As a life science, Ayurveda describes the patterns, cycles, and forces of nature – and how they effect us. Ayurveda’s principles and practices reflect not just the intricate relationships of an ancient and sophisticated civilization to the flora, fauna, climate, and geography of its place and time of origin (India), they are also a testament to the social fabric and spiritual traditions which arose as a result of those relationships.
Even though our modern world and culture is very different than that of ancient India, the timelessness and efficacy of Ayurveda makes it relevant anytime, anywhere. We can use it to identify and understand the rhythms, qualities, and forces of nature outside of and within us. We can gather information and interpret it using Ayurvedic principles in any time or any place – and use the conclusions we draw to improve health and achieve greater balance through lifestyle and diet intelligently.
In the Ayurvedic system, understanding the seasons and working with them consciously is a hugely important aspect of managing health. Each season is different; summer is hot, winter is cold. Spring is wet and autumn is dry. Such differences invite us to adapt diet and lifestyle (keeping in mind our own unique doshic makeup) to support body/mind balance.
Ayurveda holds that there are 6 seasons in a year. They are winter, spring, summer, monsoon, autumn, and late autumn. And this is true for the Indian subcontinent from whence Ayurveda came. However, we are an American company headquartered in Northern California. We write from the Western hemisphere and the North Temperate Zone, which includes Europe, Northern Asia, and North and Central America, where we experience Spring, Summer, and Fall/Winter (from an Ayurvedic perspective, fall and winter comprise one season, because neither of them produce a harvest and they share the same qualities – cold, blustery, and dry).
Globally, seasons vary dramatically – especially in this time of climate destabilization and subsequent erratic and shifting weather patterns. But once you learn the qualities that define each season, you’ll understand where you are in the seasonal cycle at any given moment. This will allow you to employ the best Ayurvedic practices for balance.
Spring (March – June)
ACTION: Growth of the structure which contains life force
FUNCTION: Containment
ELEMENTAL QUALITIES: Water | Earth
DOSHIC CONTROLLER: Kapha
ENERGETIC QUALITY: Stable
A true spring is wet, muddy, and cool, trending toward warming temperatures. Over the long, cold, blustery winter, snows and rains have saturated lands which were dried out by the heat, long sunny days, and cessation of rains that mark summer. By springtime, the earth is tilting on her axis back toward the sun. The increase in light and heat begins to melt a frozen earth, allowing the waters held within it to begin to flow. Spring rains and melting snows combine with the return of light and heat to awaken the flora and fauna. Seeds germinate, buds appear, and the land begins to produce chlorophyll rich vegetation, providing a springtime bounty of leafy greens, sprouts, berries, etc…
The chlorophyll-rich, bitter, and astringent spring harvest is cleansing to the organs of the body, which tend to become congested over the winter from a diet rich with the meats, nuts, grains, root vegetables, preserves (fats, proteins, and sugars) that characterize winter fare.
Spring is a time to “jumpstart” yourself. If not handled consciously, the heaviness and coolness of this season will bog you down and perpetuate systemic toxicity. This is a time to release the fat and toxins which accumulated over winter. Retaining them will result in long-term imbalances and the development of disease.
Spring recommendations for balancing lifestyle and dietary practices include:
- Emphasize activity. Get more exercise
- Emphasize heat. Take hot showers. Dry sauna. Break a mild sweat every day
- Get out into the light of the sun for 15 minutes each day
- Eat a light, low fat, low sugar diet. Emphasize foods from the Kapha Dosha food list. Foods should be cooked, served warm, and well spiced
- Sip on warm water throughout the day
- Rise early in the morning
- Do a spring dietary cleanse
- “Spring clean” your home
In the Ayurvedic system, spring is associated with the Earth and Water elements | Kapha Dosha. Individuals with a predominance of Kapha Dosha in their body or mind are likely to be most challenged by this season. With so much earth and water already in your constitutional make-up, the presence and excess of these elements in the world around you will trigger an aggravation of Kapha Dosha.
Kapha Dosha imbalances are likely to present as slow and heavy digestion, sleepiness after eating, excessive mucus, colds marked with white or cloudy mucus, productive coughs, lethargy, weight gain, water retention, a tendency to sleep through the morning and awaken late, a lack of motivation, melancholy, stubbornness, withdrawal, and depression.
Summer (July – September)
ACTION: Digestion. Transformation of energy into nutrients
FUNCTION: Production
ELEMENTAL QUALITIES: Fire | Water
DOSHIC CONTROLLER: Pitta
ENERGETIC QUALITY: Sustaining
A true summer is marked by heat, some humidity, and long days. It officially begins when the sun is directly over the Tropic of Cancer. It follows the moistness of the fecundity of spring, which was an explosion of germinative activity. What is begun by spring is ushered into full maturity during summer.
Supported by spring’s foundation of water and earth, the transformation of abundant light into nutrients (photosynthesis) fuels the growth and production of plant life. Summer is nature’s cycle of production – a massive metabolic event which converts solar energy into matter. The development of life-sustaining, carbohydrate-rich fruits and vegetables is in full force.
The heat of this season can easily get out of hand. Too much heat combined with insufficient water will dry up and/or burn down everything that has been produced.
In the Ayurvedic system, summer is a time to “regulate” yourself. If not handled consciously, the heat and intensity of this season will exhaust and inflame you. This is a time to pace yourself and regularly sooth and cool the body and mind so that it can endure the season in a balanced way. Overdoing it will create long-term imbalances and the development of disease.
Summer recommendations for balancing lifestyle and dietary practices include:
- Emphasize moderate activity. Avoid overly intense movement and pursuits
- Emphasize coolness. Seek out the shade and avoid the midday sun
- Get out into the light of the sun for 15 minutes each day in the early mornings or in the cool of late afternoon
- Avoid hot, fried, spicy foods. Emphasize foods from the Pitta Dosha food list. Foods should be cool and fresh. Emphasize sweet fruits and seasonal vegetables
- Drink sufficient water – room temperature – throughout the day
- Take electrolyte-rich naturally sweet drinks, like coconut water or fresh natural juices
- Take a moment to lie down for a brief rest in the afternoon
- Make time for relaxation
In the Ayurvedic system, summer is associated with the Fire and Water elements | Pitta Dosha. Individuals with a predominance of Pitta Dosha in their body or mind are more likely to be most challenged by this season. With so much fire and water already in your constitutional make-up, the presence of these elements in the world around you will create an imbalance that is, essentially, aggravation due to excess.
A Pitta Dosha imbalance is likely to display itself as burning digestion, diarrhea, infections, rashes, ulcers, eye problems, anger, irritability, excessive critical/blaming, outbursts, conflict orientation, control issues, hyper-focus, and frustration.
Fall | Winter (September – March)
ACTION: Decay and dormancy
FUNCTION: Transition
ELEMENTAL QUALITIES: Space | Air
DOSHIC CONTROLLER: Vata
ENERGETIC QUALITY: Expanding
A true fall/winter is cold, windy, and dry. The heat of summer bakes the moisture from the earth. The planet’s axial tilt moves away from the sun and the darker nights and shorter days of fall and winter begin their procession. By the end of summer, the energy of the world is primed to withdraw from production into dormancy, spent as it is by summertime labors. A season of decay (which, ultimately, leads to renewal) and dormancy ensues. Trees withdraw energy from extremities into their trunk and roots to preserve and conserve nutrients. Most of the natural world does the same in one way or another. In a pre-industrial and regionally food-sourced society, the rich foods of late summer’s harvest are stockpiled and stored to provide nourishment in a season that has no true harvest. These rich foods are nutrient dense and provide the insulation and grounding necessary to survive the often harsh, long, cold winter months.
Fall/Winter is a time for rest and introspection. If not handled consciously, the cold, dry, airiness of this season will cause depletion and nervous system disorders.
Fall/Winter recommendations for balancing lifestyle and dietary practices include:
- Emphasize regulated, slow, grounding activity. Avoid frenetic movement
- Emphasize warmth. Wear warm clothes. Take warm baths and steam saunas
- Get out into the light of the sun for 15 minutes each day – in the afternoon
- Avoid raw and dry foods – like salad, chips, and dried fruit. Emphasize foods from the Vata Dosha food list. Foods should be warm and cooked. Consume nutrient dense meats, nuts, grains, fats, root vegetables, and milks.
- Drink sufficient water throughout the day. Water should be warm or room temperature
- Allow yourself to get more rest. Sleep a little later in the mornings
- Make time for restorative activities
In the Ayurvedic system, Fall/Winter is associated with the Space and Air elements | Vata Dosha. Individuals with a predominance of Vata Dosha in their body or mind are more likely to be most challenged by this season. With so much space and air already in your constitutional make-up, the presence of these elements in the world around you will create an imbalance that is, essentially, aggravation due to excess.
A Vata Dosha imbalance is likely to display itself as bloating, gas, constipation, hard stool, a lack of appetite, chapped skin, chapped lips, brittle nails, fatigue, low body weight, nervousness, excessive thinking, worry, fear, anxiety, a lack of focus, an inability to finish projects, addiction, avoidance, and hyperactivity followed by collapse.
Recently, modern science has begun to catch up with ancient Ayurvedic concepts. In the last few decades, scientists have discovered that aligning with nature’s circadian rhythms is foundational to health and well-being. Understanding and honoring the seasonal cycles will create more health, support wellness, and give you more vitality. Accepting that you are part of nature will help you in your life’s path and pave the way to more balance.
