Guide to ayurvedic seasons for yoga

Tailoring your practice can help you receive the most benefits from your yoga. Seasonal rituals are a holistic pathway for personalising your rituals. Ayurveda – yoga’s sister science – offers an elegant system to guide you.

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What is ayurveda’s connection to yoga?

Ayurveda means “knowledge” or “science” of life. It's a body of ancient wisdom from the Vedic period of civilisation, sharing the same roots as yoga. Ayurveda includes practical guidelines for preserving health and preventing illness. It also documents advanced protocols for managing disease. All of ayurveda’s interventions are natural, ranging from daily lifestyle guidelines, diet and herbs to bodywork and yoga.

Vedic knowledge is old, though ayurveda and yoga transcend time. You don’t need to study ancient texts or learn Sanskrit to tap into these principles. They’re universal in nature, and already living inside of you. In fact, working with the seasons is one of the best ways to help you connect with your deepest inner wisdom.

The importance of seasonal yoga

The greatest inspiration for your yoga practice can come from nature. Gurus, or guides, come in many forms, and one of these forms is seasons. In a time of climate change, adopting a seasonal practice is a form of ecological activism – one of the greatest things you can do for your wellbeing, and the planet’s. It is also a form of cultural activism. Yoga’s recent history with cultural appropriation is partially due to the extraction of this knowledge from its cultural context, often for commercial purposes. Reuniting ayurveda and yoga in your personal practice can support the reunification and wholeness of these traditions.

How does ayurveda define seasons?

Depending on where you live, the seasons are specific to your local climate. Ayurveda defines the seasons based on their elemental qualities. There are five elements in ayurveda: earth, water, fire, air and ether (or space). These elements comprise the "doshas," or three fundamental energetic principles in ayurvedic science: vata, pitta and kapha. The doshas correspond directly to the seasons, according to ayurveda.

Vata Season

Elements: Air and ether

Calendar seasons: Late autumn / early winter

Qualities: Dry, subtle, rough, windy, cold

You’ll know it’s vata season when the atmosphere feels lighter and dry. The weather will also tend to cool down.

Kapha

Elements: Earth and water

Calendar seasons: Late winter / spring

Qualities: Cold, wet, dense, heavy

Kapha season is relatively cold and wet, and generally the wettest time of year. The precipitation creates more density in the atmosphere. It smells earthy and rich.

Pitta

Elements: Mostly fire and some water

Calendar seasons: Summer / early autumn

Qualities: Hot, sharp, a little moist

Work with the seasons.

When the sun peaks and provides the most heat and light, it’s pitta season. Depending on the local climate, there may be more or less precipitation during this time.

How can I adapt my yoga practice with the seasons?

Ayurveda’s principle of the doshas and their corresponding seasons provide cues for maintaining balance. When a season occurs, it increases that dosha in the atmosphere as well as your mind and body. When there’s too much of a dosha, imbalance or disease may result. Just like seasonal diets, adapting your yoga practice will counterbalance the qualities of each dosha or season. Through your seasonal yoga practice, you’ll tune into the elements and connect with nature. This is a deeply rewarding and rich way to live.

Vata seasonal yoga - autumn and winter

The transitional fall season calls for yoga practices that are restorative, warming and grounding. Vata season’s ethereal and light quality, known for “thinning the veil” between worlds is a beautiful time to emphasise breathwork and meditation. Journey inward, and go deep.

Mantras: Lam (Bij Mantra), Om Shanti (Peace), “I am steady, safe and at the center of my being”

Asana: Downward Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana), Child’s Pose (Balasana), Corpse Pose (Savasana), Spinal Stretch (Uttanasana), Tree Pose (Vrksasana), Nantucket Noose (Supta Matsyendrasana), Wide-Legged Forward Bend (Prasarita Padottanasana)

Pranayama: Alternate Nostril Breathing (Nadi Shodhana), Right Nostril Breathing (Surya Bhedana)

Kapha seasonal yoga - winter and spring

Stoke your inner fire and revitalize during winter and spring. Rise early, light a candle and sip some hot water. Opt for energizing, warming and gently detoxifying practices in kapha season.

Mantras: Ram (Bij Mantra), Gayatri Mantra, “Life force flows radiantly through me”

Asana: Sun Salutation Flow (Surya Namaskar), Mountain Pose (Tadasana), the Warrior sequences (Virabhadrasana I, II, III), Chair Pose (Utkatasana), Triangle Pose (Trikonasana)

Pranayama: Breath of Fire (Kapalabhati), Right Nostril Breathing (Surya Bhedana)

Pitta seasonal yoga - summer and fall

Stay calm and collected with cooling, heart-centering practices during the pitta season. Try to resist the temptation to push harder and faster. Practice during cooler hours, in or near water, and surrender to the lushness of summer yoga.

Mantras: Yam (Bij Mantra), "I flow with love and ease through life”

Asana: Moon Salutation (Chandra Namaskar), Child’s Pose (Balasana), Downward Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana), Knee to Head Pose (Janu Sirsasana), Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana), Bridge Pose (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana), Sage Pose (Marichyasana III)

Pranayama: Left Nostril Breathing (Chandra Bhedana), Cooling Breath (Sheetali)

Remember that the seasons are based on elemental qualities in the atmosphere. Your optimal practice is inspired by real-time weather. Smell the air, tune into your body and listen to your senses. The seasons are not abstract. They are tangible elemental forces, and they are a part of you. As you deepen your relationship with the earth and air, you’ll conjure the magic of seasonal yoga.