"Ritucharya,” or seasonal regimens, plays an important role in maintaining the balance of doshas in an individual's body in different seasons. In our body, doshas fluctuate depending on the influence of seasons; by following the principles of rtucharya, one can keep their mind and body healthy to an extent.
According to Ayurveda, there are six seasons:
We can classify the above six seasons into two categories:
Uttarayana comprises the first three seasons, i.e., Sisira, Vasanta, and Grishma, in which the sun moves to the north of the equator. This period is also termed a period of extraction, as our body energy will be decreasing day by day.
Dakshinayana comprises of the last three seasons, i.e., Varsha, Sharat, and Hemantha, in which the sun moves to the north of the equator. This period is also called a period of discharge, as our body energy will be increasing day by day.
The taste preferences in each season are as follows:
| RTU | TASTE |
|---|---|
| SISIRA | SWEET, SALT, SOUR |
| VASANTA | BITTER, PUNGENT, ASTRINGENT |
| GRISHMA | SWEET |
| VARSHA | SWEET, SOUR, SALT |
| SHARAT | SWEET, BITTER, ASTRINGENT |
| HEMANTA | SWEET, SOUR, SALT |
This is called the period of climatic transition. The last seven days of the previous season and the first seven days of the next season are considered as ritusandhi. During this time, one can slowly taper the practices of the previous season and start practices of the next season. This is because our body cannot adapt to sudden changes.
