Ritucharya for Vasant- Spring season. Months of Magha(Sun Zodiac Pisces) and Phagun(Sun Zodiac Aries)
Ritu(Season) +Charya(regimen/rules) is the Ayurvedic remedy to attain health and immunity through diet and behaviour so as to maintain internal body homeostasis during the change of seasons. Ayurveda is a preventive as well as remedial spiritual science to attain balanced health. Ancient texts of Ayurveda that give the Ritucharya remain the cornerstone to overcome many of the lifestyle diseases afflicting modern day humankind.
Vasanta/Spring season is the time that the Kapha element of water that accumulated during the cold winters gets aggravated and surfaces as colds, allergies and coughs. Ayurvedic panchkarma recommends Vamana/ emesis/ vomiting to alleviate kapha disorders while the solution for yoga practitioners is the Vamana dhauti as described in some of the hatha yogic texts. Other methods would be JalaNeti(yogic), nasal irrigation with warm salty water and Nasya(Ayurveda) with warm medicated oil. Oiling the body is recommended for the spring season as much as waking well before sunrise(after which is kapha time of day) to do dynamic yoga and physical exercise: to begin to dissolve the kapha accumulated through winters as excess body fat..this is a good time to literally start spring cleaning the body for summer. The beginning of spring is marked by the end of winter by Shivaratri on the dark moon and followed by the popular colourful festival of Holi falling on the full moon after.
Avoid daytime naps and sitting idle for longer periods of time. Being outdoors in sunlight is encouraged. Diet would be wholesome with use of old grains and millets and green vegetables that the season abundantly offers. Liberal use of turmeric in food and a biweekly dose of haritaki with honey is recommended (Vamana is avoided on following day). Move from winter goodness of heavy milky drinks(bhang on Shivaratri) to light fermented drinks which are good for the spring and reorient gut bacteria for the hot summers ahead. (Post picture.Bhang. Shiva’s drink is offered and imbibed as prasad on Shivaratri. *Recipe on request: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Refer blog on Shivaratri: https://www.theyogaschool.in/component/easyblog/shivaratri-the-night-of-shiva