“Early to Bed, Early to Rise makes a
person Healthy, Wealthy and Wise.”
We studied in primary section that there are mainly three seasons in one year.
1. Winter
2. Summer
3. Monsoon
Each season consist of four months, but we don’t know the correct motto and reason behind these three.
Human body and cosmic energy are connected to each other. They are communicating with each other at every stage and every time.
When there is any positive event in cosmos or our environment, it effects on human body and mind and gives positive energy. When some negative or harmful event in cosmos or our environment occurs, it affects us and gives negative energy.
In this article, we are going to understand its relation. By understanding it we can use its positive energy for our wellbeing and prevent negative energy from harming us.
What is Ritucharya:
What is Ritucharya? It means the seasonal change occurring in every season and some methods to adopt the change.
By understanding Ritucharya we can understand how the environment affects our body, we can learn how to adopt this change and we can use it for our wellbeing and prevent our body from various diseases.
In winter there is coldness in nature. The soil, wind, water etc. become cold due to cold attribute of nature. The environment becomes dry so our body also becomes dry.
The day becomes shorter and night becomes longer because of changing earth-sun orbit. Sunlight becomes less and weaker.
Relation of winter Ritucharya in Ayurved:
Ayurved consider six ritus instead of three because it further divides each ritu in other two ritus.
1. Spring – Vasant
2. Summer – Grishma
3. Monsoon – Varsha
4. Autumn – Sharad
5. Pre-Winter – Hemant
6. Winter – Shishir
The first three ritus are considered as Adankala, other three ritus are considered as Visargkala.
In Adankala the sun is powerful so it gradually becomes predominant. In Visargkala moon is powerful and sun is less powerful so moon gradually become predominant.
In Adankala the strength of human body gradually decreases and in Visargakala the strength of human body gradually increases.
Winter season and its Regimen:
Winter season is last of Visargkala and first in Adankala so it consists of highest strength among all seasons.
Aadankala
Ritu Month Strength of human body
Shishir Jan-Feb More
Vasant Mar-Apr Moderate
Grishma May-Jun Low
Visargkala
Ritu Month Strength of human body
Varsha Jul-Aug Low
Sharad Sep-Oct Moderate
Hemant Nov-Dec More
Here the strength means both environmental and of human being. There is more powerful energy in environment and in human in this season.
So we must use it wisely. We must do exercise in winter so we can use more powerful energy of environment to make our body powerful and energetic.
We can feel that digestion power of body somewhat increases in winter. We feel more hunger and capacity of digestion is also increased so we must take more quantitative and qualitative food. It have maximum for providing nutrition and positive energy.
We must eat unctuous food because our body has become dry due to seasonal change. We must protect our body from dryness by:
• Eating unctuous food
• Full body oil massage
• Head massage with oil
• Foot massage with oil
• Pouring oil in ear
• We must increase the use of ghee, Oil, Butter etc in our daily food
We must eat:
• Green vegetables • Salads
• Milk • Ghee
• Nutritious seasonal fruits
We must consume some medicines which remove toxic substances from body and rejuvenate the body like:
• Juice of neem
• Juice of Indian gooseberry (Amla)
• Chyavanprash
• Powder of Shatavari
We must do following activities during winter
• Waking up early in morning • Yoga
• Pranayam • Suryanamaskar
• Exercise • Body massage
We must consume sunlight for protecting our body from excessive coldness. We must wear woolen thick cloths; sleep in warm room; covering full body with thick blankets.
Conclusion:
In our ancient text, it is said that “In any condition we must protect our body.” So we must learn to accept the changes in cosmic environment as it affects us. We must learn how to use the changes in our benefit and protection.After all, adaption is the fundamental attribute of human being.
Charles Darwin said “It is not the strongest or the most intelligent who will survive but those who can best manage change.”
