In the world of Ayurveda, there is not much more important of concepts than the health and strength of your Agni, or digestive fire.  Your Agni is the governor of everything from the breakdown of food; the transformation of thoughts and emotions; your level of ambition, motivation, and energy; and the power of your circulation and immunity.

When your Agni (digestive fire) is strong and robust, you can take in just about any type of food and break it down with minimal signs of indigestion.  You do not experience symptoms of gas, bloating, or fatigue after meals but instead, feel light and energized after food intake and can absorb the broken-down nutrients readily.

On the contrary, if your digestive fire is off balance, you will get noticeable symptoms of indigestion, whether it manifests as acid reflux, gas, colic, cramping, or just sleepy, sluggishness after meals.  The food that you ingest may be quite healthy, but due to the lack of digestive force, it is not broken down or absorbed properly leading to indigestion, toxic build-up (known as ama), malabsorption of nutrients, lowered immunity, and a general lack of vitality.

The concept of a healthy Agni (digestive fire) is so important, a weakened fire is said to be the root cause of ALL diseases.  This is everything from flu, colds, and allergies to more chronic diseases of diabetes, arthritis, cancer, autoimmune diseases, and mental illness.  If you are scratching your head right now and wondering how this is possible, I’ll tell you.  If the Agni is strong, it can process ANYTHING that it comes in contact with.  When it is in a debilitated state, the toxins begin to accumulate, further weakening the fire, decreasing the metabolism, stimulating inflammation, clogging the channels, and eventually causing confusion on a cellular level.

So how do you know if your Agni is in good health?  There are many psychological and physiological factors that can give us clues to find out.

Classic Signs of an Imbalanced Agni

• A coating on the tongue (indicating toxins in the system)
• Teeth marks around the perimeter of the tongue (indicating malabsorption)
• Bad breath
• An unpleasant taste in the mouth
• Indigestion symptoms (gas, bloating, etc)
• Sluggishness or sleepiness after food
• General feelings of heaviness and lethargy
• Erratic or imbalanced emotions
• Difficulty concentrating
• Memory issues
• Dull, foggy mind
• Aches and pains throughout the body or at the root of the hair
• Weakened immunity
• Lack of appetite OR excessive hunger
• Constipation OR diarrhea
• Poor circulation

So here’s a quick list for you to keep in mind.  Nobody’s perfect, so we are bound to have some of these signs on occasion; however, if you have checked many of these boxes, it is of vital importance to your health that you begin to focus on strengthening your Agni.  Remember, a healthy Agni is the key to preserving your youth, energy, vitality, and creating an overall great quality of life.

“You are only as old as your Agni.” Dr Vasant Lad

Continue Reading

• The Four Types of Agni
• What is your Ayurvedic Digestion Type?