Shishir Rutucharya (शिशिर ऋतुचर्या)

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The diet and lifestyle guidelines given by Ayurveda scholars to be followed in Shishira Rtu are mentioned under Shishira rutucharya. It can also be called as a code of to be followed in Shishira rtu so as to prevent illnesses occurring due to the climate in shishira rtu. These when followed help one to maintain the balance of body energies namely doshas which ultimately help to maintain health and wellness in this season.

What is Shishira rtu? How is it characterized?

Climate in shishira

Mid-January to mid-March is considered as Shishir Ritu (Winter), which incorporates the months of Magh and Phalgun. This season is associated with dryness and dehydration, which leads to an accumulation of Kapha Dosha and the aggravation of Vata Dosha. According to Ayurveda, physical strength is at its peak during this time and it is the ideal period to build strength, stamina and immunity in our bodies..

Months of shishira rtu as per lunar calendar

Magha(Tapa) Mid-January to Mid-February

Phalguna(Tapasya) Mid-February to Mid-March

Shishira- The start of Uttarayana (Northern solstice)

तत्र रविर्भाभिराददानो जगतः स्नेहं वायवस्तीव्ररूक्षाश्चोपशोषयन्तः शिशिरवसन्तग्रीष्मेषु यथाक्रमं रौक्ष्यमुत्पादयन्तो रूक्षान् रसांस्तिक्तकषायकटुकांश्चाभिवर्धयन्तो नृणां दौर्बल्यमावहन्ति||६||

In adana kala the Sun with its hot rays absorbs moisture from the environment. The excessively dry wind by virtue of its absorbing quality further causes dryness in shishira, vasanta, and grishma seasons progressively, leading to the predominance of tikta, kashaya, and katu rasa respectively and gradual increase of weakness in human beings during these three seasons.

other months

strength

Shishira specific Diet and lifestyle regimen

In the shishira season, food and drinks that are predominantly pungent, bitter and astringent in taste, vata vitiating, and inherently light to digest and cold in properties should be avoided. [21]

At the advent of winter season intake of food and drinks that cause vata vitiation and inherently light to digest in property, (getting exposed to) strong winds, inadequate quantities of food, and intake of diluted gruel are contraindicated. [18]

Diet regimen

Foods having Amla (sour) as the predominant taste are preferred. Cereals and pulses, wheat/gram flour products, new rice, corn, and others, are advised. Ginger, garlic, Haritaki (fruits of Terminalia chebula), Pippali (fruits of Piper longum), sugarcane products, and milk and milk products are to be included in the diet.

Foods having Katu (pungent), Tikta (bitter), Kashaya (astringent) predominant Rasa are to be avoided. Laghu (light) and Shita (cold) foods are advised to be prohibited.

Lifestyle

Massage with oil/powder/paste, bathing with lukewarm water, exposure to sunlight, wearing warm clothes are mentioned to follow.

Vata aggravating lifestyle like exposure to cold wind, excessive walking, sleep at late night, are to be avoided. (Thakkar J, Chaudhari S, Sarkar PK. Ritucharya: Answer to the lifestyle disorders. Ayu. 2011;32(4):466-471. doi:10.4103/0974-8520.96117)

Festivals celebrated in Bharata to encourage people to adopt shishira rutucharya

Diwali- sweets, snacks- तस्मात्तुषारसमये स्निग्धाम्ललवणान् रसान्| औदकानूपमांसानां मेद्यानामुपयोजयेत्||११||

बिलेशयानां मांसानि प्रसहानां भृतानि च| भक्षयेन्मदिरां शीधुं मधु चानुपिबेन्नरः||१२||

In the period of snowfall, unctuous, sour and salty food items should be consumed predominantly. Meat of fatty, aquatic and marshy animals should be taken. Meat of burrowing animals and roasted meat of animals that eat by snatching the prey should be consumed and after that drinking of madira and sidhu type of wines and honey is advised. [11-12]

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गोरसानिक्षुविकृतीर्वसां तैलं नवौदनम्| हेमन्तेऽभ्यस्यतस्तोयमुष्णं चायुर्न हीयते||१३||

A person who is habituated to consuming milk products, cane sugar products, fats and oils, new rice and warm water during hemanta ritu, never sees his lifespan decrease ( i.e. these help in prevention from early aging and diseases). [13]

तस्माद्धैमन्तिकः सर्वः शिशिरे विधिरिष्यते| निवातमुष्णं त्वधिकं शिशिरे गृहमाश्रयेत्||२०||

Therefore, the whole regimen advised for hemanta should also be followed in shishira ritu. In addition to that, one should specially stay in less windy and warm shelters (homes).

Sankranti