From the Mud to the Mat: Teachings from Theo - Routine
Theo has a way of holding up a mirror to my practice. Before you say anything, yes, I know dogs don’t have routines like humans, but this isn’t about dog training. It’s about how Ayurveda, yoga, and one very wise rescue pup keep teaching me that routine isn’t restriction, it’s rhythm. Through dinacharya (Ayurveda’s daily routine), I’m learning that steadiness is sacred, structure is healing, and rhythm is love in motion.
Before you say anything, yes, I know dogs don’t have routines the way we humans do. I know Theo’s a dog, and I’m not. This isn’t about training dogs or giving advice on how to handle dogs. This is about how Theo came into my life and basically said: “Oh, so you think you’re living a yogic and Ayurvedic lifestyle? You think you have it down? Let’s test that out.” I’ve been teaching yoga since 2009 and studying yoga asana, yoga philosophy, and Ayurveda for just as long. Every time I think I know something well enough, life smacks me in the face with an “oh no you don’t” lesson and that always opens a door for me to learn more, to understand myself better, and to approach other people with more ease and grace.
It’s often said that when we think we’ve mastered something and we think we’re calm, wise, and spiritually aligned in all of the lessons and teachings, life gives us a little pop quiz where we get tested not through theory, but through experience. It’s one thing to memorize the verses of the Bhagavad Gita or quote the Yoga Sutras in a class. It’s another thing entirely to live those teachings when life gets messy, unpredictable, and real.
So let’s talk about routine.
Do I actually know if dogs function better with a routine? Honestly, I have no idea and I’m not a canine behaviorist. What I have noticed, though, is that Theo seems calmer when I’m consistent. When our mornings start around the same time, when I respond the same way each time to him greetimg me, and when my day winds down a certain way, something in both of us settles. Maybe when my responses to him feel predictable, my nervous system does too.
Ayurveda teaches that everything in nature moves in rhythm. The sun rises and sets, tides ebb and flow, and our bodies follow the same cycles. When I honor my dinacharya (my daily rhythm), I feel grounded. When I am in a routine, I know when I’m going to feel hungry, tired, creative, or productive, so I can be prepared.
The Wisdom of Dinacharya
Accoring to Ayurveda, dinacharya is our “daily rhythm.” It’s a sequence of self-care rituals and habits that align our inner rhythm with nature’s. Things like waking up before or durng sunrise, drinking warm water, scraping the tongue, moving the body, eating at regular times, and sleeping early. These aren’t random rules; they’re anchors for our energy. When I’m living in rhythm, I know when I’m hungry or tired. I know when my mind is most creative and when it needs rest. My schedule becomes sacred structure, which then it allows space for peace.
If this sounds like a lot, I promise it’s not. All you have to do is align yourself with nature. As a society, we’ve lost so much connection to the rising of the sun and moon, the seasonal foods, and the qualities of each season. When I connect to nature, I can get more grounded and I’ve noticed that when I’m grounded and calm, Theo mirrors that same steadiness… so is it my routine that calms him, or his need for structure that steadies me? Maybe it doesn’t matter. Maybe what matters is that rhythm regulates us both.
Yoga Sutras And the Routine
In The Yoga Sutras, Sutra 1.14 reminds us that practice becomes firmly grounded when done for a long time, without interruption, and with devotion. You’ve heard this one before, right? If you’re a yoga teacher or student of yoga, you’ve probably heard it a million times… For years, I interpreted that as needing to do ninety minutes of asana every day, but that’s not the point. The true practice is showing up consistently, with steadiness and sincerity. Routine is what builds the muscle of discipline. If I practice something, I’m training my mind to follow through and what I repeat, I strengthen. In other words, the habits I choose become the person I am becoming.
Have you already convinced yourself that you’re not capable of a routine because it feels like too much work? Start with five minutes of something and schedule it into your day. If you can attach that to something you already do, you’re more likely to get it done. Every morning, I let Theo out in the yard. This is something I do every single day, so as soon as his paws touch the grass, I set up my yoga mat and move. Our minds are what convince us that we don’t have time or we aren’t capable. Get your body moving into a small routine before your mind tells you that you can’t.
The Bhagavad Gita and the Mind
Bhagavad Gita Chaper 6, Verse 6 teaches us that the mind can be our best friend or our worst enemy. When my day has no rhythm, my mind becomes restless. It pulls me toward distractions, desires, or overwork. Ayurveda and yoga both teach that freedom doesn’t mean doing whatever we want, whenever we want. That’s actually bondage and being ruled by the senses. Real freedom is the ability to act from clarity, not impulse. Routine is what keeps my mind from running the show and creates a container that holds space for focus, peace, and presence. If I can stick to a routine, I know I can stick to doing what I say I’m going to do and that brings me so much peace and ease.
Routine in the Body
Have you ever committed to something every day for a stretch of time? Like a morning walk, a few sun salutations, or journaling? There’s a power in keeping a promise to yourself. When I started moving my body each morning (not an intense workout, just some sun salutations), it changed everything. It wasn’t the exercise itself; it was the follow-through. The accountability. The moment where I could say, “I did what I said I’d do.” and that’s the real energy shift. Routine doesn’t restrict you; it refines you. It’s the same lesson I see in dog training, actually. Maybe Theo thrives on knowing what to expect. When there’s structure, he feels safe enough to relax. When I’m grounded, he can be too.
Rhythm Is Regulation
Ayurveda teaches that imbalance arises when we move against nature’s flow. Routine brings us back into harmony with the cycles that already exist. We see it in the rising of the sun, the movement of breath, the beating of the heart. Routine isn’t about rigidity. It’s about rhythm. For me, that rhythm looks like waking early, breathing deep before checking my phone, writing even when I don’t want to, walking Theo even when I’m tired, eating at regular times, and ending the day with quiet.
It’s not perfect, but it’s grounding. Theo seems to sense that too because when I rush, he paces. When I slow down, he rests. When I’m in rhythm, he follows. Maybe that’s the most beautiful lesson of all: routine is love in motion. It’s the way we create safety for ourselves and others.
Deepen Your Practice with Our Ayurvedic Yoga Teacher Training
If these reflections resonate with you, join me for our Ayurvedic Yoga Teacher Training. Together, we’ll explore how yoga and Ayurveda meet in the rhythm of your day—through movement, breath, and steady living. You’ll learn how dinacharya, the science of routine, can transform your energy and your teaching. You’ll reconnect with your body’s wisdom, deepen your understanding of yogic philosophy, and discover what balance truly feels like.
A Few Gentle Reminders from Theo:
🐾 Routine Is Love in Motion
Every morning, Theo reminds me that routine isn’t about control, it’s about care. Ayurveda teaches that everything in nature moves in rhythm, and when we align with that rhythm, life feels steadier. Theo doesn’t need the clock, he feels the consistency and for me to follow through. Routine is how love shows up in action, over and over again.
🐾 Repetition Builds Trust
When I greet Theo in the same calm tone each day, he relaxes and knows what to expect. The Yoga Sutras remind us that steady practice over a long time builds strength and stability, so by simply entering my home with the same energy every time, I am offering up something grounding. What we repeat becomes who we are. The small, repeated actions build trust in ourselves and in those around us.
🐾 Rhythm Regulates Energy
When I rush, Theo paces. When I breathe, he settles. Ayurveda teaches that routine regulates the nervous system and stabilizes vata, the energy of movement. Rhythm brings balance to the body and peace to the mind. The more I align with nature’s rhythm, the more Theo and I both find ease.
🐾 Freedom Comes from Structure
The Bhagavad Gita says the mind can be our best friend or our worst enemy. Routine gives the mind direction and it becomes the gentle structure that allows freedom to flourish. When we stop chasing every impulse, we create space for clarity, creativity, and calm. Routine isn’t a cage; it’s the container that lets peace grow.
🐾 Stay Present
Theo doesn’t obsess over his whole day… because dogs live in the present moment. He shows up for what’s here and now and that makes the present moment fulfilling. If I have a routine, but obsess over when something is ending or beginning, I miss the point of it all.
