6 Ritucharya According to Ayurveda
In Ayurveda, a seasonal habitual ritual of self-care is called ritucharya (ree-too-char-ee-ah),
There are 2 Kaalas (pronounced ‘kaul-ah’) in one year. Kala means ‘time period’.
Each kaal (kaul) has three (3) seasons; therefore, there are six (6) seasons in a year. Each season (ritu) lasts two (2) months.
The Western seasons (U.S.) we have four (4) seasons (ritu) and in Ayurveda there are six (6) seasons (ritu).
*See Kaalas listed at bottom of page.
In classic Ayurveda, there is a healthy consideration for seasons, which goes beyond the dietary regimen for the day and night.
The whole year is divided into six (6) seasons (ritu) where a detailed dietary habitual ritual for these seasons is advised.
शिशिर (śiśira) – Late winter
वसन्त (vasanta) – Spring
ग्रीष्म (grīṣma) – Summer
वर्षा (varṣā) – Rains
शरद् (śarad) – Autumn
हेमन्त (hemanta) – Early winter
During the Spring season - an astringent, bitter and hot diet is suggested, while salty, sour and sweet food is recommended to avoid. Wheat, barley, honey syrup, fruits like mango, jack fruit, etc., and meat of forest animals is encouraged.
During the Summer season - exacerbation of pitta occurs due to hot climate; therefore, relieving with a cold, liquid, sweet and oily diet is proposed. Excessively hot, spicy, sour, or salty diet should be abstained. Consumption of coconut water, ghee, grapes, milk, rice, sugar and meat of forest animals are suggested.
During the rainy season - exacerbation of vata occurs; therefore, salty, sour, sweet food and drinks are encouraged. The food should be dry, fatty, hot and easy to digest. Barley, mutton, rice and wheat soups are advised.
In early winter and winter season Vatadosha aggravates due to cold, dry, chilly atmosphere in this season hence vataghna, pittavardhaka diet is recommended. Hot, sweet, sour and salty food, milk, sugarcane, rice, oils and fats are advised and in autumn season aggravation of Pitta dosha occurs. Therefore, it is ideal to take ghee processed with bitter drugs; purgation, bloodletting, coolant, and light diet are advised. Diets dominant in Bitter, sweet, pungent diets are advised ideal in this season.
1. Adaan Kaal/Northern Solstice/Uttaryana (14 Jan. to 14 July)
1). Shishir Ritu (late winter) (Mid Jan. to Mid-March)
2). Vasant Ritu (Spring) (Mid-March to Mid-May)
3). Grishma Ritu (Summer) (Mid May to Mid-July)
2. Visarga Kaal/Southern Solstice/Dakshin Ayana (14 July to 14 Jan.)
1. Varsha Ritu (Rains) (Mid July to Mid-September)
2. Sharad Ritu (Autumn) (mid-Sept. to Mid-November)
3. Hemant Ritu (Late Autumn/Early-Winter) (Mid November to Mid Jan.)
Adaan Kaal/Northern Solstice/Uttaryana
(14 Jan. to 14 July)
SHISHIRA RITUCHARYA lasts from mid-January until mid-March. This wet, cold season brings with it an increase in heavy kapha energies, which means that your agni (digestive fire) needs to burn even brighter to keep things balanced.
Eat. Keeping with the diet you established during the Hemanta Ritu (last season), with lots of sweet, sour, salty, fatty, and fermented foods served with warming spices.
Avoid. Astringent or cold foods. The ideal Shishira diet includes a lot of apples, beans, dairy, grapes, rice, root vegetables, sweets (in moderation) and wheat.
Recommended Ayurvedic Treatments: Abhyanga (massage with oil) keeps your skin hydrated and nourished in the harsh winter months. Swedana (steam therapy) is especially helpful during this time in keeping your body from going into winter hibernation. Patar potli is a massage performed with an herbal pouch full of heated medicinal herbs, stimulating your circulation, reducing inflammation, and freeing your muscles of tension.
VASANTA RITUCHARYA lasts from mid-March to mid-May. Earth and air energies combine to make a lively transitional period. Kapha energies start to disperse, which douses your agni (digestive fire), which can cause a lot of discomfort(s).
Eat. This is a sensitive time on the body, so eating easily-digestible bitter and astringent foods, and avoid cold, viscous, heavy, sour, and sweet dishes. The ideal Vasanta ritu diet includes gut-healthy foods like barley and honey, and gently stimulating spices like coriander, cumin, turmeric, and fennel.
Recommended Ayurvedic Treatments: You might have heard of Nasya, which is therapy for the nasal passages, which is most often achieved using a Neti Pot. During allergy season, it’s important to clean out your respiratory system, including your nasal passages. Nasya involves clearing out excess mucus and adding therapeutic oil to keep things lubricated.
GRISHMA RITUCHARYA lasts from mid-May to mid-July. Fire and air energies dominate this season, drying things out and increasing both the Pitta and vata energies within the body. Your agni (digestive fire) is at an all-time low, so keeping things light is a must.
Eat. This is the time of year for sweet, light, cold, mineral-rich food. Eat lots of herbs and drink lots of fruit juices, and avoid sour, pungent, or warm foods. Keep hydrated with lots of water, and seek out antioxidants. The ideal Grishma diet includes lots of fresh fruit, and veggies like asparagus, cucumber, celery, and leafy greens.
Recommended Ayurvedic Treatments: Abhyanga (massage with oil) again. There is a pattern we see occurring. This season is drying, so keeping the skin moisturized is important. Shirodhara is a deeply relaxing therapy that involves a steady stream of warm oil that is poured onto the forehead. This blissful treatment is perfect for the chaotic state that fire and air can bring to the mind.
Visarga Kaal/Southern Solstice/Dakshin Ayana
(14 July to 14 Jan.)
VARSHA RITUCHARYA takes place from mid-July to mid-September. This is typically a wet, rainy season, with earth and fire energies rising to the forefront. Your agni (digestive fire) is heavily dampened during this season, so it’s time to get that fire roaring again.
Eat. Salty, sour, and oily foods are the star of this season. Although you want your agni to begin to pick up, avoid heavy foods at first and transition slowly through the season. The ideal Varsha diet avoids uncooked foods and favors warm, freshly-cooked meals. Assist digestion with ginger and lemon, and eat a lot of thin and light soups.
Recommended Ayurvedic Treatments: Varsha is the perfect time for Panchakarma, a cleanse consisting of five treatments—basti (therapy through the colon), nasya (clear nasal passages), swedana (sweat therapy), abhyanga (massage and oil), and snehana (application of medicated oils for 3 to 7 days). This helps to reset yourself for the coming year.
SHARATH RITUCHARYA begins in mid-September and lasts until mid-November, which is one last surge of warmth and dryness after the rainy season, your agni (digestive fire), regains strength. Water and fire are both prominent energies during this transitional time, which makes it the perfect period to begin to pacify those pitta energies.
Eat. The goal of this season is to transition smoothly into winter. In order to cleanse and prep your gastrointestinal tract for the heavier fare of the colder months, eat bitter, light, cold, astringent, and sweet foods that are easy on your stomach, and avoid foods high in fat and salt. The ideal Sharath diet includes berries, dairy, ghee, green leafy vegetables, honey, rice, pineapples, plums, root vegetables, tomatoes.
Recommended Ayurvedic Treatment: Virechana (detox through purging) purifies the blood by removing toxins from the body through the gastrointestinal tract. This therapy is essentially an herbal laxative therapy that clears out your gastrointestinal system so that you can enter the next season refreshed and ready for heavier fare.
HEMANTA RITUCHARYA arrives in mid-November, and lasts until mid-January. During this period, your agni (digestive fire) is at its strongest. The elemental energies of earth and water are dominant, which means that fiery pitta becomes grounded and pacified.
Eat. The goal of this season is to keep you warm and nourished. Now is the time to eat sweet, sour, and salty foods, as well as unctuous (oily) dishes to keep the agni burning strong. Eat warming foods and fermented dishes (like kimchi and sauerkraut), and avoid foods that are cold, light, and dry. The ideal Hemanta diet includes apples, beets, cabbage, carrots, corn, dairy, dates, onions, potatoes, pumpkin, rice and spinach.
Recommended Ayurvedic Treatments: Virechana (detox through purging) to remove toxins and keep your digestive system happy. Abhaynga (massage with oil) done by a practitioner or on your own, keeps your skin moisturized and protected. Swedana (sweat therapy) is kind of like using a sauna. Herbal steam helps you sweat out toxins, release tension, and help with your circulation. It’s great for keeping warm, too!