LivingAccordingtotheSeasons

Duringtherecenthotsummermonths,Ihavebeenpractisingacoupleofcooling
breathsandhavebeguntorealisetheimportanceoftheseasonsinapranayama
practice.
Ayurveda,theancientholistichealingsystemofIndia,identifiessixseasonsorritus.
Hemanthaawetwinterwithsnowandice.
Sisiraadrywinterwithcoldandwindyweather.
VasanthaSpring
GrishmaSummer
Varshamonsoonorrainyseason
Sarathautumnorwarmweatherafterthemonsoon.

Nowadaysduetoclimaticchangesitisdifficulttodifferentiatebetweenourfour
seasonsofsummer,autumn,winterandspringandtherecanbemarkedchangesinthe
weatherfromdaytoday,orevenhourtohour!Theseconstantchangesarecausinga
hugestrainonthebodysimmunesystem.Itisnecessaryforittoadaptrapidlyto
changesintheweather,andwhenitcannotmanagewiththechanges,illhealthis
caused.Becauseofallthesechangesintheclimate,whenmakinglifestylechoicesin
favouroftheseasonsitisimportanttotakethewholeseasonintoaccountandthen
makeslightdailychangesinaccordancewiththetemperature.Theseasonswillbe
lookedatingreaterdetaillaterbutfirstwewilldiscussafewbreathingtechniques
whichcanbeusedinthehotandinthecoldweather.

Inthesummerseasonsweeatmorecoolingfoodduetotheriseintemperature;the
temperateoftheindividualisalsolikelytoriseinthisseason.Thecoolingbreathof
Shitaliisexcellenttocoolthemindandthebody.ThisistheprocedureofShitali:

Thetongueisrolledandbreathinhaledthroughthetongueintothemouth.Thereis
coolnessonthetongueandtheroofofthemouthandthecoolairentersthenadis
(channelsofthebody)andcoolsthebody.Exhalationisdonethroughthenostrils.As
theinhaledairisnotbeingcleansedbythenostrilsbeforeenteringthelungs,itis
importantthatthisbreathingtechniqueisnotpractisedinapollutedenvironment.
Similarlyitisadvisablenottobepractisedinwinterorcoldweatherasthenostrilsare
notinvolvedinheatingtheairbeforeitentersthelungs.Asthebreathiscoolingtothe
body,itisbeneficialinallpittadisorders,thedoshaoffireandwater.Thecoolingbreath
willbalanceouttheheat,soconditionsofhairloss,skinproblems,hypertensionand
aciditycanbenefitfromcarryingoutthistechnique.Therearesomecontraindications
tothebreath;itisnottobedoneinconditionsofasthma,bronchitis,lowblood
pressureandchronicconstipation.

Forthosewhocannotrolltheirtongues,thereisanothercoolingbreathingtechnique,
calledSitkari.TheprocedureofSitkari:
Themouthiskeptopenalittlewiththetonguetouchingthelowerfrontteeth,andair
inhaledthroughthemouthwithawhistlingsound.Exhalationisdonethroughthe
nostrils.ThebenefitsofthisbreathingtechniquearethesameasShitali.

Thusfarwehavebeendiscussingpranayamaasabreathingtechnique.TheSanskrit
wordismadeupoftwoparts:pranaandayama.PranaisthelifeforceandAyama
meansexpandingorlengthening.Patanjali,thefounderoftheeightfoldprocess
(Ashtanga)ofyoga,definespranayamaastheprocessbywhichtheprana(lifeforce)is
controlled.Itisnotjustseenintermsofinhalationandexhalation,butthereal
pranayamaisintheretentionofthebreath.WiththeabovetwotechniquesofShitali
andSitkari;afterthebreathisinhaledthereisretentionofthebreathbeforeitis
exhaled.Similarlyaftertheairhasbeenexhaledthereisarestraintofthebreathbefore
thenextinhalation.

Sotosummarisesofar,duringthesummerseasonthetwocoolingbreathscanbedone
tomaintainthebodytemperatureinacoolerstate.Theyogaroutinetheindividual
followsshouldalsobelessvigorousinthesummerasbodystrengthislostduringthe
hotweather.
Theindividualgainsstrengthintheautumnwhichcarriesintothewinter.Agni(digestive
fire)isstrongerinthewintermonthsanddigestionwillbebettersolessama
(undigestedaccumulatedwaste)inthebody.Theyogapracticeoftheindividualcanbe
morevigorousandalotofsunsalutationsperformedtokeepawayanywinterblues.
Therearealsotwopranayamatechniqueswhicharemorebeneficialwhendoneinthe
winter.

ThefirstisSuryabheda.Theprocedureforthisbreathingtechniqueis:
Theleftnostrilrelatestothemoon,andtherighttothesun.Inthistechniquethe
inhalationisalwaysviatherightnostrilandhencethenamesurya(sun)bheda.Breathis
inhaledthroughtherightnostril,retainedandthenexhaledthroughtheleftnostril.This
techniqueismorebeneficialinthewinterasitproducesheatinthebody.This
pranayamaisgoodinvatadisorders,wherethedoshaconsistingofairandspaceis
increased.Itincreasestheagni(digestivefire)oftheindividualandsohelpsindigestion.
Thecontraindicationsofthisbreathingtechniqueareheartdisease,hypertensionor
epilepsy.

Thereisalsoanotherpranayamawhichisusefulinthewintermonthsasitisalso
warmingtothebody.ThisisUjjayipranayama.TheprocedureforUjjayiis:
Breathisinhaledthroughbothnostrilsandtakenintothethroat,withaslightsound
beingmade.Thebreathisretainedforaslongaspossibleandthenexhaledthroughthe
leftnostril.Thispranayamaisgoodforkaphadisorders,inwhichthedoshaofearthand
waterhasbeenincreased.Thereforethebreathisgoodinrespiratoryproblemssuchas
bronchitisandasthma.Itshouldbedonewithoutretentionwhentheindividualis
sufferingfromhighbloodpressureorheartdisease.

Wehaveconcentratedonthebreathingtechniquestobedoneduringthehotandcold
weather,butwillnowlookatthesixseasonsinmoredetailandotherwaysinwhichwe
canchangeourlifestyleinaccordancewiththeseasons.

Hemantha:Aswaspreviouslynotedthisisawetwinterwithsnowandice,andthebest
timetodothetwoheatingbreathingtechniquesdiscussed.Theagni(digestivefire)of
thepersonishighandenoughhastobeeatentoensurethattheagniactsonthefood
anddoesnotdestroythedhatus(bodycomponents).ItisbeneficialtodoAbhyanga,a
dailyoilapplication,onthewholebody.Theindividualshouldkeepwarmandtrytoget
asmuchsunlightaspossible.Foodtakenshouldbemoreofthesweet,sourandsalty
tastes.

Sisira:Thisdrywinterwithcoldandwindyweatherhasthesamelifestylechoicesas
hemanthabutmoreintenseastheweatherisevencolder.

Vasantha:IntheSpringseasontheweatheriswarmingup.Thismeansthekapha(earth
andwaterdosha)whichwasliterallyfrozenduringthewinter,meltsandcauseskapha
imbalancesanddisorderssuchasasthmaandallergies.Itisadvisabletodotreatments
forkaphaatthechangeofthisseason,suchasvamana(emesis)andnasya(medicated
nasaldrops).Udwartana(powdermassage)isalsocarriedoutandmoreexerciseis
done.Foodtakenshouldbelightanddry;heavy,sourandsweetfoodshouldbe
avoided.

Grishma:Inthissummerseasonthetwocoolingbreathsdiscussedshouldbedone.
Foodtakenshouldbesweet,light,coolingandunctuousinnature;sour,saltyand
pungenttastesshouldbeavoided.Exerciseandgoingoutinthesunshouldbeavoided
astheyweakenthebodystrengthevenmore,andnooilmassagesshouldbedone.

Varsha:Inthemonsoonallthethreedoshasgetvitiated,sothefoodtakenshouldbe
agnistrengthening.

Sarath:Inautumntheweatherheatsupagainsopittacanbecomeoutofbalance.The
coolingbreathscanbedoneagain.Foodtakenshouldbebitter,sweet,astringentand
light.

Ascanbeseentherearecertainlifestylechangeswhichcanbedoneinaccordancewith
theseasonsespeciallyasregardstofood.Tosummarisethen,bydoingcertain
pranayamaandslightseasonalchangeswecanregulateourbodytotheexternal
temperaturethatitisbeingexposedtoandthereforeeliminatedoshaimbalancesand
thereforeillhealth.

BindiShah2006
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