The wheel of the seasons

Late winter · mid-January – mid-March

Nourish against the deep cold.

Deep cold; agni (digestive fire) runs strong and Kapha quietly accumulates.

Shishira is the coldest stretch, when the body's fire is strongest to meet it. Eat well and warm — this is a season to nourish and build strength — while keeping Kapha in check with movement so it doesn't quietly pile up before spring.

Spring · mid-March – mid-May

Lighten as winter's Kapha melts.

Warmth melts the winter's accumulated Kapha, which now aggravates.

As spring warms, the Kapha stored over winter liquefies — the season of colds, congestion and heaviness. Lighten the diet toward pungent and bitter tastes, move the body, and let go of the heavy comfort foods of winter to keep Kapha flowing rather than clogging.

Summer · mid-May – mid-July

Cool and hydrate through the heat.

Fierce heat saps strength; agni weakens and Vata begins to accumulate.

Summer's heat draws energy and moisture out of the body, so agni is naturally lighter. Favour cooling, sweet and hydrating foods, protect yourself from the midday sun, and avoid adding more fire with spice — the aim is to keep Pitta calm and the body hydrated.

Monsoon · mid-July – mid-September

Protect the digestive fire.

Damp and cold aggravate Vata; agni is at its weakest and Pitta accumulates.

The monsoon is when digestion is weakest of the whole year and Vata is most easily disturbed. Keep meals warm, light and freshly cooked, guard your agni with ginger and gentle spices, and stay warm and dry — this is the season to eat simply and protect the gut.

Autumn · mid-September – mid-November

Settle the accumulated heat.

Sudden sun on a monsoon-cooled body aggravates the accumulated Pitta.

After the damp monsoon, the returning sun heats a body already carrying accumulated Pitta — the classic season for acidity, inflammation and skin flare-ups. Cool and lighten with sweet and bitter tastes, favour ghee and bitter herbs, and ease off the hot and sour to settle Pitta.

Early winter · mid-November – mid-January

Build strength and ojas.

Cold strengthens agni to its yearly peak — the prime season to nourish and rebuild.

Early winter carries the strongest digestive fire of the year, so the body can take and use its richest food. This is Ayurveda's prime season for rejuvenation — nourish deeply, take rasayana tonics, keep warm with abhyanga, and build the strength and ojas that carry you through the cold.