July 27, 2020

Ritucharya

Ayurveda has always promoted maintenance of well-being and the prevention of diseases in the body. And for the same reasons, Ayurveda gives additional importance to building our Immunity, through Dinacharya, and Ritucharya.

Ritucharya is a combination of two words, Ritu meaning Season, and Charya meaning rules and regimens to be followed. As seasonal changes occur they bring various changes in our environment and in our body. These environmental variations may create imbalance of the doshas;certain seasons aggravate existing disease whereas others help to alleviate. And the transition period from one season to another (Ritu sandhi) may cause many people with less immunity to fall sick.So, Ritucharya is seasonal care by way of balancing our Doshas and strengthening our immunity through changes in diet and lifestyle.

Classification of season

Ayurveda divides the year into two phases, Northern solstice and Southern solstice. Each solstice has 3 seasons.

A year consists of six seasons, namely: Shishira (winter), Vasanta (spring), and Grishma (summer) in Northern solstice, and Varsha (monsoon), Sharada (autumn), and Hemanta (late autumn) in Southern solstice.

Note - as Ayurveda has its origin in India, the above seasonal changes are observed predominantly in the Indian subcontinent.

Northern solstice indicates the ascent of the sun or northward movement of the sun. In this period, the sun and the wind are powerful. The sun takes away the strength of the people and the cooling quality of the earth. It brings increase in the Tikta (bitter), Kashaya (astringent), and Katu (pungent) Rasa (taste), respectively, which brings about dryness in the body and reduces the Bala (strength). It is also called Adana Kala.

Northern solstice has three Ritus that is Shishir (winter) Vasanta (spring) and Grishma (summer). The period can be compared to mid-January to mid-July, when warmness and dryness in weather increases. It has an overall debilitating effect on the environment, to which human beings are also a part.

Summer Solstice indicates the descent of the sun or movement of the sun in the southern direction. In this period, the wind is not very dry; the moon is more powerful than the sun. The earth becomes cool due to the clouds, rain, and cold winds. Unctuousness sets in the atmosphere and Amla (sour), Lavana (salty), and Madhura (sweet) Rasa (taste) are predominant, so the strength of person enhances during this period. It is also called Visarga Kala.

Southern solstice is composed of Varsha (monsoon) to Sharad (autumn) and to Hemanta (late autumn). This period can be compared to mid-July to mid-January, when cool sets, and due to which anabolic activity dominates over the catabolic activity in the environment.

As we have six different seasons, Ayurveda describes six different Ritucharyas.

Northern Solstice

A.Shishir Ritucharya

B.Vasanta Ritucharya

C.Grishma Ritucharya

Southern Solstice

D.Varsha Ritucharya

E.Sharad Ritucharya

F.Hemanta Ritucharya

Shishir Ritucharya (Winter)
Time	Mid-January to Mid-March
Environment	Cold wind, intense sunlight
Effects on our Body	Digestive fire increases
Dosha Status	Kapha Dosha accumulation
Diet Recommendations	As digestive fire is strong during this season, include heavy foods in to your diet like fats, dairy products like milk, cheese, butter etc. Eat food which is sour, salty, unctuous and warm. Non-Vegetarians can include heavy meat/ flesh during this season. Drink hot water. Ginger tea is a good beverage of the season
Lifestyle Recommendations	Keeping Warm is recommended by the use of sauna, steam baths, hot showers etc. Rigorous exercises and oil massages are indicated in this season.
Avoid/ Reduce	Avoid eating cold food. Avoid sleeping during the day time.

Vasanta Ritucharya(Spring)
Time	Mid-March to mid-May
Environment	Hot Weather, intense sunlight, season of flowering and origin of new leaves
Effects on our Body	Reduced digestive capacity
Dosha Status	Kapha dosha which is accumulated in Shishir starts melting
Diet Recommendations	Prefer easily digestible food, cereals (old barley, wheat, rice) pulses (Lentils, moong), prefer foods with bitter, pungent & astringent taste, meats which are easily digestible. Prefer use of honey.
Lifestyle Recommendations	Panchakarma procedures like Vaman & Nasyam to clear accumulated Kapha. Udvartanam (powder massage with cooling herbs like Sandalwood and Saffron) should be preferred.
Avoid/ Reduce	Avoid foods which are hard to digest. Cold foods, heavy foods, viscous foods, which are sweet, sour should be avoided. New grains, curd, cold drinks, and so on, are also to be prohibited.

Grishma Ritucharya (summer)
Time	Mid May to Mid-July
Environment	High intense sunlight, loss of moisture
Effects on our Body	Reduced bodily strength because of intense heat in environment and reduced moisture, Digestive capacity in mild state
Dosha Status	Vata Dosha starts to accumulate
Diet Recommendations	Prefer foods which are light to digest, sweet, unctuous, cold and preferably liquids. Consume plenty amount of water. Apart from water other liquids like butter milk, fruit juice, mango juice should be included in daily diet
Lifestyle Recommendations	Prefer staying in cool places, apply herbal pastes on body made from cooling and aromatic herbs like sandalwood, wear light colour cotton dresses.
Avoid/ Reduce	Avoid eating pungent, sour and warm foods. Avoid indulging in heavy exercise or hard work. Too much sexual indulgence and alcohol to be prohibited.

Varsha Ritucharya(Rainy Season)
Time	Mid July to Mid-September
Environment	Rainy, cloudy, low sun-light
Effects on our Body	Low digestive fire, Reduced body strength
Dosha Status	Vata Dosha gets aggravated, Pitta starts to increase
Diet Recommendations	Prefer foods with Sour, Salty taste unctuous (Moist and oily) properties. Include old barley, rice and wheat and meat soups in diet.
Lifestyle Recommendations	Basti is the panchakarma which is advised during this season. Hot water showers and use of body oil after bath is recommended during this season.
Avoid/ Reduce	The foods, which are heavy and hard to digest should be avoided. Avoid drinking excessive water and wine during this season.

Sharad Ritucharya (Autumn)
Time	Mid-September to Mid-November
Environment	Rise in environmental temperature, increasing sunlight, clear sky with white clouds
Effects on our Body	Digestive capacity starts improving
Dosha Status	Pitta Dosha starts aggravating, aggravated Vata dosha starts to balance
Diet Recommendations	Prefer foods which are sweet and bitter in taste, easy to digest and cold in nature like wheat, green gram, sugar candy, honey.
Lifestyle Recommendations	Habit of eating food, only when there is a feeling of hunger is recommended. Panchakarma procedures like Virechan, Raktamokshan, should be done during this season. It is said that moon rays in the first three hours of night is conducive for health.
Avoid/ Reduce	Hot, bitter, sweet, and astringent foods are to be avoided. The food items, such as fat, oils, meat of aquatic animals, curds are also to be not included in the diet during this season.

Hemanta Ritucharya(Late Autumn- Early winter)
Time	Mid November to Mid-January
Environment	Blow cold winds, chillness in the environment,
Effects on our Body	Digestive fire gets activated, body strength to the best levels
Dosha Status	Aggravated Pitta dosha comes back to normal level
Diet Recommendations	Prefer use unctuous, sweet, sour, and salty foods. Among cereals and pulses, new rice, flour preparations, green gram is recommended. Various meats, fats, milk and milk products, sugarcane products, fermented food products can be included in the diet.
Lifestyle Recommendations	Indulge in various exercises, wear thick clothes. Sexual indulgence as per willingness during this season.
Avoid/ Reduce	Avoid using Vata aggravating food products which are light, cold and dry in nature. Cold drinks should be also avoided in this season.