MOLECULES OF DINACHARYA, CIRCADIAN RHYTHM, AND MEDITATION

The west is relentlessly busy verifying the Eastern percepts underlying yogic practices and  Dinacharya. Five thousand years old dinacharya of Ayurveda (the science of longevity in good health) connects us with nature,  our circadian rhythm, and light and dark times due to earth’s rotation around the sun. Our biology is tied to planetary movements and our longevity and health depends on how well we time our activities beginning two hours before the sun rise (Chapter 2 of Ashtang Hridayam Sutrasthanam). Ayurveda calls this time Brahma Muhurta. I did so during my primary and junior high school home work schedule and daily Sandhya Upasana,

https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=picture%20of%20movements%20of%20planets%20around%20the%20sun&form=IQFRBA&id=33578BD6482F08676ECAB4B8565D982223375B7A&first=1&disoverlay=1

Earth completes one revolution in 24 hours while moving around the sun.  Sun’s photons coming to earth during day time signal our circadian rhythm. Hindu astrology says that the nine grahas influence human life and health. Mercury is closest to the sun with and orbiting time of 88 days, followed by venus (Shukrs) of 255 days, earth of 365 days, mars (mangal) of 687 days, jupiter (brihaspati) of 4, 333 days, and saturn (shani) the farthest one of 10,759 days. Whereas mercury, venus, and mars move fast and as such they affect our daily life, the outer planets jupitar and ssaturn affect the generational aspects. Dinacharya is based on Vedic astrology and new studies in molecular biology find that it connects to our circaduan rhythm, life, and health.

मानवो येन विधिना स्वस्थस्तिष्ठति सर्वदा | तमेवा कारयेत् वैद्यो यतः स्वास्थ्यम् तदेप्सितम् ||  
दिनचर्यां निशाचर्यां ऋतुचर्यां यथोदिताम् | आचरन् पुरुषः स्वस्थःसदा तिष्ठति नान्यता ||

Dinacharya, night charya, and seasonal charya can maintain health; there is no other way for life-long good health.  DINA CHARYA includes

1. Getting up two hours before sub rise in brahma muhurta (satpath Brahmana X.4.2.18)

2. Drinking two glasses of water.

3. Cleaning and bathing.

4. Doing  vyayam and yogic exercises of deep breathing.

5. Doing svadhyaya (self-study) and meditative introspection.

6. Planning and acting out the rest of the day.

7. Eating a good Breakfast.

In essence, we explore our days with a calm and controlled mind. We are more productive in the morning (Biomedicine,9: 80, 967, 2021 and experimental pharmacology, 217: 3-72, 2013) and there is a heavy DNA to mRNA transcription  load ordered by the circadian rhythm early in the morning  initiated by sun’s photons.

EXERCISE AND DNA TO mRNA TRANSCRIPTION

Exercise affects skeletal muscles for increased oxidative capacity and mitochondrial biogenesis. Transcription factors are proteins and there is a gene for their expression. Actually a single exercise can produce many transcription factors ( Intl J. Mol. Science 23(3)L 1517, 2022). Deep breathing, pranayam, and yogic asanas are exception.

MEDITATION AND MINDFULNESS TURN GENES ON OR OFF

There are molecules of silence (Front Psychology, 11: 1767, 2020) and meditation and midfulness can turn genes on or off.  Please note that 33% genes out of 20,000 are involved in the human brain function and  transcriptomics of more than 200 genes for making us stress free and Healthy.

https://www.inner-light-in.com/2016/11/meditation-alters-gene-expression/.  Vipasana meditation is related to gene expression claims the noble laurate Dr. Elizabeth Blackburn. What we eat, how we move, how much we sleep, and how we manage stress all affects gene expression.

EOC Institute and epigenetics of meditation: Meditation is a key epigenetic factor.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-athletes-way/201312/meditation-has-the-power-influence-your-genes.Meditation affects genes RIPK2 and COX2 find Drs. Richard Davidson of UW Wisconsin Madison and Parla Kaliman of the Institute of Bio-medical research in Barcelona, Spain.

https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2110455118.  Meditation can treat multiple sclerosis and covid -19 by impacting on immune system.

Our cells learn and keep the memories of transcriptions in the brain and skeletal muscles impacted by exercise. A routine of ordinary life-style interventions can increase our longevity in good health. Of course, we need our food balanced with respect to major nutrients and micronutrients of vitamins and minerals.  The East knew of it purely by a long-term experience.

ADDITIONAL REFERENCES

1. Controlling gene expression in response to stress, Nature Reviews Genetics 12, 833-845 (December 2011)

2. Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Training Reduces Loneliness and Pro-Inflammatory Gene Expression in Older Adults: A Small Randomized Controlled Trial

3. Response and habituation of pro- and anti-inflammatory gene expression to repeated acute stress.