Varsha Ritu or Rainy Season

Varsha Ritu or Rainy Season

Rainy season marks start of “Visarg Kaal” during which the air carries moisture. “Adaan Kaal” when the air is dry, weakens the human body as well as digestive fire. Due to hot sun of summers, rain water, continuous contact with rain water and hot vapours weakens the digestive fire. This in turn pollutes the three doshas of the body. Ayurveda suggests following a plain regime during rainy season.

Things to avoid:

1.       “Sattu Sharbat” or beverage of roasted gram flour.

2.       Sleeping during day.

3.       Mating

4.       Sun

5.       Work out

Must have things:

1.       Honey water or honey with “Drakshasav”

2.       Sour and salty food with applied clarified butter (Ghee), particularly on a stormy and colder day.

3.       Wheat, barley, aged rice and wild animal flesh in form of soup with clarified butter helps preserving digestive fire.

4.       Freshly collected rain water, pond water or water from well should be used for drinking after boiling and cooling.

5.       Oil massage, bathing and wearing dry light clothes.

Note: “Vata”, “Pitta” and “Kapha” are three doshas of body mentioned in ayurveda which in balanced state keeps the person healthy.

“Vata” is gas/air or air in your body. If aggravated, it causes joints pain and gas trouble.

“Pitta” is acid and heat in the body. If aggravated, it causes burning sensation, thirst, over hunger etc.

“Kapha” is cough or lubrication which lubricates the body.

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Jaundice or “Kamla Rog”

Jaundice or “Kamla Rog”

Ayurveda says a persons who consumes too much of food stuff which increases “Pitta” in the body can catch Jaundice or “Kamla Rog”.

Symptoms

1)   ­The person’s eyes, skin, nails become yellow.

2)   Faeces and urine are either yellow or even darker.

3)   Genitals loose strength with weakness in entire body.

4)   Food does not get digested.

Cure

Doctor firstly should give the patient milk or ghee or some unctuous food to loosen his motion. Then medicine should be given.

·       Nasya: Pick up sponge/snake gourd which is bitter in taste. Wash its seeds in water. 1-2 drops of the water should be taken in nose.

·       Food: Barley, Wheat and Rice (which matures in 60 days). Wild animal flesh soup. Green gram and red lentils. Cow’s milk with Sunthi(Dried Ginger) is also useful in jaundice.

·       Medicinal water: Water prepared from Harad (Chebula Termenelia), Amla (Goose Berry) and Bahera(Beleric Myrobalan) OR water prepared from Giloy(Tinospora cordifolia). Also water prepared from Daru Haldi (Berberis aristata) or Neem (Azadirachta indica) mixed with honey can also be given to the patient. Medicinal water should be given in the morning before food to cure jaundice.

·       Dhatrayadi Churna :  Mix Amla(Goose Berry), Lauh Bhasm, Sunthi(Dried Ginger), Kali Mirch(Black Pepper), Pipali(Long Pepper), Honey, Ghee(Clarified Butter) and Khand (Unrifined Sugar)  together and should be consumed regularly to get relief from jaundice.

·       Elaadi Churna:  Elaichi(Cardamom), Jeera(Cumin), Bhumi Amla(Phylanthus Niruri), and Mishri(Sugar Candy ) should be boiled in milk in the night and should be consumed in morning to cure Jaundice.

·       Haridra Churna: Haldi (Turmeric) powder 11 gms should be mixed with 44 gms of curd and consumed in morning.

·       Erand Swaras: Take two soft stems of Erand(castor) plant and juice it out. 6 grams of this juice should be added to milk and given to patient everyday for 3 days. Patient should be fed with rice, milk and clarified butter only. Salt is prohibited during this treatment.

Patient whose faeces is black in colour and urine is yellow with swelling in body. If the eyes, face, vomit, faeces and urine have turned red. Such condition is extreme.

Note: “Vata”,“Pitta” and “Kapha” are three doshas of body mentioned in ayurveda which in balanced state keeps the person healthy.

“Vata” is gas or air in your body. If aggravated, it causes joints pain and gas trouble.

“Pitta” is acid and heat in the body. If aggravated, it  causes burning sensation, thirst, over hunger etc.

“Kapha” is cough or lubrication which lubricates the body.

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Food and Drinks for Summers

Food and Drinks for Summers

1.  Rasala or Shrikhand

Rasala nourishes components of the body, improves sperm, is unctuous, gives strength to the body and makes food tastier. It increases "Kapha" in the body and calms down "Vata" and "Pitta".

Preparation:

Keep the curd hanging in a clean cloth till the solid part is left. Take the left out solid part in a utensil. Take another utensil and tie cloth on the opening to use it like filter. Mix sugar with the solid curd and put it on the second utensil tied with cloth. Rub it gently so the entire solid thing gets accumulated in the utensil after passing the cloth. Mix adequate amount of black pepper, Mace (Javitri), Saffron (Kesar) and cardamom. This is rasala.

2.  Panak

This is a cool drink for summers and provides relief from fatigue, hunger, thirst and mental laziness. It is heavy to digest. It binds the feces and releases urine. It draws its properties from material used to prepare it.

 Preparation:

It is prepared from the flesh of baked unripe mango and ripened tamarind in water. Salt and pepper are added to taste. It is also called “Pana”. It can also be prepared from “Phalsa”(Grewia Asiatica), “Aloo Bukhara”(Plum/Prunes) or “Kafal”(Myrica esculenta).

Almonds, poppy seeds, hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds and water melon seeds can be grinded with water and filtered with a cloth. This paste mixed in water with sugar or honey is a good “Panak”. Few also mix rose petal jam in it which is even better.

3.   Sattu

“Sattu” is powder of roasted grain or grams. Almost all types of “Sattu” are light to digest. They alleviate hunger, thirst, tiredness and eye diseases. “Sattu” drinks provide instant energy. “Sattu” should not be consumed twice a day or at night. It should not be consumed without salt or sugar. It should not be consumed after meal. It should always be consumed in form of drink and never in form of dough or paste. Lastly, it should not be consumed too much in amount.

Preparation:

Barley, black gram, lentils etc are roasted and grinded to make “Sattu”. Mix two or three spoons of “Sattu” in water and add salt or sugar for taste. Its ready to be served and very good for summers.

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Grishm Ritu or Summer season

Ayurveda divides the year in to six seasons based on the revolution of earth. Three seasons are observed during the period when the sunrise seems to have shifted towards north or “Uttrayan” which are “Shishir”, “Basant” and “Grishm”. These three seasons combined are also called as “Aadaan Kaal” and the other half when the sunrise seems to have shifted towards south is called “Visarg Kaal”. “Visarg Kaal” consists of “Varsha”, “Sharad” and “Hemant”. Entire “Aadaan Kaal” experiences dry air whereas “Visarg  Kaal” experiences moist air.

It’s said that humans are relatively weaker during “Grishm”/ summers and “Varsha”/ rainy seasons.

During “Grishm Ritu” (Mid May - Mid July) or summer season hot rays of the sun dries up the fluid from earth. So the “Kapha” from human body is also lost which results in increased “Vaat” dosha.

Food preferences:

 1) Cool and sweet drinks.

 2) Unctuous and easily digestible food stuff should be consumed. Unctuous is heavy to digest but if taken in small quantity is still light.

 3) “Sattu” or roasted gram flour mixed with sugar.

 4) Meat of dry forest animal and birds.

 5) Rice with milk or clarified butter (Ghee). Or rice with soup of dry land animals meat. Again the meat soup should not be thick.

6) Panchsaar is a drink prepared with honey, dates, raisin (munnaka), grewia asiatica (Phalsa), sugar candy and water. The entire ingredient are crushed and mixed in water.

7) Buffalo’s milk mixed with sugar candy is allowed in summers. Night is the best time for milk. Milk can be exposed to moonlight.

Donts:

1)   No liquors and if you must have to, then mix more water than usual. Too much of alcohol can cause swollen body.

2)   Salty, sour, bitter and foods hot in potency; should be avoided else it will aggravate “Vata”.

3)   No exercise or half of your strength exercise.

4)   Least exposure to sunlight.

Lifestyle tips:

1)   Sleep in cool places during day time.

2)   Night sleep should be enjoyed in open terrace under the moonlight. One can apply sandal paste on body during sleep.

3)   Mating should also be reduced to once in fortnight.

Note: “Vata”, “Pitta” and “Kapha” are three doshas of body mentioned in ayurveda which in balanced state keeps the person healthy.

“Vata” is gas or air in your body. If aggravated, it causes joints pain and gas trouble.

“Pitta” is acid and heat in the body. If aggravated, it  causes burning sensation, thirst, over hunger etc.

“Kapha” is cough or lubrication which lubricates the body.

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Pregnancy

Pregnancy is a condition which every couple wait for. Despite of all the care and precautions, unfortunate things happen due to lack of knowledge. Ayurveda suggests food, practices and routine which can ensure a healthy child. When a mother suffers from a disease during pregnancy or is on medicine for any condition, it is going to impact the child.

Precautions:  A pregnant lady should never be treated with medicines of high potency or very strong medicine.

She should avoid food or medicine which causes vomit/diarrhoea. She can’t be given Leech Therapy. After 8^th month, she can be made to vomit if it really requires.

Conditions with solutions:
If periods appear after 2 to 3 months of carrying, then it can be concluded that pregnancy will be lost.

 If a pregnant mother experiences periods in her 4^th or 5^th month of pregnancy due to anger, sorrow, jealous, fear, tragedy, mating, physical labour, suppression of natural calls or hunger or thirst, then womb installation method is suggested as below.

Mother should take a very comfortable bed to sleep which should be slightly high at the leg side. Mulhatti (Liquorice) and clarified butter (Ghee) should be mixed and cooled. A piece of cotton should be dipped in it and kept at the vaginal entrance. Apply 100 times water washed clarified butter on the area below navel. Apply the below navel area with cow’s milk or cool soup of “Mulethi” (Liquorice). Soak a cloth in the juice of leaves of trees like banyan, peepal, Ficus glomerata Roxb(Gular) or Blue Berries and place it on the pelvis part. Clarified Butter proven with new leaves of banyan, peepal or Ficus Glomerata Roxb(Gular) should be soaked in cotton and placed at vaginal entrance. 46 gms(4 Tola) of same clarified butter or just clarified butter should be consumed orally. Pollen of lotus flower mixed with honey should be given to the mother. Bullnut or water chestnut (Singhara), Lotus seed and Scirpus Grosus(Kaseru) should be fed. Sugar Candy, Root bulb of Indian blue water lilly, unripe fruit of Ficus glomerata Roxb(Gular) and new leaves of banyan should be grinded together and taken with goat milk. “Bala” (Sida Cordifolia), Atibala(Abutilon Indicum), Shali(Oryza sativa), Sugracane root and kakoli (Tuberous Root) should be proven in milk. This proven milk mixed with cooked red rice, honey and sugar should be given to the mother. Flesh of quail, deer family, rabbit etc. should be fed. Mother should avoid anger, sorrow, labor, mating and work out. Should spend time happily. The above practices stabilize the womb.

“Aam” is a gelatinous substance which gets accumulated in the stomach and intestine due to indigestion of food. If a pregnant mother experiences period due to increased “Aam” then treatment becomes difficult because treatment of “Aam” opposes the treatment of womb stabilization because soft and sweet medicines used for womb stabilization increases “Aam”. Eating food of too hot potency or pungent food can cause periods or fluid discharge from womb which stops the growth of womb. It is called “Upavistak” in Ayurveda. 

Those expecting mother who observe too much of fasts or do not eat nutritious food, who do not consume clarified butter or oils and one who eats food which aggravates “Vata” also experience low or no womb growth because the womb gets drier. The womb becomes still with no movement. It is called “Naagodar” in Ayurveda. In such cases the mother should be fed with “Yush” (watery food) made of animal flesh with clarified butter and one made of radish with cooked red rice. Mother should be given whole body oil massage and warm water bath around the womb, stomach, thighs, waist and back repeatedly.

Mother who experiences gas problem causing indigestion, anxiety in stomach and heart during 8th month should be treated with “Basti”.Left untreated can cause serious damage to womb and mother. “Basti” is enema but Ayurveda never recommends enema with water as it creates dryness in large intestine which aggravates “Vata” further. “Anuvashan Basti” is enema with fats and oils which is not recommended to an 8 month pregnant mother. “Niruh Basti” is recommended which is prepared with roots of “Shali Dhanya” (Paddy which matures in 60 days), “Kush” (A strain of Cannabis indica), sugarcane, “Vetas” (Salix caprea), “Parivyadh” (Streculiaceae) ,and water of “Bhootaak”, “Sariva” (Hemidesmus Indicus), “Gambhari” (Gmelina arborea), “Phalsa” (Grewia asiatica), “Mulethi” (Liquorice), “Kishmish” (Dried Grapes). To prepare the water, two tablespoon of each ingredient is boiled in a glass of water till half or quarter amount of the water is left. Mix milk to half of the water. Then boil the powdered roots in it to prepare “Kwath”. Grind and mix “Piyal” (Buchanania lanzan), flesh of “Bahera” (Terminalia bellirica) and “Til” (Sesame) in the liquid and boil. Make the liquid a bit salty. Slightly warm liquid should be used for enema. After the obstruction clearance, warm water bath is recommended and plain food afterwards.

Practices for healthy pregnancy :

When mother finds that she is pregnant she should start sipping raw milk several times a day. She should eat nutritious and plain food. In second month, milk proven with sweet herbs (like Mulethi) should be taken. In third month, milk should be mixed with “Ghee” (Clarified Butter) and honey.

(Note: Ghee and honey mixed in equal quantities is poisonous)

In the fourth month, milk should be taken with 11 gms (1 Tola) of butter (Makkhan). Fifth month milk with clarified butter should be taken. In the sixth and seventh month, clarified butter proven with sweet herbs should be taken with milk. After seventh month, mother experiences burning sensation which further causes skin irritation and cracks. To treat this, water prepared from Jujube (Ber) leaves should be mixed with butter (Makkhan) proven with sweet herbs and a tablespoon of it should be given to mother after intervals. Sandal paste or paste of “Neem” ( Azadirachta indica), “Ber”(Indian jujube), "Tulsi" (Holy Basil) and  “Majith”( Rubia cordifolia) should be applied on the area between breast and stomach. Massage can be given with oil proven in leaves of Thevetia nerifolia (Kaner). In the 8th month, “Yavagu” prepared in milk mixed with clarified butter should be given. 

“Yavagu” is prepared with cereal and milk/water in 1:6 ratios. In the 9th month, oil proven with sweet herbs should be used for “Anuvashan Basti” (Enema).

Those mothers who follow the above tips properly from 1st to 9th month will experience soft waist and back during pregnancy which results in an easy delivery.

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Honey

Honey is called “Tridosh Nashak” which means honey calms down all the three doshas of the body. It destroys the ailments like hiccups, breathing ailments, intestinal worms, nausea, thirst and toxin. In spite of being cold in potency honey scratches out “Kapha” stuck anywhere in your body.

Honey water is must during rainy season for healthy digestive system. It increases digestive fire and nourishes all the 7 components of the body. It is known for great healing power.

New honey is purgative, unctuous and calms “Kapha”. Old honey is absorbed quickly, dry, fat destroyer and great for obesity.

Types of Honey:

1.   Makshik: It appears like oil in look. This honey is best among all and good for eyes. It is light to digest and has the ability to cure Tubercolosis.

2.   Bhramar: It appears clear like glass. It is heavy to digest and cleans “Pitta” from blood. It reduces the amount of urination.

3.   Chhoudra: It appears golden like sun. It has similar properties like “Makshik” and especially good for diabetes.

4.   Poutic: It appears like oil as well. It is light to digest, “Sangrahi” i.e. helps in dysentery, calms “Kapha” and increases “Vata” and “Pitta”.

5.   Chhatra: It is golden yellow in colour. It is beneficial in every condition.

6.   Ardhya: It exists in white and brown colours. It works best for aliments related to eyes.

7.   Auddalak: It exists in yellow and golden colours. It is good for skin disorders.

8.   Daal: It can have many colours. It adds taste to food.

Dose : 2 to 3 table spoon is suggested in day.

Note: “Vata”, “Pitta” and “Kapha” are three doshas of body mentioned in ayurveda which in balanced state keeps the person healthy.

“Vata” is gas/air or air in your body. If aggravated, it causes joints pain and gas trouble.

“Pitta” is acid and heat in the body. If aggravated, it causes burning sensation, thirst, over hunger etc.

“Kapha” is cough or lubrication which lubricates the body.

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General Habits

Apart from different eating habits for different seasons, ayurveda prescribes day habits (Dincharya) and night time habits (Ratricharya) as well.

·       It is advised to wake up early morning (Brahm muhurta) which is 2 hours prior to sunrise. It is also said that brahm muhurta is “Vata kaal” which means gas/air in the stomach/body is high which helps evacuating the intestine.

·       One should not keep occupied in other works(Reading newspaper, Mobile handling) while attending natural calls. Also one should not force himself/herself for natural calls. Amoristic sentiment, sorrow, fear and anger like emotions should be avoided while attending natural calls.

·       Washing hands and feet after attending natural calls are called healthy for body and especially for eyes.

·       One should brush (Wooden stick is suggested) his teeth facing east or north peacefully in sitting position. Paste of honey, long pepper (Pipali), black pepper (Kali Mirch) and Dried Ginger (sunthi) or paste of rock salt with mustard oil can be used to clean your teeth.

·       Nasya or nasal intake of bitter oils should be done every day. In morning if “Kapha” is in excess, mid-day if “Pitta” is in excess and in evening if “Vata” is in excess in body.

·       One should shave or get hair and nail cut every 5^th day. Do not pluck your nasal hair as it will weaken your eyesight. Hair combing should be done repeatedly for good hair. Looking self-image in mirror is very beneficial.

·       Daily work out should be practiced especially during winters and spring however half of your strength exercise should be practiced during rainy and summer seasons (Mid May to Mid Nov). Its calms down the doshas of the body and increases efficiency with improvement of digestive fire.

·       “Abhyang” or oil massage is recommended daily, particularly the feet, head and ears. Oil massage nourishes all the 7 components of the body. Full body massage before bath is stressed in ayurveda.

·       Using of “Ubtan” which is typically a mixture of gram flour and turmeric clams down the “Kapha” and reduces “Med” (Fat). It softens the skin.

·       Taking bath ignites digestive fire. Morning bath is recommended. Cold water bath calms “Pitta” and warm water bath provides strength to the body and calms “Vata” and “Kapha”. Warm should be used below head only exception given to the patient of “Kapha” and “Vata”. Continuous use of warm water on head effects eyesight and hair. Do not bathe immediately after meal.

·       Ayurveda recommends eating in the morning and evening only. However also mentions that when a person becomes hungry, that is his time to eat. Eating and attending natural calls, both should be done in a place of peace or loneliness.

Refer for utensils to be used: https://muscularayurveda.blogspot.com/2019/03/metals-in-kitchen.html

·       Pomegranate or fruits should be eaten before meal. Banana and Cucumis melo var. flexuosus (Kakadi) should be avoided before meal. Proper meal should start from sweet dishes, salty and sour in the middle and should end with bitter, pungent and astringent. Fruits which should be avoided in morning are Buchanania lanzan(Chironji), Blueberries(Jamun), Indian Jujube(Ber), Cluster fig(Gular), Tamarind(Imli), Asian Palmyra(Taal ka Phal), Dried Ginger(Sunthi), Coconut(Nariyal), Sesame(Til), Mango(Aam), Banana(Kela) and Indian gooseberry(Amla).

·       Foods when eaten hot, cold or dry destroy body strength. One should not eat very fast or very slow. Food which is sweet contributes to blood, sour contributes to marrow, salty contributes to bones, pungent contributes to fat, bitter contributes to flesh and astringent contributes to sexual hormones.

·       Sip water between two types of food in the middle of the meal. Sipping water in the beginning of meal makes a person weak and sipping at the end makes obese but small amount is allowed at the end called “Anupaan”. “Kapha” in the body increases immediately after eating, “Pitta” during digestion and “Vata” when completely digested. Ayurvedic smoking is permitted after meal to calm down the “Kapha”.

Refer: https://muscularayurveda.blogspot.com/2019/03/AyurvedicSmoking.html

·       Food which gives immediate strength: Fresh flesh, newly harvested grains, milk products, “Ghee” or clarified butter and warm water bath.   Aged Flesh, fresh curd, morning sex and morning sleep destroys strength quick.

·       100 mild steps after food are suggested to settle the food eaten. It relieves your stomach, waist and knees. After walk, one should sleep straight for 8 breaths, and then should turn on right for next 16 breaths and then to left for 32 breaths. Afterwards one can sleep as he/she wants however for good digestion; left side is recommended because “Jatharagni” is located on the left above naval. Woven cot is best for sleeping. Sleeping on hard surface aggravates “Vata”.

·       Things which should be avoided after meal are: Too much sleep, too much sitting, too much of liquid intake, exposure to heat or sun, swimming etc.

·       Day sleeping is allowed only in summer season as it increases “Kapha” in the body. However who is habituated of sleeping during daytime must sleep otherwise their “Vata” will get aggravated. Also people who work out, who mates during night, does field work, tired, who suffers from diarrhea, breathing problems, gas/air trouble, whose “Kapha” is low, whose health is destroyed by liquors, kids or elderly who eats less should sleep in day.

·       One should never accept food offered by your enemy or a prostitute. One should not sleep on a broken bed. One should not sleep in a cave, temple or under a tree alone in night.

·       Five things one should not do in evening: Eating, Mating, Sleeping, Studying and Street walking.

·       Moon light is coolant, quenches thirst and calms “Pitta” and heat in the body. When accompanied with dew, moonlight increases “Vata” and “Kapha” as well.

·       One should not eat heavy food in night and should eat in the early hours of night. Suppressing strong desire of sex can cause diabetes and makes the person obese and lazy. Day mating is only allowed from mid-May to mid-July (Grishm Ritu).

·       Night watching causes dryness in body decreasing “Kapha”. Sleeping well in night keeps the doshas balanced. Drinking water at the end of night i.e. before sunrise has innumerable benefits.

Note: “Vata”, “Pitta” and “Kapha” are three doshas of body mentioned in ayurveda which in balanced state keeps the person healthy.

“Vata” is gas or air in your body. If aggravated, it causes joints pain and gas trouble.

“Pitta” is acid and heat in the body. If aggravated, it  causes burning sensation, thirst, over hunger etc.

“Kapha” is cough or lubrication which lubricates the body.

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