Agni
 Being
the biological fire that governs metabolism, agni
encompasses all the changes in the body and mind from the
dense to the more subtle. Such changes include the
digestion and absorption of food, cellular
transformations, assimilation of sensory perceptions and
mental and emotional experiences. Agni
therefore covers whole sequences of chemical interactions
and changes in the body and mind. Digestive abilities
being related to the strength of agni.
Agni
and pitta are
closely connected. While both are hot and light, agni
is subtle and dry. The heat energy to help digestion
contained by pitta
is agni. Pitta
is therefore the container and agni the
content. Agni is acidic in nature and
stimulates digestion. It is subtly related to the movement
of vata. In
every tissue and cell agni is present and is
necessary for maintaining the nutrition and auto-immune
mechanism. By destroying micro-organisms, foreign bacteria
and toxins in the stomach and the intestines.
A
balanced agni therefore is vital for health.
The strength of the body to resist disease and also its
physical strength are directly related to its heat energy
determining the metabolic processes of the body.
Disturbances to Agni are usually the chief
causes of disease.
As
per Ayurveda there are thirteen types of
Agni in the body and mind according to the conversion and
the transformation made. The most important of them is the
Jatharagni, the gastric fire, responsible
for digesting food eaten by correlating hydrochloric acid
in the stomach and the digestive enzymes and juices
secreted into the stomach, duodenum and the small
intestines. If digestive agni is low and the
capacity is impaired, one may experience pain, discomfort,
feeling of heaviness or gases gurgling, constipation or
loose stools.
Introduction
| Panchamahabhutas
| Tridoshas
| Trigunas
| Agni | Dhatus
| Malas
|
