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Digestive Strength and the Importance of Agni 

“The body is the outcome of food. Even so, disease is the outcome of food. The distinction between ease and disease arises on account of wholesome nutrition or the lack of it respectively. ” Charaka Samhita Sutrasthana 28:45

“It is obvious that that the body tissues cannot be nourished and developed when food is not properly digested by agni” Chikitsa Sthana 15:5

Ayurveda and Yoga both value the importance of a healthy digestive system. It is via the digestive system that food and herbs are assimilated into the body to nourish and heal the whole system. In this newsletter I want to discuss the Ayurvedic concept of the digestive system, the digestive fire (agni), and how to keep it health with correct dietary habits and effective yoga postures.

AGNI: Meaning fire, spark, digestive fire. ‘Ignite’ & ‘agni’ have the same linguistic root.

Qualities: Hot, Light, Dry, Sharp, Penetrating, Pungent, Luminous, Transforming.

Functions: Absorption, assimilation, metabolism, digestion, perception, taste, touch, hearing, vitality, clarity, alertness, regular appetite, combustion.

It includes the digestive function, sense perception, cellular metabolism and mental assimilation. Mental assimilation and digestive assimilation are intrinsically linked. Eating lightly helps mental clarity just as too much mental activity reduces the efficiency of digestion.

Agni gives ojas or immunity, a sparkle in the eyes and lusture to the skin.

Emotions:

a) When in balance agni encourages positivity, courage, cheerfulness, lucidity, intelligence.

b) When out of balance agni promotes negativity, fear, anger, confusion, depression. 

The Four Types of Agni:

Ayurveda classifies four different states of agni that point to certain constitutional tendencies. We each have digestive tendencies that can be regulated with appropriate diet and herbs.

1. Visham agni: These people are prone to have an irregular appetite and digestive system with signs of variable hunger, bloating, indigestion, intestinal cramps, constipation, dry stool, borborygmus and gas. It is common in vata types who are easily disturbed by nervous tension.

Use sweet and pungent flavours in your diet. This means eating cooked food that is soft and easy to digest with mild spices such as fresh ginger, cumin and fennel. Taking Asafoetida formula (Hingashtaka) or Trikatu (Long pepper, Black pepper and Ginger) before you eat can help to balance erratic digestion. Large meals, eating when busy and to many raw foods should be avoided.

2. Tikshna agni: Intense hunger but with poor digestion is a pitta sign. Also thirst, parched mouth, dry throat, loose stool, low blood sugar levels and a burning sensation in intestines. This is common in pitta types who can be intense and irritable.

Use mild sour flavours to dilute the excess acid. This means taking diluted yoghurt with food to prevent some of the hot acid symptoms. People with this type of digestion should eat small and regular meals using complex carbohydrates to balance blood sugar levels. Include Shatavari (Asparagus racemosa), Guduchi (Tinosporia cordifolia) and Amalaki formula to balance pitta. Too many hot spices, fried foods, coffee and alcohol should be avoided.

3. Mandagni: This means slow digestion and is commonly a kapha sign. Also weak hunger, heavyness after a meal, tiredness after eating, sluggish bowels, bulky stool, feeling cold, sweet craving, stimulant craving.

Use pungent and bitter flavours. This means that meals should help to stimulate the digestive process by including light foods that are easy to digest with dry ginger, cinnamon and black pepper in the diet.<