The Dinacharya Self Care daytime routine typically takes place between 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. It’s the time for study and/or work.
Agni (the digestive fire) is thought to be at its strongest around noon, and hence your lunch should be taken between 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. This should also be the largest meal of the day.
It’s thought that the time between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. is ruled by Pitta Dosha energy, and therefore it’s better to tackle the heavy-duty tasks of the day in this period.
The time between 2:00 p.m. and 06:00 p.m. is rather influenced by Vata Dosha energy, and therefore considered a time in which it’s better to occupy yourself with creative issues and problem solving.
In the second part of the daytime schedule (after lunch), your energy tends to diminish. It’s better not to have a nap now or eat sugary snacks, but to take a moderate walk to regain some fresh energy, and/or perhaps have a reenergizing cup of (herbal) tea.
Of course, the above depends on the type of society you live in. Let’s say, if you have a long siesta break of about four hours or so, you might as well take a nap; you’ll have plenty of time to regain energy afterwards. Yet, in these types of societies, the workday afterwards tends to be from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., which is a very different routine, and subsequently harder to fit in the prescribed Dinacharya practices.