Free · Seasonal living
Living with the seasons
Ayurveda calls it Ritucharya: adjusting how you eat and live as the seasons turn, so the body stays in step with nature. Below, the six classical seasons, then a gentle reset you can follow at any change of season.
Cold and clear; the body holds strength but Kapha begins to gather.
Favour
Warm soups · Cooked grains · Warming spices · Ghee in moderation
Ease off
Cold and raw food · Iced drinks · Heavy dairy late in the day
Warmth returns and the Kapha gathered over winter begins to melt and rise.
Favour
Barley and millet · Leafy greens · Honey in moderation · Pungent and bitter tastes
Ease off
Heavy, oily and very sweet food · Excess dairy · Cold drinks · Daytime sleep
The sun is at its strongest; heat builds, energy softens and the body asks for cooling.
Favour
Sweet juicy fruit · Cucumber and melon · Rice and milk · Cooling herbs like coriander and mint
Ease off
Very spicy, sour and salty food · Fried and oily dishes · Alcohol · Strenuous activity at midday
Rains arrive and the air turns damp and changeable; Vata rises and the appetite is at its most delicate.
Favour
Warm soups and broths · Cooked grains and lentils · Ginger and other warming spices · Old grains over new
Ease off
Raw salads and cold food · Heavy and very oily dishes · Leftovers · River and rain water
Clear skies follow the rains and the heat held through summer now surfaces; Pitta rises with it.
Favour
Sweet ripe fruit · Rice and barley · Ghee in moderation · Bitter greens and cooling herbs
Ease off
Spicy, sour and salty food · Fermented dishes · Excess oil · Daytime sleep and intense sun
Cold settles in and the inner fire is at its strongest; a good season to eat well and build strength.
Favour
Whole grains · Warming soups and stews · Ghee and wholesome fats · Warming spices and nourishing sweets
Ease off
Cold and raw food · Iced drinks · Very light, drying meals · Skipping meals
A gentle reset
A seasonal reset you can actually keep
At the turn of a season, Ayurveda favours a few simple days of lightness over anything drastic. Choose a length, then tick the day off as you go. Your progress stays on your device.