Is the Ayurvedic doshas system irrational or scientific?

I’ve been mulling over Ayurveda quite a bit, especially after chats with friends who just can’t get past the whole vata, pitta, kapha thing. They see these concepts and immediately think it’s all unscientific mumbo-jumbo. But the more I think about it, the more I see a fascinating parallel between Ayurveda’s doshas and how modern science splits itself into physics, chemistry, and biology.

Wait, Hear Me Out

I know that might sound like a stretch, but consider this: Science tries to make sense of nature by breaking it down into different fields. Physics looks at fundamental forces and motion, chemistry deals with reactions and transformations, and biology focuses on living organisms and their structures. Yet, none of these disciplines exist in a vacuum — they’re deeply interconnected. You can’t fully understand a biological process without considering the underlying chemistry and physics.

An Everyday Science Example

Take something as simple as a plant growing:

• Physics: The absorption of sunlight involves light energy and electromagnetic waves. Water moving from the roots to the leaves uses principles like capillary action and osmosis.
• Chemistry: Photosynthesis converts carbon dioxide and water into glucose and oxygen — a series of chemical reactions essential for the plant’s energy.
• Biology: Cell division, growth, and response to environmental stimuli are all biological processes that define the plant’s life.

All these processes happen simultaneously, each relying on the principles of the others. The physics enables the chemistry, which in turn drives the biology.

Drawing the Parallel to Ayurveda

Ayurveda while trying to understand human physiology and all bodily processes, classify the aspects of all the processes into 3 categories:

1. Vata (Movement/Physics):

• Represents all movement in the body.
• From the beating of your heart to the firing of neurons.
• Any physical activity relies on Vata.

2. Pitta (Transformation/Chemistry):

• Governs digestion and metabolism.
• All the chemical reactions that transform food into energy.
• Responsible for processes like hormone production and enzyme function.

3. Kapha (Structure/Biology):

• Provides the body’s structure and stability.
• The growth and maintenance of tissues and organs.
• Bodily fluids that support and nourish the body.

An Ayurvedic Example

Think about exercising:

• Vata gets you moving — your muscles contract, your heart rate increases, and your breath quickens.
• Pitta kicks in to manage the increased metabolic demands, breaking down nutrients for energy and regulating your body temperature.
• Kapha supports your joints and muscles, preventing injury and maintaining structural integrity through lubrication and nourishment.

Just like in the scientific example, these doshas don’t work in isolation. They depend on and influence each other constantly.

A Note on Ayurveda’s Broader Purpose

Now, I’m not going to dive deep into all the details of Ayurveda here — that’s a whole other discussion. But it’s worth mentioning that Ayurveda’s classification system isn’t just about organizing information. Its goal is to understand the continuity of life from the inside and how it interacts with the outside world, revealing ways to maintain health and promote healing.

By categorizing bodily processes into vata, pitta, and kapha, Ayurveda simplifies the understanding of disease and healing. The idea is that each ailment starts with a disturbance in a particular dosha and can be addressed by bringing that dosha back into balance.

Ayurveda goes further by assigning characteristics to each dosha and finding similar traits in foods, environments, seasons, and other external factors. For example:

Pitta is hot in nature. So:

• Summer, being hot, can aggravate pitta.
• Spicy foods can increase pitta.
• Daytime, when temperatures are higher, can elevate pitta levels.

To pacify Pitta:

• Cucumber, which is cooling, can help reduce pitta.
• Mint and other cooling herbs can balance pitta.
• Bitter foods like certain greens can help soothe pitta.

This logical system of cause and effect makes it easier to decide, say, whether to have ginger tea after exercise (which might increase heat) or mint tea (which is cooling and might be more appropriate if you’re feeling overheated.

Why This Matters

Understanding this parallel helped me appreciate Ayurveda in a new light. It’s not just some archaic system; it’s another way of looking at the same complexities that modern science tries to unravel. Both frameworks acknowledge that to fully understand any natural process, you need to consider multiple aspects working together.

Ayurveda’s approach to health is holistic. It doesn’t just look at symptoms but considers the individual’s overall balance and how external factors might be influencing them. By recognizing patterns and relationships between internal states and the environment, Ayurveda offers practical guidance for maintaining health.

Wrapping It Up

If you already believe in principles like “curd and rice are cold in nature and shouldn’t be consumed when you have a cold,” congratulations! You’ve already learned a bit of Ayurveda from your grandmothers.

So next time someone scoffs at the idea of doshas, maybe point out that we’re all just trying to make sense of the same mysteries, whether we call it physics or Vata.

Just My Two Cents

Again, this is just my personal take. I’m still piecing it together, and there’s much more to learn. But if this perspective gets even one person to rethink their stance on Ayurveda, I’d say it’s worth sharing.

#Ayurveda #LifeScience