DIGESTIVE AGNI - THE FIRE IN THE BELLY

Aham Vaishvanaro Bhutva

Praninaam Dehamaashritaha

Pranapana Samayuktah
Pachaamyannam Chaturvidham

 - Bhagavad Gita

I am the fire in the bodies of living beings

united with the Prana (upward) and Apana (downward) breaths,

I digest the four categories of foods. (food that is chewed, 

food that is masticated with the tongue, 

food that is gulped and food that is drunk)

When it comes to the subject of diet, we often hear people saying "You should eat lots of this or lots of that". But no matter what you eat and no matter how much of it you eat and no matter how unprocessed and pure and organic it is, it will be of no use if your body cannot digest it properly. And hence, in this post I will share whatever little I know about the digestive agni (fire).

Agni is a very central concept to Ayurveda and the reason why agni is likened to digestion is because just like fire, digestion transforms using the different digestive juices, acids and enzymes. Agni is the biological fire that governs metabolism and is very intimately related to the Pitta dosha. The primary element of Pitta dosha is fire but fire cannot exist directly in the body and so the heat is held in liquids like blood and digestive fluids which is the reason why the secondary element for pitta is water. Hence, the Pitta dosha should be in balance for healthy digestive agni. If classified on the basis of function, there are 13 different types of agni in the body. However, in this post we will talk only about the Jatharagni i.e. The digestive fire or quite literally - Fire in the Belly! The Jatharagni is mainly prevalent in the area from the stomach to the anus.

As long as agni is functioning properly, the breaking down of food and absorbing and assimilating in into the body will operate smoothly. When digestive agni is not adequately strong, food remains undigested and therefore, unabsorbed turning into ama (toxins) over a period of time and eventually leading to disease. When the digestive agni is too strong, the essential nutrients are destroyed, leading to deficiencies, weakening of immune system, emaciation and consequently, disease. Some claim that majority of the diseases are caused due to irregularities in agni. What helps fire burn more strongly? - Air. What helps control fire? - Water. So, it follows that besides balanced Pitta, proper balance of Vata and Kapha is also required for healthy digestive agni.

"A faulty fire leads to improper functioning of the tissues which in turn, creates ama in the gastro-intestinal tract leading to poor synthesis of tissues."
                                                                                                      - Charaka

On the basis on intensity, Agni can be classified into four following categories:

1. Visham (Erratic) agni:

People with Visham agni have characteristics like irregular appetite, irregular hunger, gas, bloating, constipation, dry stool and intestinal cramps. Visham agni is common in people with Vata dosha. When the supply of air is just right, it inflames the fire. On the other hand if the supply of air is too strong, it blows out the fire. This is the same principle that results into extreme variations in Visham agni where the person will have highly inflamed agni at one time while a very weak agni at other times.

General suggestions to counter Visham agni are using sweet (to control the agni) and pungent flavours (to kindle the agni) in your diet, eating appropriately cooked food that is easy to digest (i.e. reducing or avoiding raw foods), using moderate spices such as fresh ginger, cumin and fennel, using Asafoetida in vegetables and lentils to reduce bloating and gas, including more grounding and heavier items like ghee and oils and eating with complete awareness (i.e. not doing anything else while you eat)

2. Tikshna (Sharp) agni:

People with Tikshna agni have characteristics like intense hunger and thirst, burning sensations in the stomach and intestines, dry throat, loose stool, burning sensation during urination and elimination and reduced blood sugar levels. Tikshna agni is common in people with Pitta dosha and it is most unpleasant to be in the company of a hungry Pitta. Due to Tikshna agni, the nutrition in the foods gets destroyed by the acidic digestive juices and the food passes through the digestive process very quickly.

General suggestions to counter Tikshna agni are going easy on sour tasting foods, including more sweet (not sugar!) and bitter tasting foods in your diet, eating moderate meals at fixed times, using less spices and avoiding sharp and pungent foods like tamarind or chilies, including more cooling foods like mint, coriander, lime, coconut and green vegetables in your dishes.

3. Manda (Slow) agni:

People with Manda agni have characteristics like low appetite, feeling of heaviness, dullness, bulky stool, lethargy and slow digestion. Manda agni is common among people with Kapha dosha as the water and earth elements of Kapha douse the agni.

General suggestions to counter Manda agni are including pungent (to kindle agni) and bitter (to counter the heaviness) flavours in your diet, using sharper and warming spices like dry ginger and black pepper, drinking ginger tea or cinnamon tea, consuming foods that are easy to digest, avoiding heavy foods like dairy, oils, ghee and sugars and fasting once a week. (this will make the body lighter and kindle the agni)

4. Sama (Balanced) agni:

People with Sama agni have characteristics like excellent health, calm and composed mind, blissfulness, balanced hunger and digestion. In the state of Sama agni, one can digest food very easily, has strong immunity, the absorption, assimilation and elimination is perfect and the body and mind are free from toxins. Such people have a very heightened awareness of their bodies and are very attuned with nature and their surrounding environments which guides them as to what their body needs. 

The above are the four different types of agni which arise from the imbalance of different doshas and this classification is to be used only as a guidance or a tool to determine the causes for the disturbance in your own agni. Obviously, everyone has only one agni and this agni is affected in various different ways due to our doshic imbalances. For example – If you have tikshna agni, what could be the cause? Is it because your pitta is aggravated or is it that your pitta is normal but is being fanned and stoked by the airy vata? If you have Manda agni, what is its cause? Is it because too much vata is blowing out the agni completely or is it because earth and water components of kapha dosha are putting it out OR is it the watery component of pitta that is responsible? Or is it possible that multiple doshic imbalances are causing disturbances in your agni? Developing awareness of the body and doing trial and error with your diet and lifestyle using ayurvedic principles will definitely help. However, if the imbalance in agni is chronic or urgent or complex, it is always better to consult a professional.

Some very easy and doable tips to help maintain a healthy agni:

1. In the morning, agni is weak and is just waking up and hence it is better to have a light breakfast. Agni is strongest when the sun is at its highest point in the sky, which is usually between 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and so, it is best to have the main meal of the day during this time. Have a small meal at night otherwise agni will have to work overtime and the body will not be rested during the night.
2. Agni is naturally strong during the summer season and weak during the winter season and hence it is better to modify ones diet using this information. Examples: Use less spices in summer; Avoid eating too many raw foods in winter.
3. Avoid overeating. Consistent overeating causes tremendous damage to agni and given an option to overeat or eat less, always choose for the later because if you feel low on energy later, you can always eat a bit more. But if you eat more, a portion of the undigested food is likely to remain in your guts in form of 'ama' for a long time unless you do regular cleansing practices like fasting or drinking cleansing teas/drinks. Fasting helps kindle the agni and since there is no food to digest, the agni incinerates the long existing toxins in the intestines. Not overeating has been one of my biggest challenges because Ayurveda also advises to avoid eating left over food. This means that you must prepare just the right amount of food that is commensurate with your hunger. If you prepare more, it is likely to go to waste. And being from a country like India, it always pains me to waste any food and so I consume it resulting into overeating.
4. Some say that 50% of the stomach should be filled with food, 25% with water and 25% should be empty. Others say that about two handfuls of food is just right while some say that one handful is just right. These suggestions are all correct and should only be used as a general guidance. The best guide is to be aware of the body's needs and stop eating once you start feeling full. Always eat a little less than what you feel like and you will notice that you will never feel heavy after your meals. Remember, if you cover a burning fire with too much wood, it is going to put the fire out.
5. Avoid eating in between meals. If you feel like eating something in between meals, eat something light like fruits. Tiny amount of nuts are okay but too many are a meal in itself. Logically, I feel that it is  better for the stomach to finish digesting the first batch first before taking on the next one. Usually you know the food is digested when you feel hungry and light, the body is asking for it and your breath is fresh. Many people advise that you should eat only when you are hungry but it seems a bit paradoxical especially if you are suffering from Visham agni because the Visham agni is going to make you feel hungry at different times. And following this advice when you are suffering from Visham agni is going to further add to the disturbed agni. Of course, when you are in balance, the body will ask for food at more or less the same time everyday depending on the season and environment. So, for starters, if you are moving from a state of imbalance to balance, start by having a regular time for meals, hungry or not. Once you feel more balanced, the hunger will automatically come at regular times.
6. Drinking too much water before or after the meal douses the agni. Drink a cup of warm water during the meal in tiny sips between bites and this will aid in digestion. Stop drinking cold drinks completely as it destroys the heat of the agni and hence Ayurveda generally advises on avoiding cold drinks. This is a very simple tip and will go a long way in improving your digestion.
7. The location of jatharagni is the same as the location of manipura chakra whose corresponding element is also fire. So, usually all types of forwards bends, back bends, side bends and twists stretch, compress, stimulate and massage the digestive organs. Surya namaskar is considered as one of the best exercises and regular practice will help prevent and cure irregularities in digestion. Sitting in Vajrasana for at least 5-10 minutes after every meal reduces the blood circulation in the legs and thus provides more circulation in the stomach and intestinal area thus aiding greatly in digestion. Regular practice of doing Vajrasana after meals improves the digestive power. And finally, there is no other asana or kriya that improves digestion more than - the Agnisara Kriya. It is recommended that one learns the Agnisara Kriya from an experienced hatha yoga teacher.
8. Include herbal teas in your daily routine which aid in digestion as opposed to caffeinated drinks. The best teas for digestion are ginger tea and CCF tea (cumin, coriander and fennel – can be easily prepared at home by mixing cumin seeds, coriander seeds and fennel seeds in equal proportions.)

Please refer my post Getting Started With Ayurveda for understanding of Ayurvedic terms and concepts.