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Ritucharya / Seasonal Routine
Dhanwanthari Ayurveda Hospital
Ritucharya / Seasonal Routine
Ayurveda's Ritucharya, where Ritu stands for season and Charya for regimen, refers to a seasonal regimen. The dos and don'ts for each season are briefly described in this section of Ayurveda. According to Ayurveda, a year is divided into 6 Ritus (seasons), with each Ritu consisting of two months.
मासैर्द् विसन्ख्यै माघार्द्यैः क्रमात् षट् ऋतवः स्मृताः । शिशिरो अथ वसन्तश्च ग्रीष्मो वर्ष शरद् हिमाः ॥
HEMANTA RITU CHARYA / AYURVEDA WINTER REGIMEN
अतो हिमेअस्मिन्सेवेत स्वाद्वम्ललवणात्रसान् ।
One should eat food with a focus on the flavours of sweetness, sourness, and salt due to high digestive capacity. This will prevent the deterioration of bodily tissues (Dhatus).
वातघ्न तैलैरभ्यङ्गं मूर्ध्नि तैलं विमर्दनम् ।
Vata-relieving oil should be used for massage, especially on the head. Use astringent powder to wash the oil away while taking a bath. Apply saffron powder to the body after a shower and then inhale the agarwood fumes.
गोधूम पिष्ट माषेक्षु क्षीरोत्थ विकृतीः शुभाः ।
नवमन्नं वसा तैलं, शौचकार्ये सुखोदकं ।
For cooking, ingredients including wheat, black gram, sugarcane, milk, fresh maize, fat, and oil can be used. Use warm water for ablution.
SHISHIRA RITU CHARYA / AYURVEDA WINTER REGIMEN
अयमेव विधिः कार्यः शिशिरेपि विशेषतः ।
तदा हि शीतमधिकं रौक्ष्यम् चादानकालजं ॥
Follow the regimen described in Hemanta Ritu during Shishira Ritu, but with additional vigor because the cold and dryness are more intense.
VASANTA RITU CHARYA / AYURVEDA SPRING REGIMEN
तीक्ष्णैर्वमन नस्यादैः लघु रूक्षैश्च भोजनैः ।
व्यायामाद् उद्वर्तनाघातैर्जित्वा श्लेष्मणः उल्बणं ॥
The liquefaction of the Kapha dosha in the Vasanta ritu lowers the digestive capacity and causes illnesses. In order to remove the extra kapha, Panchakarma procedures like Nasyam and Vamanam are prescribed. Additionally, one should consume foods that are less greasy and simple to digest. Exercise, powder massage, and consuming fermented infusions or decoctions, grape juice, honey-infused water, and water that have been cooked with Nutgrass are all encouraged during this time.
गुरु शीत दिवास्वप्न स्निग्धाम्ल मधुरं त्यजेत् ।
Foods that are chilly, difficult to digest, unctuous, acidic, and sweet should all be avoided.
GREESHMA RITU CHARYA / AYURVEDA SUMMER REGIMEN
अतो अस्मिन् पटु कट्वम्ल व्यायामं अर्करांस्त्यजेत् ।
Summer light exposure causes the body's vata and kapha to become more imbalanced. Therefore, stay away from salt, sour and acidic meals, as well as activity and sun exposure during this season.
भजेन्मधुरसेवान्नं लघु स्निग्दं हिमं द्रवं ।
Utilize sweet, simple-to-digest, fatty, cold, and liquid foods. Avoid drinking fermented beverages, and if you must, consume them in very little amounts or diluted with additional water. Drinking alcohol can produce inflammation in the body, which can result in fatigue, a burning sensation, and insensibility.
पिबेत् रसं नातिघनं रसालां राग खाण्डवौ ।
पानकं पञ्चसारं वा नव मृदु भाजने स्थितम् ॥
It is recommended to drink thin meat soup, curds that have been treated with sugar and seasonings (Rasala), syrups that are sweet, salty, and sour (Raga), all-tasting syrups (Khandava), and syrups created from dates, raisins, and other ingredients (Panchasaram).
शशाङ्क किरणान् भक्ष्यान् रजन्यां भक्षयन् पिबेत् ।
ससितं माहिषं क्षीरं चन्द्र नक्षत्र शीतलं ॥
Use fried foods produced from cereals and sweetened buffalo milk that have been chilled by moonlight and stars during the night.
VARSHA RITU CHARYA / AYURVEDA MONSOON REGIMEN
आस्थापनं शुद्ध तनुर्जीर्णं धान्यं रसान् कृतान् ।
जाङ्गलं पिशितं यूषान् मध्वरिष्टं चिरन्तनम् ।
The rainy season makes the digestive fire, which became out of balance over the summer, even weaker, vitiating all three doshas. Consequently, due consideration must be paid to body detoxifying practises like Vasti (medicated enema therapy). It is recommended to use grains that have been stored for a long time, meat soup, meat from animals that live in dry climates, soup prepared from pulses, fermented decoction, etc.
नदी जलोद मन्थाहः स्वप्न आयास आतपां त्यजेत् ।
Avoid drinking river water, fermented cereal drinks, sleeping throughout the day, engaging in strenuous activity, and being in the sun.
SARAD RITU CHARYA / AYURVEDA AUTUMN REGIMEN
तत् जयाय घृतं तिक्तं विरेको रक्तमोक्षणम् ।
Intake of medicated ghee, which has a bitter taste, purgation, and bloodletting procedures are to be used to treat the Pitta dosha that is worsened in Sarad ritu due to abrupt exposure to sunshine after the rainy season.
तिक्तं स्वादु कषायं च क्षुधितो अन्नं भजेत् लघु ।
शालि मुद्गं सिता धात्री पटोल मधु जाङ्गलं ॥
Use foods with bitter, sweet, and astringent flavours. Consume foods that are simple to digest, such as rice, green gramme, sugar, gooseberries, honey, and meat from animals that live in arid climates.
शुचि हंसोदकं नाम निर्मलं मलजित् जलं ।
नाभिष्यन्दि न वा रूक्षं पानादिषु अमृतोपमं ॥
The water known as Hamsodaka is purported to be clean and effective at treating vitiated dosha because it is heated during the day and chilled during the night, a process that is done for several days.
तुषार क्षार सौहित्य दधि तैल वस आतपान् ।
तीक्ष्ण मद्य दिवास्वप्न पुरोवातान् परित्यजेत् ॥
Avoid sunlight, strong alcoholic beverages, curd, oil, fat, cold weather, alkali substances, daytime napping, and easterly winds.
ऋत्वोः अन्त्यादि सप्ताहौ ऋतु सन्धिरिति स्मृतः ।
तत्र पूर्वा विधिस्त्याज्यः सेवनीयो अपरः क्रमात् ॥
Ritusandhi refers to the seven days that precede the start of the new season and the seven days that mark the end of the current season (inter season). To prevent diseases, the regimen that was followed during the previous season must be terminated and the regimen prescribed for the following month must be begun during the Ritusandhi.