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What Ayurveda says
Ṛtucaryā is the classical seasonal regimen — each season favours different food, sleep and exercise to keep the doshas balanced as the climate shifts.
Possible dosha pattern
Winter and late autumn aggravate Vāta. Spring aggravates Kapha. Summer aggravates Pitta. Monsoon aggravates Vāta and Pitta together.
Foods to favour
- ·Winter: warm, oily, heavier food; ghee; root vegetables
- ·Spring: lighter food, bitter greens, honey, ginger
- ·Summer: cooling sweet fruit, coconut, mint, coriander
- ·Autumn: warm cooked food, oil, sweet root vegetables
Foods to reduce
- ·Winter: raw cold salads
- ·Spring: heavy dairy, cold leftovers
- ·Summer: chillies, alcohol, hot oily food
- ·Autumn: dry crackers, caffeine excess
Daily routine
- ·Winter: early bed, abhyanga, slower exercise
- ·Spring: earlier rising, brisk walks, dry brushing
- ·Summer: midday rest, gentle exercise in early morning
- ·Autumn: oil massage daily, grounding routine
Herbs (with cautions)
- TriphalaFull guide →
Year-round bowel rasayana
Caution: Avoid in pregnancy and diarrhoea
- Chyawanprash
Winter rasayana with Amalaki at its base
Caution: Reduce in active Kapha congestion
When to see a doctor
Persistent seasonal symptoms — winter depression, severe hay fever, summer heat exhaustion or autumn joint flares — deserve a GP review alongside Ayurveda.