The word Ritucharya comprises of two words: Ritu means Season and charya refers to the seasonal regime i.e. the Do’s and don’ts to be followed during the season. Ritucharya means the seasonal regime which should be followed to avoid different diseases and remain healthy. A year consists of six ritu (seasons) and each season is of two months. The year is divided into two kaalas(six months each) i.e. Aadaan kaala and Visarga kaala. In Aadaan kaala, the sun’s rays and wind are very powerful which takes away the strength of the people and the cooling qualities of the earth and thus creates a debilitating condition in the people. The seasons according to Ayurveda that fall under aadaan kaala are Shishir, Vasant and Grishma.
As per Ayurveda, the months March-April constitute the Vasant Ritu or Spring season. The Kapha that gets accumulated during the cold season due to the cold and damp condition gets aggravated during the spring due to the hot rays of the sun as it liquefies and diminishes the digestive fire. This liquefied kapha along with the toxins should be expelled out of the body with the help of the detoxification procedure called Vaman(therapeutic emesis) that is best advised in the Spring season. If the unwanted toxins are not timely expelled out, then it may lead to conditions like flu, colds, cough and allergies. Therefore, people in this season are more prone to develop allergies like allergic rhinitis, respiratory infections, asthma and gastro-intestinal disturbances. Due to the increased heat, people may also face symptoms such as severe headaches, dizziness, fatigue, feeling drowsy especially after lunch, pain in calf and other unexplained muscle aches and sore throats.
In order to attain good health in spring season and maintain it, one may follow the Diet and Lifestyle regime advised by Ayurveda. Due to reduction in the digestive fire the diet to be taken should be light in nature that would get easily digested. It is therefore best suited to have a light breakfast. Drinking sips of hot water aides the digestion. Consumption of barley, old wheat, honey, roasted meat, mango juice is advisable. Honey has been shown to hamper the growth of food-borne pathogens and to fight certain bacteria. Intake of Jowar (hordeum vulgare) and Barley also have been proved to improve the immunity. Sweet juicy fruits can help cleanse the body, although they should be eaten before sunset. Add little spices to your food such as coriander, cumin, turmeric, and fennel, nutmeg, cinnamon and pepper to help stimulate the digestion and detoxify the skin. Few herbs like ginger, lemon grass, tulasi (holy basil) can also be taken in form of decoction (green tea). It is best to avoid cold, unctuous foods & excessive sweet, sour and salty foods. One must exercise and take medicated gargle (dhumapana), dry massage, nasal medication, after massage bath using karpura/chandan/kumkum and avoid sleeping during day time.
MSRICAIM has specialized consultants who can advice the right kind of dietary and lifestyle changes best suited for you and the management approach for the conditions mentioned above.
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M S Ramaiah Indic Centre for Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine (MSR ICAIM)
A unit of Gokula Education Foundation (Medical)
New BEL Road, MSR Nagar
Mathikere PO
Bengaluru – 54
Tel: +91-80-22183456/ 23606545
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