The Seasons of Life in Ayurveda: Childhood, Adulthood and Older Age

The classical texts divide life into stages and say that each has its own character. Childhood is described as the season of growth and softness, adulthood as the season of drive and change, and older age as the season of drying and slowing. This page describes that teaching as tradition, then gives general habits for each stage that match ordinary modern advice.

It is not a guide to treating children or older people, and it suggests no herbs, tonics or supplements for any age. Children, pregnant women and older adults need particular medical care, so each stage has its own list of signs that need a doctor, and a short list applies to everyone.

The three stages in the tradition

Ayurvedic teachers, drawing on the texts, link the three stages with the three doshas. For a fuller account, see the doshas through life.

• Childhood, the kapha stage. The body is growing, soft and moist, which the tradition connects with kapha. Children are described as prone to heaviness and congestion in the tradition’s language, and to need warmth, regular meals and plenty of sleep.
• Adulthood, the pitta stage. This is the time of work, ambition and full strength, linked with pitta. Teachers describe intensity, appetite and a tendency to push too hard, with heat and irritability as the usual signs of excess.
• Older age, the vata stage. Life slows and the body is said to become drier and lighter, which is linked with vata. Teachers describe dryness, lighter sleep, stiffness and a need for warmth, oil and regularity.

The texts present these as general tendencies, with great variation between individuals, and they do not set exact ages. Different teachers draw the boundaries in different places. The stages overlap with the person’s own constitution, described in prakriti.

Childhood: gentle habits

Children are not small adults. Their needs for food, sleep and medicine differ, so please follow your paediatrician’s advice and use the tradition only as background.

1. Regular meals and snacks at set times, with simple, freshly prepared food.
2. Plenty of sleep, with a fixed bedtime and a calm evening.
3. Daily play and time outdoors.
4. Warm clothing in cold weather and cool, light clothing in heat.
5. Family meals at the table without screens, where possible.
6. A steady routine, which the tradition regards as comforting for the young.

Do not give children herbs, oils taken by mouth, honey to babies under one year, nasal drops or home preparations without a doctor’s advice, and never apply the adult practices on this site to a child. Traditional practices such as massage with oil are common in many families, but use only a mild product after checking for allergies and with your doctor’s agreement for babies.

Adulthood: gentle habits

1. Keep meals regular and avoid working through hunger. See digestion.
2. Protect sleep from the pressures of work. See sleep.
3. Move most days and stop short of exhaustion. See exercise by dosha.
4. Set limits on work and screens, which teachers connect with overheating in the tradition’s terms.
5. Make time for rest and people. See stress.
6. Go for regular health checks, as your doctor advises, for blood pressure, blood sugar and other screening.
7. Plan for pregnancy and breastfeeding with your doctor, and check every herb, oil or supplement with them first.

Older age: gentle habits

MedlinePlus lists the basics of healthy ageing as nutritious food that is not heavy in empty calories, regular physical activity, staying mentally active and socially connected, regular checkups and the screenings you need, preventing falls through eye checkups, exercise and home safety, keeping to a healthy weight, looking after mental health, avoiding smoking, and keeping informed about your medicines. It adds that it is never too late to start looking after your health.

The tradition’s advice for the vata stage fits comfortably with this.

1. Regularity. Set times for meals, sleep and waking.
2. Warm, soft, freshly cooked food that is easy to chew and digest. See eating for vata.
3. Gentle daily movement, such as walking and slow stretching.
4. Warmth and a calm home, with good light and safe floors.
5. Company and purpose. The texts value the experience of elders and the tradition holds that they should be kept in good company.
6. Oil massage if you enjoy it. See abhyanga for safety notes, especially on slippery floors and with thinning skin.

Older adults often take several medicines, and herbs can interact with them, so tell your doctor and pharmacist about everything you use. Falls are a common cause of injury, so keep floors dry and avoid oil on feet before walking.

Signs that need a doctor at any age

See a doctor promptly for any of these.

• Fever that does not settle, or any fever in a baby under three months. Seek urgent care.
• Breathing difficulty, chest pain, fainting, signs of stroke such as face drooping, weak arms or slurred speech. Call 112 in India.
• Vomiting or diarrhoea with signs of dehydration, especially in babies, young children and older adults.
• Unintended weight loss, or a child who is not growing, eating or feeding well.
• Sudden confusion, memory loss or a change in behaviour.
• A fall with injury, or repeated falls.
• Low mood, loss of interest or thoughts of harm.
• Persistent pain, new lumps, bleeding or any symptom that worries you.

These stages are a traditional framework and not medical advice. See the medical disclaimer, ask a doctor about any health matter for yourself or your family, and go to a registered Ayurvedic practitioner for Ayurvedic treatment.

Frequently asked questions

Sources: MedlinePlus: Healthy Aging.