Explaining the Ayurvedic Ritucharya or Seasonal Routine in Detail! – Part 2.

In our previous post, we explained in detail the Ayurvedic Ritucharya or Seasonal Routine for early winter, winter and spring seasons. Now let’s cast an eye on the remaining three seasons – summer, rainy season and autumn – which are part of the Aadaan Kaal or Northern Solstice.

First up, let’s talk about the summer season or Greeshma Ritu:

Once the spring season comes to an end, the Kapha that had melted in the body begins to flow out. The increasing summer heat dries up that Kapha. The two Doshas that get aggravated during the summer season are Pitta and Vata – Pitta being Fire, naturally gets aggravated during the summer season, and the dryness and lightness in the weather also aggravates Vata.

Dietary Recommendations

· Since the energy is being extracted by the Sun during the summer season, we feel weak and debilitated, and our appetite also goes down as our digestive fire or Agni is weak.

· Ayurveda recommends consuming light foods during the summer months.

· Sweet taste is recommended as it provides the necessary strength and energy to an otherwise weak body.

· Ayurveda says that we should consume more liquids like fresh fruit juices etc to provide the Water content to the body.

Lifestyle Recommendations

· It is recommended to wear light dresses.

· Avoid direct Sunlight as much as possible.

· Do not go out during peak heat hours, like in the afternoon.

· Avoid intensive workout.

Now, let’s talk about the rainy season or Varsha Ritu:

After the summer season comes the monsoon. The heat that had accumulated in the Earth is released, as the Sun goes down and it starts raining. But the heat gets combined with the moisture in the air and the weather becomes damp and moist. Almost all Doshas go out of balance during the monsoon season and that is why Ayurveda strongly recommends seasonal purification practices or Panchakarma during the rainy season.

Dietary Recommendations

· Once again, the digestive fire or Agni is weak during the rainy season and hence Ayurveda recommends light and easily digestible foods.

· A lot of people love the rains and tend to overeat or eat a lot of junk that could do more harm than good. Stay away from that.

Lifestyle Recommendations

· Ayurveda advises to undergo a Panchakarma or seasonal purification to bring the Doshas back in a state of balance.

· Do not over-exert yourself.

· Try and protect yourself from the rain, as it could give rise to a lot of infections and diseases.

· Avoid too much exposure to Sunlight.

· Avoid sleeping during daytime.

And finally, let’s talk about autumn season or Sharat Ritu:

After the rainy season comes the autumn. The beginning of the autumn season is when the weather is wet and humid after the rains. But as time progresses, the Sun starts beating down the Earth and it gets hotter. The Dosha that gets imbalanced during the autumn season is the Pitta Dosha that had aggravated during the monsoon. Pitta turns sour and acquires a flowing quality and is known as Amla-Pitta in Ayurveda.

Dietary Recommendations

· Bitter, astringent and sweet tastes should be preferred during the autumn season as they can calm down the aggravated Pitta.

· Ayurveda says that we should avoid heavy foods during this season as our digestive fire is still not at its optimum level.

· Light and easily digestible foods should be consumed during the autumn season.

Lifestyle Recommendations

· Do not overexert yourself.

· Indulge in activities like swimming.

· Give adequate rest to your body and mind to calm down the aggravated Pitta.

And with that we complete our basic understanding of the Ayurvedic Ritucharya or Seasonal Routines. Do stay with us as we will talk about individual seasons at length at a later stage.

For now, let’s try and understand the three Doshas in detail. That follows in our next post.