We may look around at our friends or family members and complain to ourselves and each other. Why does our best friend, brother, wife or son get to eat so much more than we do? Why is it that one person gains weight on fresh air when another person can’t seem to hold onto extra pounds even if they’re actively trying to gain weight? In our day-to-day experience, people react differently to food. From an Ayurvedic perspective, this is because we have unique agni, unique digestive fire.
We may be familiar or have heard of the three doshas: vata, pitta and kapha, one of the central concepts of Ayurveda. Another vitally important concept, one that makes or breaks our health, is agni, our digestive fire.
As the Sun is the source of light and heat in our solar system and for our Earth, the agni in our body is a symbol and source of light, warmth and wisdom. Without agni, life is impossible. And from an Ayurvedic perspective, most diseases are caused by disturbances of agni.
Knowing Your Agni
How do you know the condition of your agni? Just look at your tongue. Your tongue provides a glimpse into your whole digestive system. If you have a clean tongue, pink in color, you have optimum agni that digests all the food you eat and transforms it into your tissues and energy stores. If your tongue has a white, yellow or any other color coating, your agni needs some help.
Your overall health and well-being tells you something about your agni: your energy level, emotional state and skin. When your agni is well-balanced, you have good mental clarity, bountiful energy and radiant skin.
Types of Agni
- Sama agni: This is balanced agni, leading to good health.
- Teekshna agni: The fire is burning too high. Foods digest quickly, leaving someone with teekshna agni always hungry. Because of the fire, anger can flare.
- People with pitta dosha predominant or overactive may have teekshna agni. Calm it by avoiding or limiting hot, pungent spices, junk food, sour juices, excessive salt and alcohol. Choose cool or sweet foods such as greens, watermelon, coconut or grains to contain the fire.
- Vishama agni: This is changeable like the wind, and erratic – sometimes digesting well, sometimes not, leading to moodiness, gas and bloating. People with vata dosha predominant or out of balance may have vishama agni. Remedy by sticking to a regular meal schedule and favor warm foods, particularly in the evenings or in cold seasons or climates. M
- Manda agni: Slow and often sluggish. People with manda agni may feel their food takes forever to digest and they may not feel hungry often. People with kapha dosha predominant or out of balance may have manda agni. Stimulate with garlic, ginger, peppers or other pungent herbs and foods. Choose cleansing, bitter foods such as dark leafy greens to open the body’s channels.
Disturbances in agni prevent food from being fully digested and can create the formation of undigested matter – ama – which blocks channels and can lead to diseases.
We all should aim to preserve the thumb size fire in our abdomen (around the navel, the manipura chakra) in the balanced state of sama agni . After all, as Ayurveda says, we are what we digest. In every moment of our lives, agni supports us, so keep your agni happy.
Agni Self-Assessment
Answer Yes or No
I don’t really feel hungry.
- I feel lethargic.
- My body and stomach feel heavy.
- I get constipated often.
- I feel bloated.
- I don’t notice the different taste of the foods.
If your answers to most of these questions are yes try the following:
- Skip a meal once a week. (Give rest to your system.)
- Drink warm water daily.
- Avoid fried foods, cheeses, junk food and cold water and drinks. (Don’t tax your system.)
- Do physical exercise and yoga.
- Light the spark with pungent spices like ginger, black pepper, chilies or garlic.
- In extreme cases and only under medical supervision, take castor oil (cleanse your system).
The Fire in the Mind
There are several different types of agni in the body, each with their own job of digestion and transformation. The agni in our mind digests the information from our sensory input. Even while you are reading this, the agni in your mind is processing the words, and ideas to digest the information and create a greater sense of wisdom. We can nurture the agni in our mind through meditation, silence and time to process and digest what we take in.
Radiance of our Skin
The agni in our skin, digests the light and energy from the sun’s rays to produce Vitamin D (necessary for calcium absorption, facilitating immune system function, bone growth and density and neuromuscular function) during our morning or afternoon walks. The agni also produces the pigment melanin, a skin protector, and maintains body temperature by releasing excess heat through sweat.
Before using any of the above Ayurvedic remedies, consult with a qualified Ayurvedic practitioner or healthcare provider. The information given here represents the opinions and recommendations of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of LA YOGA Ayurveda and Health magazine.
Jay Apte, BAMS, MS earned her degree in Doctor of Ayurveda (BAMS) in India. She serves on the board of directors of the National Ayurvedic Medical Association and teaches and schedules consultations through the Ayurvedic Institute of America, a Kerala Ayurveda Academy. www.ayurvedainstitute.com
By Dr. Jay Apte
