Agni (part 1 here)converts food to energy, which is responsible for all the vital functions of our
body and so the source of life,
complexion, strength, health, nourishment, lustre, ojas (vital-yet-subtle
energy) tejas (fire and light)and prana. Balanced Agni
(neither too low, nor too high: just high enough to completely metabolise
food, without leaving any of it undigested or half-digested) means perfect digestion and optimum health.
Main types
of agni
There are 13
main types of agni (jatharagni, 5 types of bhootagni and 7
types of dhatvagni (dhatu agni)) in the body, although it must be
remembered that agni is present in every cell of the body and in all
cellular metabolic processes.
Food
digestion process (Ahar parinam pak)
Firstly jatharagni
in the stomach/ duodenum (gastric juices) breaks down food to aharasa, which
is similar to a nutritional juice called quilo. (This metabolic process
takes place in the gastrointestinal tract, up to and including absorption
through the intestinal walls.) Aharasa, after being absorbed from the intestines, goes to the liver where
it is further broken down by 5 types of bhootagni (akashagni,
vayuagni, agniagni, jalagni, prithviagni) into a finer nutritive juice (rasa
dhatu) which contains all the components of the dhatu.
Post-digestive
tissue assimilation process (Dhatu parinam pak)
This fine nutritive
juice can be considered preliminary rasa dhatu, which is further
metabolized by rasa dhatu agni and separated out to form a) pure rasa
dhatu (pure plasma); b) its upadhatu (sub-tissue/by product); c, preliminary
rakhta dhatu (the subsequent tissue, blood); and d, mala
(waste).
This rasa
dhatu (along with prana collected from the lungs) is sent to the
heart via Rasa vaha strota (strota are channels in the body
belonging to specific systems, in this case plasma). It is then pumped by the
heart to each of the seven dhatu through each respective strota.
Here it´s important to understand that each of the 7 dhatu has its
own agni (dhatvagni) and its own strota channel.
Each dhatvagni
metabolises and extracts the components needed to manufacture and repair
itself. Then these fine components are further metabolized by each dhatvagni
to make the subsequent dhatu and in this process some dhatu upadhatu
(sub tissue) and dhatu mala (waste) are formed too.
However the
final dhatu, shukradhatu (reproductive tissue and hormones), is
metabolised by shukra agni to create and repair itself and does not form
either by products or waste but only ojus, the pure essence of the dhatu,
life force or immunity.
What are
the agni formed of?
They could be regarded as enzymes and all are
created by their respective dhatu, which can be found through the whole
body. For example, shukradhatu creates sex hormones which function
through the whole body, though shukradhatu may be/is concentrated in the
reproductive tissue. If dhatu are not made of good quality, it means the
dhatvagni themselves will not be made of good quality either and so
proper metabolic function may be affected..
Rasagni is present throughout rasadhatu, that is wherever it is
circulating in the body. In fact it is formed of aharasa itself. It must be remembered that the
function of all agni is not only to digest (break down the raw materials
of food, aharasa and subsequent dhatu) but to transform, ie what
is broken down to its basic molecules is built back up in ways the body can
assimilate. (We can compare this to the breakdown of proteins into amino acids
by peptides (enzymes) which will later recombine to form plasma, blood, muscle,
fat, bone marrow and reproductive tissue.)
There is no
organ which is only made of one dhatu, they are always mixed, eg muscle,
bone, blood, Processes are happening continuously in all organs and cells of
the body. All cells are metabolically active and taking part in many complex
overlapping processes.
Dhatu
parinam pak Transformation
of tissues (tanmutras subtle qualities)
Dhatu Upadhatu (by products)
rasadhatu breast
milk, saliva
rakhtadhatu bile, menstrual blood
mansadhatu earwax
medadhatu sweat
asthidhatu nails,
hair, teeth
majjadhatu eye
gunk
shrukradhatu no
waste, only ojas =immunity
Impairment
of agni/type of imbalance
Mandagni 'slow' (hypo-functioning)
due to Kapha, eg lactose intolerant, dyspepsia, indigestion, steatorrhoea (fat
in the stools),
Tikshnagni 'sharp' 'quick'
(hyper-functioning) due to Pitta, eg acid peptic disorder, Gastro-Eosophageal
Reflux Disease (GERD/Acid reflux)
Vishamagni (erratic) due to Vata,
eg Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Colic, Spasm, diarrhoea
What
affects agni?
Stress,
bio-rhythms, age, physical activity, and life-style all affect agni functioning. The quality of agni
and metabolism decreases with age, more ama accumulates and the quality of dhatu also declines.We shouldn't challenge agni, but support it by choosing easily digestible foods, eating smaller portions, and eating at the right times of day, etc.
Agni can be deranged
by the following:
1. Not
enough ‘fuel’, in which case the fire goes out. This can result from a lack of
food, the person may be starving for nourishment and lacks proper thinking
capacity and knowledge.
2. Too much
‘fuel’, in which case the fire also goes out. This can be due to an overloaded
system, eating when not hungry or already full, overthinking, overstimulation, too
many thoughts, toxic thinking.
3. Not
enough exercise puts the fire out. Some
exercise should be taken every day for at least an hour, and it should be
playful and fun, such as gentle sports, dance, yoga, swimming.
4. Too much
physical or mental overload. Stress, whether physical or mental, working too
hard, overthinking, overstimulation are all detrimental to the body. Too much exercise
or exercising too hard also stresses the body. We should only exercise to 50%
of our capacity and never to the point of breathing through the mouth. Even too
much reading, travelling, internet, television, phone can also aggravate Vata
and reduce agni.
5. Disease. By definition agni is low
during illness, and so only easily assimilated foods like clear soups, rice
soup, kichari should be taken in small portions.
Rest is also advised.
It's good
to remember that mental and emotional self-control and a positive attitude are
important. Nervousness, grief and stress all affect agni, mostly by
aggravating Vata. Remember to be an observer, don't allow anything to
disturb you too much.
“You are only
as healthy as your digestion” and “all disease begins in the gut” said Hipokratis.
“When food is digested improperly because agni
[the digestive flame] is low the undigested food becomes vitiated [disturbed]
and collects in the stomach. It is known as ama [toxins].” – Astangahrdaya
Samhita
