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Ritucharya guidelines for Autumn season Dr Vishal Bhalla  BAMS. Adv. Dip Naturopathy
Ayurvedic medicine emphasises the importance of seasons for health maintenance as they have a natural effect on three vital energies or tridoshas. The rationale behind it according to traditional texts   is that the strength of a person is enhanced when suitable diets and routines are adopted according to each season. To achieve this level of health, one must have knowledge of the qualities of the seasons and their influence on Three doshas. The doshas have a natural tendency to be accumulated during seasons that share their qualities and once they have accumulated more than a limit they tend to be imbalanced and manifest as illness or symptoms.

So it makes sense to know to do the right thing as per season to keep your-self in balance and fit.

The autumn season is the season of  Pitta vitiation and is known as the Sharada ritu the months of early September to late October generally from autumn in northern hemisphere and April may in southern hemisphere. The rationale behind pitta vititation is that the body parts adopted for rains and cold are suddenly exposed to the heat of the sun with the beginning of autumn so the pitta accumulated during the rains gets generally vitiated however classically this has been described in context with the seasons of the Indian subcontinent. In that context  it follows after the rainy season which is slightly different here in the southern hemisphere although we do get some rain in the last months of summer so this regimen for SHARADA is quite similar to Indian autumn and would make sense for our autumn.

Nature of doshas as per season
Pitta is vitiated, Vata is alleviated   most unsuitable for pitta dominant body types

Allowed & recommended Ayurvedic procedures in Autumn Virechna & Rakta-mokshna ( bloodletting)

 

The seasonal diet regimen as per traditional texts for autumn ·                    
Use Foods with Sweet (Madhura), Bitter (Tikta) tastes or flavors ,Light or Laghu in Guna or properties Cold or Sheeta in energetics or Virya
These are known to alleviate Pitta symptoms

·   Non-vegetarians should have bird meats like of quails, turkey, Grey Partridge, Meats of lamb, deer, antelope & rabbit

·   Others can have rice, barley, wheat, some lentils and bitter herbs medicated ghees.

·      Using a special type of water Hansoadka* for drinking or water treated with alum

·      Must also perform these procedures of Blood letting and Virechna to pacify pitta       

 (CS Sutra 6/42-43).

  Activities to do in autumn
Use Hansodka water- literal meaning pure as doves.  (The water which is exposed to the heat of the sun during the day time and to the cooling rays of the moon during, is also purified by time and is detoxicated by star canopus (agagastya) is known as “hansodaka”, which is spotlessly clear and is as beneficial as nectar for the purpose of bathing, drinking and swimming)

•        Daily massage with oil along with exercise

•       Rising up in early hours and having usha paan (drink  water empty stomach preferably before sunrise or at sunrise)

•    Wearing comfortable cool clothes after having a bath with Hansodka or clean cool  water

•     Wearing seasonal flowers garlands

•  In the first half of night enjoying the moon light & applying sandal wood powder on full body

 

Things to avoid in autumn ·                   

• Sun Bath
•  Excess Fat & oils
•  Dew –avoid sleeping out doors in night
•  Avoid late night excursions
• Meat of aquatic and marshy animals
• Use of Alkalis Kshara
• Yoghurt or curd Day time naps
• Moving out in easterly winds
• Avoiding refined flour foods   
  
•  Avoiding the use of tubers and roots as vegetables

Problems that can occur in autumn due to Pitta vitiation

•                      Pitta predominant disorders

•                      Fevers mainly Vata Kapha predominant type

•                      Heamoptysis

•                      Migraines & headaches

•                      Delirium

•                      Hyper acidity, gastritis

•                      Blood and skin disorders

•                      Constipation & incomplete evacuation of bowels

•                      Low digestive function

•                      Chronic Rhinitis

•                      Anorexia.

Rationale -Clearing of Clouds causes  pitta to be vitiated due to presence of bright sun light