DINACHARYA AND RITUCHARYA: THE CHRONOBIOLOGICAL PHILOSOPHY OF AYURVEDA
Background: Ayurveda prescribes daily (dinacharya) and seasonal (ritucharya) regimens for the maintenance of health. These regimens are based on the idea that the doshas vary with time of day, season and stage of life, and that conduct should be adapted to these cycles. Objective: To review the classical content of dinacharya and ritucharya, their theoretical basis in the doshic rhythms, and their relation to modern findings on circadian biology and seasonal variation of physiology. Methods: Classical texts were studied in translation. PubMed was searched in November 2026 for papers on daily and seasonal regimens in Ayurveda and for selected modern reviews on circadian metabolism. Results: Dinacharya covers waking before sunrise, evacuation, oral hygiene, oil massage, exercise, bathing, timing of meals and sleep. Ritucharya describes diet and conduct for each of six seasons, based on the accumulation and aggravation of doshas in the seasons. A small study found that lipid levels vary by season and constitution. Modern literature shows that circadian disruption increases metabolic risk and that time-restricted feeding may improve metabolic health, which is consistent in principle with the Ayurvedic emphasis on timing. Conclusion: Dinacharya and ritucharya represent an early chronobiological approach to prevention. The concept is supported in general terms by circadian research, but direct trials of the classical regimens are lacking.