Ritucharya: The Wisdom of Seasons

Ayurveda is a science of natural rhythms. By understanding how the elements rise & fall in nature we can understand how they rise & fall within ourselves. In many climates there is a clear shift of seasons happening periodically throughout the year. Spring becomes Summer, Summer becomes Fall, Fall becomes Winter and Winter returns to Spring. During the Summer months the days are long, the sun is hot, fruits are ripe and activity is high! During Winter the nights are long, the air is cold, plants are dormant and we generally stay in doors more. There is a clear difference to these two extremes. The seasons are the perfect place to really see the elements and the doshas in action.

SPRING
Spring is like Kapha Dosha, in nature we can observe a predominance of the EARTH and WATER elements. In many areas there is flooding as the snows of winter melt, seeds begin to germinate and new plants begin to sprout. There is a moist, damp, heavy quality that can be seen reaching its peak in the environment around us.

SUMMER
Summer is like Pitta Dosha and in nature we can observe a predominance of the FIRE element. The sun is hot, nature is displaying rich vibrants colors though her flowers and fruits. We can observe the qualities of warmth, dryness and lightness reaching their peak.

AUTUMN
Autumn is like Vata Dosha. In nature we can observe the predominance of the AIR element. In many areas, the environment is drying out, leaves are falling and decaying, and often there is a certain erratic quality to the temperature and feeling of each day. We can observe the qualities of light, dry, irregular and mobile reaching their peak

WINTER
Winter can vary from location to location. In some places, the land is covered by a dormant quiet stillness and exemplifies a predominance of the ETHER element. Being from the Northeast of the United States myself, this is what i think of. However this space (ether) is often filled with a predominance of the WATER element in the form of snow such as in northern climates. It can also be filled with a predominance of the AIR element such as in more southern climates (Santa-Anna winds anyone?) And so we can see winter as a time of both Vata and Kapha dosha.

The key to general health maintenance in Ayurveda is to live in rhythm with the seasonal shifts and more specifically to stay one step ahead. In the peak of each season, the dosha most like it is at its peak while the dosha that will come next is accumulating. With this in mind, we can say that it is most wise to pacify the dosha that is accumulating because when a dosha reaches its peak, thats when it tends to overflow and become symptomatic.

In the spring, Kapha dosha is at its peak, while Pitta dosha is accumulating. Therefore we take can in foods and herbs that are light, dry and cooling to alleviate the qualities of Pitta dosha. Nature supports this as the harvest of spring is where most of our bitter green salad vegetables are naturally available.

In the height of summer, Pitta dosha is at its peak while Vata dosha is accumulating. Therefore we take in foods and herbs that are moist, cool and grounding to alleviate the qualities of Vata dosha. Once again, nature supports this as the harvest of summer is when we see all those sweet, moist delicious cooling fruits that naturally balance us in this season.

In the autumn, Vata dosha is at its peak, while Vata or Kapha dosha is accumulating. Therefore we generally take in foods and herbs that are warm, moist and heavy to pacify Vata as over the course of a lifetime, Vata is the most destructive dosha. Nature supports this by offering the heavier, more nutritive fruits and vegetables that we naturally harvest in spring such as pumpkin and squash.

In regards to winter, the climate can vary and as such we need to pay special attention to the qualities that are most predominant in the environment we live in, in order to plan the timing of our diet. In general we lump early winter in with Vata season and late winter in with Kapha season. In Late winter, after a number of months of eating heavy, moist, grounding foods in an effort to keep Vata in check, it is wise to begin introducing foods the are hot, dry and light in preparation for the Spring season to come.