Chapter 49

WINTER AND SPRING  SEASONAL REGIMEN

Hemanta (Mid- November to Mid-January) and Shishira  (Mid-January to Mid-March) Rtucharya

  • Daily regimens :
  • In the morning one should adopt to practices like abhyanga (oil application to the body), followed by vyayama (exercises), Mardana (massage), Udwartana (powder massage) and snana (bath).
  • Vyayama can be done till one’s maximum strength because during these seasons body will have maximum endurance power. One should make use of this strength and good digestive power and enhance body’s vitality.
  • Dietary modifications :
  • In early winter and winter seasons, digestive fire will be powerful and hence one should consume food that are rich, heavy and predominantly sweet, sour and salty tastes so that the powerful digestive fire will be digesting the food and will not lead to depletion of body tissues.
  • Foods that are heavy to digest like black gram, wheat, freshly harvested cornand other grains, milk and dairy products, sugarcane juice, honey, edible oils and fats should be consumed as per the digestive capacity.
  • One should cover themselves with silk clothes, wool, jute and should dress heavy and warm  in order to protect the body from extreme cold temperature.
  • Application of pastes like Saffron, Agarwood is advisable due to their property of maintaining the body heat.
  • To be avoided :
  • Foods and drinks that aggrevate Vata dosha, which are easily digestible, insufficient food, foods predominantly of pungent, bitter, astringent tastes and diluted buttermilk should be avoided.
  • Exposure to dew/snow, cold breeze, day sleep should be avoided.
  • The physical strength is at the best during early winter and winter seasons.
  • Dosha influence :
  • Vata gets aggrevated during these seasons.
  • Hence one should resort to practices that are favourable to the seasonal changes and hence counteracting the effects of dosha imbalance and thereby leading a healthy lifestyle synchronised with nature.

REGIMEN OF SPRING SEASON (VASANTA RTUCHARYA)

Mid March to Mid May

  • Kapha that has undergone increase during the winter season will now get liquefied due to the heat of the Sun.
  • This leads to diminishing of the digestive fire (Agni) and will give rise to many diseases. Hence Kapha should be controlled.
  • Dietary modifications
  • Food that are easily digestible, that which is dry and moisture and foods that mitigate kapha like pungent, astringent, bitter tastes should be used to control the aggrevated kapha and to increase the digestive fire in the body.
  • One should consume old barley, preparations like fermented grape juice with honey, water boiled with nutgrass. Always boiled water should be used for drinking.
  • Lifestyle modifications
  • Massaging the body with dry powders(udwartana), exercises, inhalation of medicinal smoke (dhumapana), mouth gargling (gandusha), anjana (collyrium), application of pates of Garwood and sandalwood in the body should be practised.
  • The person should spend mid-day in forests in the company of friends, story telling, pleasant games, with plenty of water reservoirs around, listening to the chirping of birds and enjoying the fragrances of sweet smelling flowers.
  • To be avoided
  • Avoid foods that are heavy to digest, oil, milk and dairy products, foods that are predominant of salt, sour, sweet and fatty in nature.
  • Day sleep should be avoided.