After the Daily regimen, I would like to share Ayurvedic knowledge on Ritucharya . Ritucharya is the seasonal activities that we should do for healthy and happy living.
Ayurveda gives importance to time. It is a causative factor for birth and the death of all creatures. The movement of the sun, the moon and all the planets are linked with time. Vedic science believes on existence of basic five elements (Panchamahabhoota), and time is actually responsible for transformation of five basic elements. This is the reason, why one should change food and lifestyle according to time .As a result of this, body will harmonize with nature.
Coming back to seasonal regimen , first we need to understand that there are six seasons that Ayurveda has explained. In this article I will just list out the 6 seasons that Ayurveda mentions.
Ritu (Seasons)
Month
Remarks
Sishira Mid Jan – Mid March Cool Vasanta Mid March – Mid May Flowers Grisma Mid May – Mid July Heat Varsa Mid July- Mid September Rain Sharada Mid Sep – Mid November Moonlight Hemanta Mid November- Mid Jan Snowfall
To have a better understanding and the movement of the sun ; these 6 seasons are categorize in two groups.
a. Aadan kaala – During this period , the sun with its severe hot rays and the winds with their sharp velocity and sryness absorb the moisture from the earth.
b. Visharga Kaala – Visharga is calm. Moon is dominating in this period an the power of the sun becomes weak.
Aadan Kaala :- Since the northward movement of the sun naturally increases the heat of the places it approaches, the cooling properties are weakened. Due to progressive dryness in the atmosphere during the seasons of Shishira, Vasanta, and Grishma, which enhances bitter, astringent and hot rasas respectively and results in the human beings become weak. Therefore aadana is sweltering by nature.
Visharga Kaala :- The remaining three seasons (i.e. Varsha, Sharad and Hemanta) are characterized by the southern movement of the sun and is known as visarga kaala. All living beings gains strength during this period.
Quick review on two kaala.
Aadan Kaala Visarga Kaala Digestive power decreases Sun moving towards north
Sun Dominants
Debilitating period
Sishir-Vasanta-Grishma
Bitter-Astringent- Hot taste
Dry
Digestive power increases Sun moving towards south
Moon Dominants
Strengthening period
Varsa-Sharad-Hemanta
Sour-Sweet-Salty taste
Moist
Next blog will be detail about lifestyle for each ritu or season.
Hi does anyone know where I can make questions about ayurveda?
I’ve recently came across a seminar on health based on ayurveda the person was explaining how there are different periods of the day and we should do different things at different times and for example he explained that we should eat only twice a day and never between 10.30am and 2.30pm only before or after, I have seen the statement to eat only twice a day too one in the morning and another at the end of the day in the book Charaka samhita which is one of the main authorities in ayurveda but at the same time I read that the best period for eating is from 12pm to 2pm because your digestive fire is higher, the gentleman on the seminar explained that from 10.30am to 2.30pm occurs a period of destruction in the universe so we should not eat or sleep and in the book Charaka samhita does say to eat once in the morning and once in the evening, how can we understand this ? Are there any books or sources of knowledge explaining this ? Can anyone help?
Thank you
Namaste and Greetings.
Dear Daniel, All the samhita and ancient text definitely agree that fire (pitta) is most dominant on middle of the day i.e. around 10:30 to 2:30 , and Charaka samhita and any other samhita, says plan your food according to agni in one’s stomach. Its also a well known fact that when agni is maximum in nature , so is in our body. So I would definitely go with big lunch in a healthy person. No lunch at noon can be true only in certain condition when someone has lots of Kapha dosha vitiated. I am still looking for the reference in samhita (will share once i find) , I just want to know reference of “the book Charaka samhita does say to eat once in the morning and once in the evening” . It would be helpful to find other reference. Thank you.