The ‘Ritus’, commonly referred to as the seasons, hold a particularly significant place in Ayurveda. In Ayurveda, seasons don’t simply refer to the change in the winds, the sun, and the temperature. It also indicates the changes in the body. Ever wondered why most of us suffer from rhinitis or a running nose in early March? Or why do we suddenly feel bloated in the rains? Well, the answer to all this is in the impact of the seasons on our bodies. Ayurveda explains this and much more in very simple terms. So, let’s know more?

The year is divided into twelve ‘maasa’ (months), pretty much how it works in the Georgian Calendar. Further, two months make up one ‘ritu’ (season) and three seasons make up an  ‘ayan’ (half a year, the time from one solstice to another), i.e., the north or south road taken by the sun due to earth’s tilt.

The six seasons can be understood in the following manner with respect to the Georgian Calendar and the Hindu Calendar-

Ritu (Season)	Hindu Calender	Georgian Calender
1. Shishira (Winters)	Magha	January – February
	Phalguna	February – March
2. Vasanta (Spring)	Chaitra	March – April
	Vaishakha	April – May
3. Greeshma (Summers)	Jyeshtha	May – June
	Ashadha	June – July
4. Varsha (Rains)	Shravana	July – August
	Bhadrapada	August – September
5. Sharad (Autumn)	Ashwin	September – October
	Kartika	October – November
6. Hemant (Winters)	Margashirsha	November – December
	Pausha	December – January

Each season brings about a special effect on the body due to the change in the atmosphere due to the sun, the moon, and the winds. In order to maintain health, there is a meticulously created ‘ritucharya’, the seasonal regimen, mentioned in the Ayurvedic classics. But, it is crucial to understand the basics of these seasons and their effects before we dive into their specific regimens.

It can be simply understood to what we refer to as Winters. On a deeper note, this season has particularly cold winds and temperatures. This cause the body to trap the heat inside our body only, which in turn results in increased ‘agni’ (digestive fire). This is exactly why we feel specifically hungrier in the winter. This also means that we must consume proper, nutritious, and heavy meals during this time. If not consumed, the fire would start consuming our own tissue structures and proteins, slowly eating our body from the inside. Therefore, the regimen naturally focuses on providing proper fuel to the ‘agni’ (digestive fire) in order to protect our body from the wear and tear.

This is also considered a part of the Winters only. But from an Ayurvedic perspective, it is considered drier and a bit colder due to the specific change in the winds, also understood as the ‘Western Disturbances’. For this reason, this season holds a much more important role in following the proper regimen. Due to the extreme cold and consumption of heavy, nutritious meals in both of these seasons, there is a tendency for ‘Kapha Dosha’ to accumulate in the body.

This season is marked as Spring, the time of growth, gradually rising temperatures, and flowers blossoming all around. Due to the clear skies and a stronger effect of the sun, this particular season is characterised by the vitiation of the previously accumulated ‘Kapha Dosha’. This vitiated ‘dosha’ is the reason why we often experience a running nose and blocked sinuses in the spring. Due to the imbalance of one of the ‘Tridosha’, there is a rather peculiar regimen that must be followed to minimise its harmful effects and keep the body balanced.

Commonly understood as the summer, this is the time when the sun is working the hardest. It is marked by excessive heat, dryness, and also the excessive drain of energy due to the sun on our heads. The heat and dryness often lead to the naturally subsiding of the vitiated ‘Kapha’, but on the other hand, this is also the cause for ‘Vata’ to start accumulating. The heat and the wear out also result in disturbed ‘agni’ (digestive fire), often leading to unstable hunger, thus making the body more prone to debility. Thus, the regimen in this season is focused on nourishing the body appropriately with light and balanced meals.

This season is commonly referred to as the Rains. The skies being covered with clouds, the constant pressure of water vapours in the atmosphere, the dampness, and the significant cold air are the characteristic features. Due to the coldness and the incaresed atmopheric pressure, this season tends to vitiate the accumulated ‘Vata Dosha’ and severely disbalance ‘agni’. This is why we often feel bloated in the rains, cause there is excess pressure in our body by the ‘Vata’, and the ‘agni’ is also not able to properly digest the food consumed. ‘Vata’ being the major and the most difficult to manage ‘dosha’ of the ‘Tridosha’, requires a rather unique set of regimens to be followed in order to maintain a realtively a healthy state of the body. Also, due to dampness, ‘Pitta’ also starts to accumulate, but it doesn’t get vitiated due to the coldness in the air.

This season is marked by the clear skies following the rains, and the trees shedding their leaves in order to refresh themselves. This is commonly called out as Autumn. The season brings upon fresh energy of the sun, and a little bit of heat along with it, which gives the ‘Pitta Dosha’ the perfect circumstances to accumulate further and get vitiated. The vitiation of the ‘Pitta Dosha’ again requires a particular regimen for this season if one wishes to maintain their best health.

These seasons aren’t really something we need to learn about; they’d rather be better understood by simply experiencing them. And after really knowing and understanding their nature and effects on the body, it gets easier for us to keep ourselves in a better state of health. The following blogs deal with the specific regimen for each of the ‘ritu’ to help develop a better and clearer sense of how exactly to manage the best health.