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The most beautiful sight of the year is the first day of the rain. You can see kids coming to the street joyfully to play in the rain. Adults extend their palms out of the windows to feel the touch of raindrops. People keenly wait to see the first pour. You can only see the joy and happy faces all around. Rain becomes joy along. But, as the rainy day passes it won’t remain pleasant weather if we ignore certain monsoon disciplines.

Acidity, malaria, cholera, indigestion, cold, etc. are some of the common diseases that become very common during the monsoon period. Here are certain do’s and don’ts that you must follow in the rainy season to prevent monsoon diseases.

• Give a warm compress to your feet immediately when you return home on a rainy day. Or you can dip your feet in warm water for a few minutes. This shall warm up your body.
• Do not enter directly into an air-conditioned room in wet clothes. This could cause a cold and cough.
• According to varsha ritucharya, one should avoid sleeping during the day as it hampers digestion and slows down the metabolism. It can cause more dullness and laziness in your personality. But if you feel tired, you can just have a short nap of 15 mins, but do not sleep for hours.
• Engage yourself in activities that boost your body's energy and heat. Do dynamic asanas, Pranyamas like khumbaka and Anulom-vilom, kriyas like kapal bhati as they all generate heat and boosts metabolism. According to Ayurveda, the morning 6:00 to 10:00 is kapha period, and 6:00 pm to 10 pm is kapha, kapha is the cool period, hence it is always better to exercise during these periods to balance your temperature.
• Eat more heat-producing foods. According to Ayurveda, your pitta dosha is affected; hence your digestive fire goes low on rainy days. Eat foods that are freshly cooked and warm. Have a glass of milk for breakfast. Cows’ ghee is a must in a day as it pacifies pitta. Keep sipping warm water throughout the day. Add ginger, garlic, and pepper to your diet as it produces not only heat but also helps digestion. Always drink water that is boiled and then cooled.
• Avoid Maida, non-veg, oily foods, and stale foods during the rainy season. Avoid uncooked foods and minimize the intake of salad. Your digestive fire being low, these foods can cause indigestion. Avoid sour curd and eating curd at night, avoid green leafy vegetables during monsoon since they are more likely to be contaminated.
• In monsoon, always keep an alternative cloth or alternative footwear at your workplace or in your bag.

Make sure you follow these dos and don’ts and prevent all the monsoon diseases. Seasons would come and go, but wise is the one who knows how to adjust and manage themselves to the changing weather and environment.
Be wise!

Dr Hansaji Yogendra , The Yoga Institute