Greeshma Ritucharya (Ayurveda Summer Regimen) Mid May – Mid July
In Greesma (summer) the sun rays become powerful and appear to be destructive. Kapha decreases day by day and Vata increases consequently, hence avoid use of salt, pungent and sour foods, heavy physical exercises and exposure to sunlight, during this season.
Food which are sweet, light (easy to digest), fatty, cold and liquid should be taken, take cornflour mixed with cold water and sugar after taking bath in cold water.
Indication for limited use of wine during summer:
madyaṃ na peyaṃ, peyaṃ vā svalpaṃ, subahuvāri vā | anyathā śopha śaithilya dāha mohān karoti tat ||
Madya (wine) should not be taken; if very necessary, taken in very little quantity or diluted with more quantity of water; if wine is taken in large doses, it will cause inflammatory conditions, and it will make the body fragile and weak, increases burning sensation and causes delusion.
During summer, boiled rice, which is white in colour, (like full moon) should be eaten along with meat of animals of desert. Meat juice (Mamsarasa) which is not very thick, Rasala (curds churned and mixed with pepper powder and sugar), Raga (syrup which is sweet, sour and salty) and Khandava (syrup which has all the tastes, prepared with many substances), Panaka panchasara, (syrup prepared with raisins (draksha), madhuka, dates (karjura), kasmarya, and parushaka fruits all in equal quantities, cooled and added with powder of cinnamon leaves, cinnamon and cardamom etc) and kept inside a fresh mud pot, along with leaves of plantain and coconut trees, and made sour (fermented) should be drunk in mugs of mud or shell; Very cool water kept in mud pot along with flowers of patala and karpura (camphor) should be used for drinking.
Food articles like sasanka kirana (hollow, finger-like, fried pastry made of corn flour) should be taken at night; Buffalo milk mixed with sugar and cooled by moonlight and the stars should be used for drinking.
Day regime: Day time should be spent in forests having tall trees reaching the sky such as shala (Shorea robusta, Tala – Borassus flabellifera etc, which obstruct the hot rays of the sun, or in houses around which bunches of flowers and grapes are hanging from their creepers. Sheets of cloth spreading sweet scented water, are arranged (to fan the air) , all around.
Sleep on soft bed prepared with flowers of banana, kalbara, lotus etc. with fully blossomed flowers place all over. Spend the day remaining inside the house cooled by water fountains, water being scented with usheera (Cus Cus grass), and thereby relieve yourself from the heat of the sun.
Night regimen: At nights, one should sleep on the terrace, facing moonlight. Exhaustion due to heat of the day is relieved by, anointing the body with paste of sandalwood, wearing garlands, avoidance of sexual activities, wearing of very light and thin dress, by fanning with fans made of leaves of Tala or large leaves of padmini (lily) made wet; syringes sprinkling cool water softly, garlands of flowers of camphor, jasmine and of pearls and beads of white sandal paste, children, sarika (mynah bird) and shuka (parrot) talking pleasantly; beautiful woman wearing bangles of soft lotus stalk, blossoms of lotus in their hair, moving about nearby.