably, early morning bath adjust your body’s temperature controlling mechanism to a minimum standard of efficiency. Or the temperature control becomes more effective because of early prevention of heat.
However, whatever the cause may be, positive results are definitely visible. So please try and experience it once. Start by early morning bath once a week, bath before sunrise. Even one time in a week will positively affect your health.
Best wishes !
Ritucharya 