2. The Dosha Year in Temperate Climates

Ayurveda teaches that the qualities of the season enter the body. In India the year turns on the monsoon; in Europe, North America and much of Australia it turns on cold and warmth. The doshas still follow the qualities of the weather — so the calendar shifts, but the logic does not [2].

Figure — The dosha year in the northern hemisphere (outer ring), the southern hemisphere (middle) and the Indian ritu calendar (inner).

Western season	Northern hemisphere	Southern hemisphere	Dominant qualities	Dosha	Kitchen emphasis
Late autumn – early winter	Oct – Dec	Apr – Jun	Cold, dry, windy, changeable	Vata	Soups, stews, root vegetables, oats, ghee, warming spices, sweet–sour–salty
Late winter – spring	Jan – May	Jul – Nov	Cold, damp, heavy, then thawing	Kapha	Barley, millet, quinoa, legumes, greens, ginger, pepper; less dairy and sweet
Summer – early autumn	Jun – Sep	Dec – Mar	Hot, bright, sharp	Pitta	Zucchini, cucumber, leafy greens, rice, coconut, mint, coriander, fennel; less chilli and sour

Adjusting for your local climate

The table is a starting point. Read your own weather by its qualities rather than its calendar name.

Climate	Typical feature	Treat it as	Practical adjustment
Northern & central Europe, Canada	Long cold winters, short mild summers	Long Vata–Kapha season	Prioritise warm cooked food for 8–9 months; enjoy summer salads only in July–August
Mediterranean, California, south-west Australia	Hot dry summer, mild wet winter	Pitta summer, mild Kapha winter	Cooling Pitta foods from May to September; light spring cleansing foods in winter–spring
British Isles, Pacific North-West, New Zealand	Cool and damp most of the year	Kapha with Vata winds	Warm, light, spiced food; barley, ginger, pepper; avoid heavy dairy
US Midwest & continental climates	Very cold winters, hot humid summers	Strong Vata winter, Pitta–Kapha summer	Hearty winter stews; summer meals light and cooling but cooked
Desert & high altitude	Dry, windy, large day–night swings	Vata all year	Extra ghee and oil, soups, hydration, regular routine
Tropical & subtropical	Hot and humid	Pitta–Kapha	Light, cooling, easily digested food; coconut, rice, mung, cooked greens

[!TIP] Southern-hemisphere readers

• Every recipe in this book carries a season code: Vata season, Kapha season, Pitta season or All year.
• In Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Chile and Argentina, shift the menus in Part III by six months: the "Autumn" week is for March–May, "Winter" for June–August, "Spring" for September–November and "Summer" for December–February.
• Christmas falls in Pitta season south of the equator: choose the Midsummer Garden Lunch (Part III) rather than the winter feast.

Ritucharya at the junctions

Ayurveda warns that the two weeks at the junction between seasons (ritusandhi) are the most vulnerable to colds, digestive upsets and low mood. In the West these are roughly the equinoxes and the start of the heating and cooling seasons. At each junction, step down the old season's foods gradually, eat simply for a few days (a kitchari day, Recipe 3.07, is ideal — a practice popularised in the West by teaching centres such as Kripalu [3]), and keep sleep and meal times regular.

Junction	Northern hemisphere	What to step down	What to step up
Summer → autumn	Mid-Sept – early Oct	Raw salads, cold drinks, tropical fruit	Soups, cooked apples and pears, ghee, oats
Early → late winter	Late Dec – mid-Jan	Very rich festive food, sweets	Barley, millet, ginger tea, spice, lighter dinners
Spring → summer	Late May – mid-June	Heavy grains, pungent spices	Rice, zucchini, mint, coconut, room-temperature drinks