The Srotas are the Channels of the Body. The 3 Doshas move along these physical and energetic channels within the body, and are responsible for a vast majority of our bodily functions.
These srotas are similar to nadis, in that they can be described as little rivers or passages that flow throughout the body, allowing nourishment and important bodily functions to occur. These channels flow through the main aspects of the physical body such as the respiratory tract, the gastrointestinal tract, the cardiovascular system, optic tracts, the auditory system, the reproductive system, the nervous system, etc.
These channels are responsible for transporting different things throughout these systems. For example, in the Anna Vaha Srotas, the transportation, digestion, and assimilation of food particles and nutrients occurs. Without the digestive tract, or channel, we would not be able to eat, digest, or process our food at all because there would be no pathway to do so! Here we’ve listed 16 main channels of the body:
16 MAIN SROTAS
3 Srotas directly connecting us to the external world:
- Anna Vaha Srotas (Food)
- Prāṇa Vaha Srotas (Prana)
- Ambu Vaha Srotas (Water)
7 Srotas connected to each of the Dhatus (bodily tissues):
- Rasa Vaha Srotas (Plasma)
- Rakta Vaha Srotas (Blood)
- Māṃsa Vaha Srotas (Muscle)
- Meda Vaha Srotas (Fat)
- Asthi Vaha Srotas (Bones)
- Majjā Vaha Srotas (Marrow)
- Śukra Vaha Srotas (Male Reproduction)
- Ārtava Vaha Srotas (Female Reproduction)
2 Srotas specific to women:
- Rajah Vaha Srotas (Menses)
- Stanya Vaha Srotas (Lactation)
3 Srotas dedicated to the excretion of waste products of the body:
- Purīṣa Vaha Srotas (Feces)
- Mūtra Vaha Srotas (Urine)
- Sveda Vaha Srotas (Sweat)