Classical Ayurveda divides the year into six seasons rather than four, and builds an entire system of seasonal regimen, Ritucharya, around how the doshas move through each one. Each season carries its own dietary and lifestyle guidance, designed to work with the body's seasonal shifts rather than against them.
The six Ritus
| Ritu (Sanskrit) | Season | Approx. months | Kala group |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shishira | Late winter | Mid-Jan to mid-Mar | Adana |
| Vasanta | Spring | Mid-Mar to mid-May | Adana |
| Grishma | Summer | Mid-May to mid-Jul | Adana |
| Varsha | Monsoon | Mid-Jul to mid-Sep | Visarga |
| Sharad | Autumn | Mid-Sep to mid-Nov | Visarga |
| Hemanta | Early winter | Mid-Nov to mid-Jan | Visarga |
(Charaka Samhita, Sutrasthana 6.3–4; Ashtanga Hridaya, Sutrasthana 3.1–2)
Adana Kala and Visarga Kala
Classical texts group these six seasons into two larger halves, based on the sun's movement:
- Adana Kala (Shishira, Vasanta, Grishma) — the sun moving north. A drying, depleting stretch that reduces the body's strength, reaching its lowest point by the end of Grishma.
- Visarga Kala (Varsha, Sharad, Hemanta) — the sun moving south. A hydrating, restorative stretch during which strength is gradually rebuilt.
(Charaka Samhita, Sutrasthana 6.4; Ashtanga Hridaya, Sutrasthana 3.3–6)
How the doshas move through the year
Each dosha, classically, follows a three-stage arc: Sanchaya (slow build-up), Prakopa (aggravation), Shamana (settling back down). Kapha in late winter and spring is the clearest example of this pattern in the texts.
कस् चितो हि शिशिरे वसन्ते ’र्कांशुतापितः।
हत्वाग्निं कुरुते रोगान् अतस् तं त्वरया त्यजेत।००
"Kapha, accumulated during late winter (Shishira) and heated by the sun's rays in spring (Vasanta), strikes down Agni and causes disease — therefore it should be cleared without delay."
— Ashtanga Hridaya, Sutrasthana 3.18
The same pattern applies to the other two doshas in different seasons: Pitta accumulates over the monsoon and aggravates in Sharad (covered in more detail in the Sharad Ritu guide), and Vata is classically described as accumulating over summer and aggravating through the monsoon.
Ritusandhi — the junctions between seasons
Ritusandhi is the transition window between two Ritus — roughly the last week of one season and the first week of the next. Classical texts recommend against switching habits abruptly at the calendar boundary; instead, the previous season's regimen should be tapered out and the new one introduced gradually across this window.
How purification timing lines up with the year
Charaka Samhita (Sutrasthana 7.45–46) ties each season's dosha build-up to a later window for addressing it through Panchakarma — Hemanta's accumulation is handled in Vasanta, Grishma's in Varsha, and Varsha's own accumulation in Hemanta. The Panchakarma guide covers what these procedures involve.
Relevance today
Few people today plan meals around a six-season calendar. The underlying principle, however — that bodily needs shift meaningfully through the year, and habits should move with those shifts rather than stay fixed — is the same one that runs through the Dinacharya guide to daily routine.
A note on using this
This is general traditional knowledge about seasonal patterns, not medical advice. Any therapeutic seasonal procedure, particularly Panchakarma, should be discussed with a qualified Ayurvedic practitioner.
FAQ
Q: How many seasons does Ayurveda recognize?
A: Six — Shishira, Vasanta, Grishma, Varsha, Sharad and Hemanta — compared with the four of the Western calendar.
Q: What is Ritusandhi?
A: The transition period between two Ritus, during which classical texts recommend shifting habits gradually rather than switching abruptly.
Q: What is the difference between Adana Kala and Visarga Kala?
A: Adana Kala (Shishira, Vasanta, Grishma) is depleting; Visarga Kala (Varsha, Sharad, Hemanta) is restorative. Both are defined by the sun's direction of movement.
Q: Does this pattern affect everyone equally?
A: No — the general pattern is classical, but how strongly any individual experiences a given season depends on their own constitution (Prakriti) and current state (Vikriti).
Sources: Charaka Samhita, Sutrasthana 6.3–4 and 7.45–46; Ashtanga Hridaya, Sutrasthana 3.1–2, 3.3–6 and 3.18.
