Science In Our Indian Culture

Science In Our Indian Culture

In India, more than 1.3 billion people live here. India is the land of many cultures. The "Unity through diversity" is the main attraction to India, by many foreign countries. Like the United States, India is also a federal union, where almost all of its different states carry different languages and different cultural identities. The Indus Valley Civilization was one of the first civilizations on Earth. The Vedic period was a time in Indian history when the Hindu religion and caste system began in India. The Mughal Empire was the last and the strongest Islamic empire in India. So because of this "Unity through Diversity" and different cultural identity, India is known as the subcontinent within the Asian continent.

Indian traditional knowledge systems evolved over centuries through the cultures of various communities. They are also called indigenous systems made upon by versatile people by their diversified habits on foods, dresses, languages, living styles, and therapeutic methods in health care. India's traditional cultures have already been validated and well-accepted by various science communities and research organizations worldwide. The systems and their protocols are gradually becoming more popular because of distinguished ancient and current knowledge, innovations, benefits, and traditional beliefs.

“More importantly, India is the motherland of conventional therapies such as Ayurveda, Yoga, etc. India is one of the best countries to produce a variety of vegetables and fruits seasonally. They are the natural and reliable sources of multivitamins, and minerals in addition to other nutrients that are helpful to protect and boost the immune system. Hence, India's indigenous knowledge and culture in the perspective of Ayurveda, Nutrition, and Yoga have been playing significant roles in various healing processes and human values (Banerjee, 2020).”

I want to talk to you about why I think that science is actually part of the culture. What we understand today as being 'modern science' is in fact not that modern. If we consider Galileo Galilei, and Sir Isaac Newton, as the first 'true scientists', we should not forget that all civilizations throughout history have produced and accumulated knowledge to understand and explain the world. But what do we mean by 'modern science'? The main characteristic of this approach is to understand nature by analyzing each phenomenon according to a predetermined set of rules.

“Science is part of a culture, and how ... science is done largely depends on the culture in which it is practiced”

Science in Yoga

Let’s start with a simple question. If I ask you “how many of you are breathing?” I can say that you all are, but do we really pay attention to how we breathe? Do we know how to regulate our breathing because regulated breathing has a lot of health benefits? There are so many ways to regulate breathing like yogic breathing or pranayama. If you learn Yogic Breathing you are one step closer to better health by the end of this research.

After some time of practice of Yogic Breathing during one fine morning, you would find there was small salivary stimulation. Every time we practice there is more salivary stimulation. Every time we practice there is more salivary stimulation. It is a great way for people with dry mouth conditions like Sjogren's syndrome, radiation therapy, aging, and so on. As we know that saliva has so many compounds and is not just a digestive fluid, it has proteins, and hormone growth factors, and one pivotal one among them is the nerve growth factor. As the name says it is a protein that helps the nerve cells i.e., the neurons, to grow, survive, withstand stress and live longer. The nerve growth factor is found to bereduced in lower levels in Alzheimer's patients and it is administered as a therapeutic agent to those patients. So those people who did the yogic breathing exercise had more nerve growth factors and those patients' diseases could be prevented with the help of yogic breathing. When the Yogic Breathing technique is carried further, 22 different proteins, and growth factors hormones are stimulated and they aid in various conditions including cancer immune response stress, and pain relief.

So Breathing stimulates salivary secretion and the various compounds in the saliva say nerve growth factors and several other factors can be transported to the central nervous system through specific transport mechanisms or can be absorbed into the bloodstream and available throughout the body or can just stay there in the world cavity to help us fight germs. This is a fascinating idea that you can change your behavior and you can practice something that will improve your health. We all want to control our mindsbut doing so is not an easy task. Our mind is very elusive as the Eastern philosophy puts it. We cannot control it but theorem Euler says there is an easy way. The mind cannot travel on its own, it needs a vehicle. Mind is using a horse that is your breathing so if you want to control the mind as the rider then you have to control the vehicle, the horse, the breathing. So controlling the mind is possible by controlling the breathing. Therefore whether you sing, chant, or practice sophisticated yogic breathing techniques, it will improve your health and allow you to have a peaceful life.

Science in Ayurveda

“Ayurvedic medicine was practiced for thousands of years before anyone invented the placebo-controlled experiment.”

“Ayurveda is an ancient Hindu system of medicine as well as a general philosophy of health and wellness. Like most traditional medicine systems, it was developed and refined over thousands of years, using observation and experience—and that’s exactly where science begins (Reinagel, 2017).” It is the traditional medical practice of India and one of the world's oldest continuously practiced healing traditions. Ayurveda is often compared to an ocean and through this article, we're going to dip our toes into the ocean and start learning a little bit more about it. My objective is to provide some background in the science of Ayurveda, introduce common terms and concepts and share some lifestyle recommendations.

The term Ayurveda comes from Sanskrit and its two words “Arya” which means life and “Veda” which means wisdom, knowledge, or science. Thus Ayurveda is the knowledge or science of life. It's among the world's oldest continuously practicing prevention and healing systems. It's been in practice for an estimated 5,000 years. It started as an oral tradition passed down from teacher to student across multiple generations. The earliest recorded texts indicate that they are merely writing down what was an established oral tradition. Its main focus is the prevention of disease and promotion of positive health, and health is defined as a state of balance of mind, body, spirit, and environment and the promotion of the body's capacity for self-balancing and self-repair. The healing is within you, the knowledge is within you. So the goal of Ayurveda or an ayurvedic doctor is to find that and unlock it and allow that to happen. Quotation from the Sanskrit encompasses what is considered healthy, from an ayurvedic perspective and it's one whose constitution is balanced, one whose digestion is balanced, one whose body tissues elimination is balanced, and whose senses themselves are filled with bliss. Health not being strictly about the body. It's the body, the mind, it's how everything's functioning, and also it's about more than the absence of disease which is sometimes a pattern we fall into when we think about health. The world healthcare organization (WHO) echoes this in their definition of health: “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity and that this is a fundamental right of all of us without distinction of race, religion, beliefs, economic or social conditions (The Right to Health, n.d.).” And so we're seeing the idea of this all-encompassing a holistic approach to what health means beyond not being acutely ill. Moving forward with the fundamentals of Ayurveda there are five elements in it. The five elements make up all of the universes and that is everything that you can imagine and think of. Those five elements are space, air, fire, water, and earth and so as we think about those different elements and the qualities of what we associate with those elements.
So we're going to see these elements come into play as we move forward. Those five elements come together in different combinations to form the three doshas or constitution types. The first one is Vata which is a combination of space and air. Pitta is the second one and it's a combination of fire mostly with a little bit of water and Kapha, a combination of water and earth. It's important to know that all of us are some combination of all three humor or doshas. The combination is determined at conception. It's influenced by the makeup of the parents but not strictly genetic but as well as environmental factors. So there's that interplay between what's going on in the environment where you live and the background of your parents which all come together in determining your constitution.

The term for the unique constitution of an individual is hypocrisy and we'll talk about that a bit more as well by definition. Doshas can go out of balance and they vary; they fluctuate day today. Within a day different seasons of the year are just different seasons of our life that are meant to happen when it goes beyond a certain stretch point that's when illness can occur usually. When a certain dosha has expanded beyond the typical or the normal range for that individual this is really important and I want to emphasize there is not one ideal dosha or combination of doshas we are all unique. We all have our own balance and the goal is not for all of them to be equal but rather it is for all of us to be the same. We're our own individuals. The goal is to understand what our individual makeup is, learn what that means about being in balance and what can disrupt the balance for us as our own person. So what is my dosha or what is your dosha? “The fundamentals on which the Ayurvedic system is based are essentially true for all ages and so can be easily adopted time after time, century after century. The philosophy of Ayurveda teaches a series of conceptual systems characterized by balance and disorder, health and illness. It teaches that a person’s mental, emotional, and spiritual beings are all interconnected and any kind of imbalance between them results in health disorders and diseases. Therefore, to be healthy, harmony must exist between the purpose for healing, thoughts, feelings, and physical action” (Science of Ayurveda, n.d.).

Ayurveda is also known as the science of living a healthy and illness-free life. It is built on the premise that in the olden days, man used to live close to nature, and whenever he got exposed to some disease, he used to cure himself using resources and materials provided by Mother Nature. It therefore would not be wrong to say that Ayurveda charts out a health pattern based on nature and its natural resources.

“The Vedic philosophy believes that human beings are all a part of nature. Just as animals and plants are interdependent on each other to create balance within their beings, there is a concurrent and inherent connection between the universe and human beings. The complex world that human beings reside in, is perpetually exposed to environmental changes. Any amount of change in weather, lifestyle, diet, work, emotions, and relationships can easily tip the balance and negatively influence an individual's state of mind, body, and soul” (Science of Ayurveda, n.d.).

Ayurveda calls for complete harmony of the human body with the elements of nature and the surrounding environment for a stress-free and healthy life. Ayurvedic science does not merely deal with medical science but its scope goes much beyond the universe of conventional science. It also includes factors like herbal medicine, body works, and surgery apart from the social, psychological, ethical, spiritual, and intellectual life of human beings.

Ayurveda is an ancient science of life that has a long history, and its basic principles may be valid even today. “However, the essence of any science is a continuous quest for new knowledge through research, development, and newer applications. The mode of manifestation of disease has changed. The geo- climatic environment, plants, animals, and microbes have changed. Human behavior, lifestyle and genetics have changed” (Patwardhan, 2014). Clearly, classical Ayurveda of bygone years cannot be blindly practiced without contemporary modifications. Continuous research on the safety, quality, and efficacy of Ayurvedic drugs and procedures is needed. Systematic documentation and critical analysis of clinical practices are necessary.

India is a pristine land of innumerable traditions and rituals. And although having witnessed or belonged to this rich society we lack the understanding behind several rituals and brand them as superstitious. You will be amazed and proud to know how thoughtful our ancestors were in designing various rituals and customs for our holistic well-being. I am explaining to you some of the scientific explanations behind rituals in our society.

Did you know what is the significance of Navratri?

Navratri means nine auspicious nights. It is observed once at the beginning of summer and next at the beginning of winter. If you observe the pattern it is celebrated at the two junctures of seasonal change as the seasons change the inner chemistry of human beings also changes. During this transition, the body's immunity goes downhill. We are more vulnerable to infections so observing fasts was found to be an intelligent way to handle the situation even if you are not fasting it was advised to keep your diet light during the Navratri. This so-called superstition was not only a way to prevent diseases but also a smart half-yearly detox routine whether it is Ayurveda or modern science both are unanimous about the benefits of fasting. Even spiritually, ancient seers and saints found Navratri nights to be more conducive for sadhana. Overall Navratri is an opportunity for the people to grow physically as well as spiritually.

Ever wondered why is the PEEPAL TREE worshiped?

This is because the Peepal tree exhales extremely high amounts of oxygen during the day. Women were advised to walk around the people tree early in the morning for ideal hormonal balance and easy conception. The purpose of keeping an idol was to give them all the more reason to follow this practice diligently. Apart from this ayurvedic, scriptures talk about numerous medicinal uses of various parts of the peepal tree. You might have also heard someone saying that ghosts reside on the branches of the peepal tree at night. The fact is that because of its dense nature, it also releases very high carbon dioxide during the night. Naturally anyone sleeping under the tree will be oxygen deprived. So this is nothing but a good example of how metaphoric language was used to simplify something complex which later gets construed as a superstition.

Have you wondered if there is any basis for the makeup worn by Indian women apartfrom its aesthetic appeal?

Eyeliner was designed as a way of applying cooked medicinal herbs such as Amalaki haritaki and Burberry to the eyes to clean and prevent them from infections. Gold jewelry worn by Indian women is not merely a status symbol but regulates body temperature and enhances immunity. You will be amazed to know that the bangles, nose ring, earrings, and touring were an intelligent way of constantly pressing the acupressure points which help women regulate menstrual cycles and maintain an ideal hormonal balance. During weddings, brides and grooms apply Mehendi on their hands and feet as henna leaves produce a cooling effect and reduce the stress of the busy wedding days.

Why is it said that if you sleep facing North you will get SCARYDREAMS?

I am sure you have heard this. Well there is a reason for it as we all know that earth is a large magnet with north and south poles. It has a strong magnetic pull towards the poles living in the northern hemisphere. If we keep our head to the north and stay in the same position for seven to eight hours then the magnetic pull will put an undue pressure on our brain. This may also be the reason why you sometimes wake up groggy even after a long sleep. Well you might not be getting scary dreams but it definitely affects your health. So any direction other than the north is ok. In Indian culture to face the east while sleeping is considered the best.

Do you know what is the concept behind doing a prayer before a meal?

The ancient practice of eating on the floor and so eating using your hands is highly effective in assimilating the maximum nutrition from the food. Let us take this forward and understand why Indian meals, no matter which religion you came from always started with a prayer. It's a no-brainer that prayer instantly calms down our minds and when we eat with a calm mind we are able to eat food with more awareness which again leads to better assimilation of nutrients.

Ever thought about why Indian puja involves so many precise rituals?

Whether it is a temple mosque or a gurdwara, these are the places with high positive energy. The devotees are asked to walk barefoot inside the place of worship as the positive vibrations can easily be absorbed through feet during the aarti of a deity. The cone shell would invariably be blown as it is done even today. Since villages were generally small the sound of the shank would re-sound all over the village and those who could not make it to the temple would stop whatever they were doing for a few seconds and mentally bow down to the almighty. In Islam this is achieved through the azan, the calling of the faithful prayer, also the sound produced from the shank is believed to purify the environment. Applying tilak is another common ritual. It is applied on the spot that lies between our eyebrows referred to as the Agni chakra. The significance of applying tilaks at that point helps to conserve the subtle energy of our body and keeps us focused. Our ancestors found that sandalwood, turmeric, and saffron paste are quite effective if applied to the Agni chakra. This also explains why women wear a bindi at the same spot.

Hence Science is part of the culture. “Culture isn't only art and music and literature, it's also understanding what the world is made of and how it functions. People should know something about stars, matter, and chemistry. People often say that they don't like chemistry but we deal with chemistry all the time. People don't know what heat is, they hardly know what water is” (Perutz & Perutz, 1989). I'm always surprised how little people know about anything related to science even though it constitutes such a pivotal role in our life.