Skip to content

2025 Hindu Calendars Launched! Free Shipping above ₹499

2025 Hindu Calendars Launched! Free Shipping above ₹499

2025 Hindu Calendars Launched! Free Shipping above ₹499

2025 Hindu Calendars Launched! Free Shipping above ₹499

2025 Hindu Calendars Launched! Free Shipping above ₹499

2025 Hindu Calendars Launched! Free Shipping above ₹499

2025 Hindu Calendars Launched! Free Shipping above ₹499

2025 Hindu Calendars Launched! Free Shipping above ₹499

2025 Hindu Calendars Launched! Free Shipping above ₹499

2025 Hindu Calendars Launched! Free Shipping above ₹499

2025 Hindu Calendars Launched! Free Shipping above ₹499

2025 Hindu Calendars Launched! Free Shipping above ₹499

Ritucharya (ऋतुचर्या) – Ayurveda Recommended Seasonal Habits – Part 1

by Vishal Gaikwad 07 Apr 2019 0 Comments
Ritucharya Habits cover

Introduction

It is said in Ayurveda: शीर्यते अनेन इति शरीरं (Chakrapani commentary on च.सं.सू. 1) – that which deteriorates or that which is always in a state of change towards degeneration is called as शरीरं (human body).

Our ancestors were aware of astronomy; they keenly observed the changes in seasons with respect to sun, moon, stars, winds, and rainfall.

यत् पिण्डे, तत् ब्रह्माण्डे ।

yat piṇḍe, tat brahmāṇḍe 

Whatever there is in the environment is also there in the human body


The concept of “यत् पिण्डे, तत् ब्रह्माण्डे” (whatever there is in the environment is also there is the human body) was applied, which led to appreciating changes in the human body according to seasons and regimens were made accordingly.

Seasonal regimens main aim was to prevent diseases due to seasonal derangement of doshas. Hence Rutucharya is one of the ways to be in sync with ever-changing nature and being healthy all at the same time.

And that’s exactly what we are going to explore in this article, so grab your note-taking tools and let’s start!


The Basics of Ritucharya

What is a Ritu (ऋतु)?

ऋतु means द्वौ मासौ (dvau māsau) or two months.

How many Ritus we have and which are they?

Since 2 months make one Ritu, we have 6 Ritus, unlike western seasons which are 4 i.e. Winter, Spring, Summer and Autumn.

So the 6 Ritus are –

शिशिर (śiśira) – Late winter

वसन्त (vasanta) – Spring

ग्रीष्म (grīṣma) – Summer

वर्षा (varṣā) – Rains

शरद् (śarad) – Autumn

हेमन्त (hemanta) – Early winter

The first three Ritus are together called as आदान काल ādāna kāla (उत्तरायण uttarāyaṇa – tilt of northern hemisphere of earth away from the sun) and next three together called as विसर्ग काल visarga kāla (दक्षिणायन dakṣiṇāyaṇa – tilt of southern hemisphere of earth away from the sun).

There is a gradual decrease of बलं balaṃ (physical strength or immunity due to the seasonal effect) during उत्तरायण uttarāyaṇa and gradual increase of बलं balaṃ during दक्षिणायन dakṣiṇāyaṇa.


What is चर्या (caryā)?

नियम-अपरित्याग: (शब्दकल्पद्रुम)  not giving up certain rules or following certain आहार (food habits) and विहार (physical activities).

नियम-अपरित्याग: (शब्दकल्पद्रुम)

niyama aparityāga: (śabdakalpadruma)

Not giving up on certain rules or following certain habit


What is RituCharya ऋतुचर्या?

Here is the definition of Ritucharya as given in Ashtanga Hridaya Sutram –

ऋतुविशेषवशाच्च आहारविहारसेवानप्रतिपादनार्थं ऋतुचर्याया: । 

ṛtuviśeṣavaṣācca āhāravihārasevānapratipādanārthaṃ ṛtucaryāyā 

There occur some special changes in environment and humans in every Ritu and hence certain foods and exercises are specifically told for each Ritu, this process is as Ritucharya ऋतुचर्या
Source – (अरुणदत्त (aruṇadatta) commentary on अष्टांग ह्रुदय सूत्र  ३/१ (aṣṭāṃga hrudaya sūtra 3.1)

 


Why RituCharya ऋतुचर्या is necessary?

There occur certain seasonal changes in the Dosha’s (software of our body- Vata, Pitta, Kapha) – read more about Doshas here 

There are mainly 3 changes –

1. चय (caya) – accumulation of deranged Doshas in its main site like Vata dosha in the intestine),

2. प्रकोप (prakopa) – accumulation of deranged Doshas in other main seats in the body like Vata Dosha in the low back region) and

3. प्रशम (raśama) Dosha’s coming back to normalcy after derangement

This derangement occurs in the following order in respective Ritus

दोष (Dosha) चय (Chaya) प्रकोप (Prakopa) प्रशम (Prasama)
Vata Grisma (summer) Varsha (rainy) Sharat (autumn)
Pitta Varsha (rainy) Sharat (Autumn) Hemanta (early winter)
Kapha Shishira (winter) Vasanta (spring) Grishma (summer)

If you are confused as to how you should read this table, worry not, it is natural.
Here is one example – Vata accumulates in intestines during Grishma Ritu (summer) and accumulates in lower back region in Varsha (rainy) season, and it finally becomes normal in Sharat (autumn) season.
Hope this example helps you read the table better.

What we discussed in this subsection is given in this Shloka –

चय-प्रकोप-प्रशम: वायो: ग्रीष्मादिषु त्रिषु ।
वर्षादिषु तु पित्तस्य श्लेष्मण: शिशिरादिषु ।। – अष्टांग हृदय सूत्र

caya-prakopa-praśama: vāyoho grīṣmādiṣu triṣu ।
varṣādiṣu tu pittasya śleṣmaṇa: śiśirādiṣu ।। – aṣṭāṃga hrudaya sūtra


When these Doshas get deranged, they cause diseases based on the Srotus (organ system or channels in our body) that it affects to a particular individual. For eg. bronchitis in winter, stomach infections in monsoon, etc in individuals prone to these diseases. To bring back these deranged Doshas into normalcy, seasonal regimens are to be followed.

Let’s look at the recommended habits and regimen for each Ritu –


Ritucharya for हेमन्त (hemanta) and शिशिर (śiśira)

हेमन्त (hemanta) (early winter, mid-November to mid-January),
शिशिर (śiśira) (late winter, mid-January to mid-march)

Cold environment causes vasoconstriction of blood vessels in the periphery leading to more blood supply to the core, which leads to secretion of digestive juices in the stomach, ultimately it means more hunger than any other seasons.
Cold and dry winds reduce the moisture in the skin; contraction of muscles which leads to heat generation in the body. Hence application of oil or moisturizer helps the skin, it also increases peripheral blood supply and relaxes the muscles.
Wine and rum increase peripheral blood supply, giving a sense of warmth in a cold environment.
According to Ayurveda, Lavana (salty), Amla (sour) and unctuous food are heavy to digest and are apt to be used when there is more digestive fire to digest it.

Ritucharya for Hemanta and Shishir


Environmental changes:
 Dry and cold winds, intense sunlight.

Bodily changes: Digestive fire is increased as cold weather blocks heat in the periphery of one’s body (vasoconstriction). Accumulation of deranged Kapha dosha begins, which leads to diseases like asthma, common cold, diabetes mellitus, Atherosclerosis, etc.

Ahara (Diet): Eating Sour, salty, heavy, unctuous, thick meals. Using more by-products of sugar cane, gram/wheat flour. Drinking milk and milk products, wine, rum, and hot water are recommended.

Vihara (lifestyle): Abhyanga (application of oil to the whole body), Utsadana (applying medicated powder of drugs to the body), oil to the scalp. Staying in warm and less windy places. Warm clothes are recommended.

To be avoided: too much of Spicy (black pepper, capsicum, etc), bitter (bitter gourd, Guduchi leaf, broccoli, etc.), astringent (cauliflower, potato, etc.) food is to be avoided or eaten less. Exposure to cold winds as well as consuming cold drinks and foods are to be avoided too. Avoid sleeping during day time.


Ritucharya for वसन्त (vasanta)

वसन्त (spring- mid-march to mid-may)

Spring season is marked by longer day time with more exposure to sunlight. Sunlight exposure leads to the release of hormone serotonin in the human body, leading to a better mood. During the long darkness of winter months, the body naturally produces more melatonin. For people prone to seasonal affective disorder, all that melatonin triggers a winter depression. In spring, when melatonin production eases up, so does depression.
Ritucharya Vasant

Environmental changes: increased intensity of sunlight than in Shishira Ritu.

Bodily changes: Deranged Kapha dosha accumulated in Shishira Ritu is liquefied in Vasanth Ritu leading to reduced digestive fire resulting in many diseases or aggravation of diseases that were there in winter. Moderate बल (strength) present in humans.

Ahara(diet): old यव (barley), गोधूम (wheat), rice, green gram, and lentil to be consumed. Food tasting predominantly Tikta (bitter), Katu (pungent) and Kashaya (astringent) which are light for digestion are to be consumed. Drinking liquids like honey mixed with water recommended.

Vihara (lifestyle):

Vamana therapy – medicated vomiting exercise

Udvartana – rubbing medicated dry powders over the body before bath)

Dhumapana – inhaling and exhaling smoke of specific medicines for a certain time according to the diseases, body type, etc.

Kavala Graha – filling the mouth with medicated oil, medicine decoction or hot water till mouth fills with saliva

Anjana (collyrium) – applying a medicated paste from inner edge to outer edge of the lower eyelid

Sexual intercourse – once every three day-one way to reduce deranged Kapha dosha

To be avoided: Eating sweet, sour, salty and oily food which is heavy for digestion and sleeping in the day time is to be avoided.


Bring Sanskrit home!
ReSanskrit merchandise starting at ₹ 199.

Browse Collection!

Ritucharya for ग्रीष्म (Grishma)

ग्रीष्म (Summer- mid-May to mid-July)
Ritucharya Grishma


Environmental changes:
 The intensity of मयूख (mayūkha, Sunlight) is at its peak.

Bodily changes: There is a maximum loss of सौम्य (saumya, moisture like constituents) in one’s body, leading to least बल (strength). Deranged Kapha dosha comes back to normalcy due to seasonal changes and Deranged Vata dosha starts accumulating in its main site.

Ahara(diet): स्वादु (sweet), शीतं (cooling), द्रवं (liquids) and स्निग्ध (unctuous) food and drinks, मन्थं (churned juice of sweet and sour fruits with water and sugar), ghee, milk, rice can be consumed.

Those who are habituated of drinking मद्य (fermented drinks-wine, rum, etc) should drink in the least quantity or with food or by diluting it with more water.

Vihara (lifestyle):

During day time, one should stay in cold places or home and at night, one should sleep under the moonlight by applying Chandana (sandalwood powder) to his/her body.

More cooling drugs like Chandana, Ushira (vitiveria zizanoides) are to be kept in water for touching frequently and cooling one’s body. Wearing pearls, corals made jewelry at night and visiting cool forest areas and water bodies filled with flowers is recommended.

To be avoided:  लवण (salty), अम्ल (sour), कटू (pungent) and उष्ण (hot) food and drinks are to be taken less or avoided.

व्यायामं (exercise) is best avoided in this season, as there is the least strength in body.

There is loss of fluids in the form of sweat during the summer season, hence more liquids are preferred in the form of juices and more carbohydrate-rich foods like rice which provides quick energy is advised in this season. 

It’s told in Ayurveda that the people and plants from dry regions have more strength and endurance against diseases than those in regions of more rainfall. Since animals of dry regions are stronger and light to digest, they are preferred in summer season as meat in Ayurveda.

In Ayurveda, pearls are said to have a cooling effect on the body if worn or taken internally after proper processing. As it is formed in the ocean, that is cool, its effect on one’s body is also cooling.


World Health Day

Also today is the World Health Day, here is a Shloka for the same.

World Health Day Sanskrit

Conclusion

We hope you liked this article. You can read rest of the Ritus in Ritucharya Part 2.

Please let us know if we have missed out on something or if there is anything specific you’d like us to cover.


Like our work? Follow us on Instagram!


Prev Post
Next Post

Leave a comment

Please note, comments need to be approved before they are published.

Trending Now

2025 - Hindu Wall Calendar (Vikram Samvat 2081-82) - ReSanskrit
From ₹ 299
₹ 499
From ₹ 299
2025 - Hindu Desk Calendar (Vikram Samvat 2081-82) - ReSanskrit
From ₹ 279
₹ 499
From ₹ 279
Mahaganapati Wall Poster – Sanskrit Shloka for Divine Protection
From ₹ 249
₹ 299
From ₹ 249
Mahaganapati Wall Frame – Sanskrit Shloka for Divine Protection
From ₹ 599
From ₹ 599
Shiva Lingam Poster With Nandi
From ₹ 249
₹ 299
From ₹ 249
Shiva Lingam Wall Art With Nandi
From ₹ 599
From ₹ 599
Hope and Renewal Poster – Sanskrit Shloka with Lotus Bloom Art
From ₹ 249
₹ 299
From ₹ 249
1of8

Thanks for subscribing!

This email has been registered!

Shop the look

Choose Options

Edit Option
Back In Stock Notification
Terms & Conditions

These terms govern use of the website https://resanskrit.com/ . To use the forum, you must agree to these terms with the company, ReSanskrit Publications LLP.

The company may offer other products and services, under different terms. These terms apply only to use of the forum.

Important Terms

These terms include a number of important provisions that affect your rights and responsibilities, such as the disclaimers in Disclaimers, limits on the company’s liability to you in Limits on Liability, your agreement to cover the company for damages caused by your misuse of the forum in Responsibility for Your Use, and an agreement to arbitrate disputes in Disputes.

Your Permission to Use the Forum

Subject to these terms, the company gives you permission to use the forum. Everyone needs to agree to these terms to use the forum.

Conditions for Use of the Forum

Your permission to use the forum is subject to the following conditions:

  1. You must be at least thirteen years old.
  2. You may no longer use the forum if the company contacts you directly to say that you may not.
  3. You must use the forum in accordance with Acceptable Use and Content Standards.

Acceptable Use

  1. You may not break the law using the forum.
  2. You may not use or try to use another’s account on the forum without their specific permission.
  3. You may not buy, sell, or otherwise trade in user names or other unique identifiers on the forum.
  4. You may not send advertisements, chain letters, or other solicitations through the forum, or use the forum to gather addresses or other personal data for commercial mailing lists or databases.
  5. You may not automate access to the forum, or monitor the forum, such as with a web crawler, browser plug-in or add-on, or other computer program that is not a web browser. You may crawl the forum to index it for a publicly available search engine, if you run one.
  6. You may not use the forum to send e-mail to distribution lists, newsgroups, or group mail aliases.
  7. You may not falsely imply that you’re affiliated with or endorsed by the company.
  8. You may not hyperlink to images or other non-hypertext content on the forum on other webpages.
  9. You may not remove any marks showing proprietary ownership from materials you download from the forum.
  10. You may not show any part of the forum on other websites with .
  11. You may not disable, avoid, or circumvent any security or access restrictions of the forum.
  12. You may not strain infrastructure of the forum with an unreasonable volume of requests, or requests designed to impose an unreasonable load on information systems underlying the forum.
  13. You may not impersonate others through the forum.
  14. You may not encourage or help anyone in violation of these terms.

Content Standards

  1. You may not submit content to the forum that is illegal, offensive, or otherwise harmful to others. This includes content that is harassing, inappropriate, or abusive.
  2. You may not submit content to the forum that violates the law, infringes anyone’s intellectual property rights, violates anyone’s privacy, or breaches agreements you have with others.
  3. You may not submit content to the forum containing malicious computer code, such as computer viruses or spyware.
  4. You may not submit content to the forum as a mere placeholder, to hold a particular address, user name, or other unique identifier.
  5. You may not use the forum to disclose information that you don’t have the right to disclose, like others’ confidential or personal information.

Enforcement

The company may investigate and prosecute violations of these terms to the fullest legal extent. The company may notify and cooperate with law enforcement authorities in prosecuting violations of the law and these terms.

The company reserves the right to change, redact, and delete content on the forum for any reason. If you believe someone has submitted content to the forum in violation of these terms, contact us immediately.

Your Account

You must create and log into an account to use some features of the forum.

To create an account, you must provide some information about yourself. If you create an account, you agree to provide, at a minimum, a valid e-mail address, and to keep that address up-to-date. You may close your account at any time by e-mailing namskar@resanskrit.com.

You agree to be responsible for all action taken using your account, whether authorised by you or not, until you either close your account or notify the company that your account has been compromised. You agree to notify the company immediately if you suspect your account has been compromised. You agree to select a secure password for your account, and keep it secret.

The company may restrict, suspend, or close your account on the forum according to its policy for handling copyright-related takedown requests, or if the company reasonably believes that you’ve broken any rule in these terms.

Your Content

Nothing in these terms gives the company any ownership rights in intellectual property that you share with the forum, such as your account information, posts, or other content you submit to the forum. Nothing in these terms gives you any ownership rights in the company’s intellectual property, either.

Between you and the company, you remain solely responsible for content you submit to the forum. You agree not to wrongly imply that content you submit to the forum is sponsored or approved by the company. These terms do not obligate the company to store, maintain, or provide copies of content you submit, and to change it, according to these terms.

Content you submit to the forum belongs to you, and you decide what permission to give others for it. But at a minimum, you license the company to provide content that you submit to the forum to other users of the forum. That special license allows the company to copy, publish, and analyze content you submit to the forum.

When content you submit is removed from the forum, whether by you or by the company, the company’s special license ends when the last copy disappears from the company’s backups, caches, and other systems. Other licenses you apply to content you submit, such as Creative Commons licenses, may continue after your content is removed. Those licenses may give others, or the company itself, the right to share your content through the forum again.

Others who receive content you submit to the forum may violate the terms on which you license your content. You agree that the company will not be liable to you for those violations or their consequences.

Your Responsibility

You agree to indemnify the company from legal claims by others related to your breach of these terms, or breach of these terms by others using your account on the forum. Both you and the company agree to notify the other side of any legal claims for which you might have to indemnify the company as soon as possible. If the company fails to notify you of a legal claim promptly, you won’t have to indemnify the company for damages that you could have defended against or mitigated with prompt notice. You agree to allow the company to control investigation, defense, and settlement of legal claims for which you would have to indemnify the company, and to cooperate with those efforts. The company agrees not to agree to any settlement that admits fault for you or imposes obligations on you without your prior agreement.

Disclaimers

You accept all risk of using the forum and content on the forum. As far as the law allows, the company and its suppliers provide the forum as is, without any warranty whatsoever.

The forum may hyperlink to and integrate forums and services run by others. The company does not make any warranty about services run by others, or content they may provide. Use of services run by others may be governed by other terms between you and the one running service.

Limits on Liability

Neither the company nor its suppliers will be liable to you for breach-of-contract damages their personnel could not have reasonably foreseen when you agreed to these terms.

As far as the law allows, the total liability to you for claims of any kind that are related to the forum or content on the forum will be limited to $50.

Feedback

The company welcomes your feedback and suggestions for the forum. See the Contact section below for ways to get in touch with us.

You agree that the company will be free to act on feedback and suggestions you provide, and that the company won’t have to notify you that your feedback was used, get your permission to use it, or pay you. You agree not to submit feedback or suggestions that you believe might be confidential or proprietary, to you or others.

Termination

Either you or the company may end the agreement written out in these terms at any time. When our agreement ends, your permission to use the forum also ends.

Disputes

governing_law will govern any dispute related to these terms or your use of the forum.

You and the company agree to seek injunctions related to these terms only in state or federal court in city_for_disputes. Neither you nor the company will object to jurisdiction, forum, or venue in those courts.

Other than to seek an injunction or for claims under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, you and the company will resolve any Dispute by binding American Arbitration Association arbitration. Arbitration will follow the AAA’s Commercial Arbitration Rules and Supplementary Procedures for Consumer Related Disputes. Arbitration will happen in San Francisco, California. You will settle any dispute as an individual, and not as part of a class action or other representative proceeding, whether as the plaintiff or a class member. No arbitrator will consolidate any dispute with any other arbitration without the company’s permission.

Any arbitration award will include costs of the arbitration, reasonable attorneys fees, and reasonable costs for witnesses. You and the company may enter arbitration awards in any court with jurisdiction.

General Terms

If a provision of these terms is unenforceable as written, but could be changed to make it enforceable, that provision should be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it enforceable. Otherwise, that provision should be removed.

You may not assign your agreement with the company. The company may assign your agreement to any affiliate of the company, any other company that obtains control of the company, or any other company that buys assets of the company related to the forum. Any attempted assignment against these terms has no legal effect.

Neither the exercise of any right under this Agreement, nor waiver of any breach of this Agreement, waives any other breach of this Agreement.

These terms embody all the terms of agreement between you and the company about use of the forum. These terms entirely replace any other agreements about your use of the forum, written or not.

Contact

You may notify the company under these terms, and send questions to the company, at namaskar@resanskrit.com.

The company may notify you under these terms using the e-mail address you provide for your account on the forum, or by posting a message to the homepage of the forum or your account page.

Changes

The company last updated these terms on June 17, 2024, and may update these terms again. The company will post all updates to the forum. For updates that contain substantial changes, the company agrees to e-mail you, if you’ve created an account and provided a valid e-mail address. The company may also announce updates with special messages or alerts on the forum.

Once you get notice of an update to these terms, you must agree to the new terms in order to keep using the forum.

this is just a warning
Login
Shopping Cart
0 items

Before you leave...

Take 20% off your first order

20% off

Enter the code below at checkout to get 20% off your first order

CODESALE20

Continue Shopping