Srotas

Srotas are the channels or systems of circulation through which substances flow in the body. Everything that moves - nutrients, waste, information, breath - moves through specific srotas. These include both gross physical channels (like blood vessels and intestines) and subtle pathways.

Ayurveda identifies thirteen main srotas: three intake channels (breath, water, food), seven tissue-nourishing channels (one for each dhatu), and three elimination channels (feces, urine, sweat). Each srotas has a root (mula), pathway (marga), and opening (mukha).

Disease often involves disruption of srotas function. Channels can become: excessive (atipravritti), deficient (sanga), flowing in wrong direction (vimargagamana), or develop abnormal growths (siragranthi). Treatment addresses both the dosha imbalance and the channel dysfunction, often through clearing ama that blocks proper flow.