ys healthy life 1 earliest preceptors of Ayurveda gave utmost importance to ayni, the agent of all digestion and me- tabotism inthe body: As long as agai in balance on live along healthy life. Co versely its disturbance results in disease. Finally, when apni is extinguished one dies. Thus, ag is the very basis of life, according 10 Charaka Sambita, an eatly text on Ayurveda Cleat any plan for preventive health austinclade ways to keep ayn in balance ‘What is apni Agni raeans fice, but in the body i is of a fre burning with a fame. Rathes, ‘agi represents all the physiological enti tis that cause digestion and metabolism, andl produce heat ‘The venerable sage Punarvasu Atreya, whose teachings are documented in, Cha raka Sanita, calls agni the basis of life and consciousness. ‘The main digestive fagni stokes other dependent agi, and collectively they are the agents of metabo lism in the bod Nourishment of the body starts with the food we ext. But only when that food js properly digested can ithelp build bod ly issues, and therein lies the role of agi. A balanced agi propery digests ingested food, which i transformed serially into seven dhatus that replenish and geow the tissues of the body. This builds strength and fortitude. The essence of these seven datus is os, refined product that boosts immuniy: The biological transfor mations mediated by agni produce heat, which maintains che body’ temperature, and gives luster tothe skin, ‘Agni cannot be examined dive, but dts starus can be infeed from its ability to digest food iow does agn go out of balance? Improper eating habits can disturb apni. For ample, fisting or overeating can upset digestion. Combining. foods that are incompatible, iegularty of meals, eating before the previous meal is digested, or drinking too much water afer a meal may also disturb the digestive 52 | INDIA CURRENTS | Noverber 2013 By Ashok Jethanandani How’s Your 4gni? Why and how to maintain a robust digestive ability sept ae ere so sierra wee eT (Chavakse Samiita (Chikitsasthana, 15:3) Life, skin completion, strength, health, fortitude, growth, lus ter, jas, teas, the secondary agi, and prana are all said £0 be the result of dehagni, the primary apni process. Foods that are too heavy, 400 cold, or too dry are hard to digest. Spoiled food also upsets digestion, Habicual suppression of normal bodily urges like hunger, thirst, defecation, and ‘urination can also disrupt ‘agni. While recuperating from an illness one should be aware that our digestive ability ‘may be impaired, Untimely seasonal varia tions can also impair apni. Inversion of sleep ing habits (staying awake at night or taking caytime naps) upsets the normal rhythm of Inunger. If we eat while we are overcome by ‘emotions like fear, anger, jealousy, greed, or rie the food may not be properly digested. Thats a long list of causes, but don’t feel overwhelmed by it. With a little bit ofawareness and good habits you can keep your agni in good condition. Here are a couple of tips: Avoid snacking for two hours before or after a meal. Don’t drink water or other liquids for one hour before or after a méal ‘If you don’e feel hungry skip « meal, ff wait for your appetite to build before Ginger Remedi ‘The rhizome of the ginger plant (Zing or ofcinale) has excellent appetizing and digestive properties. Ie has a pungent taste and heating effect on the body: ‘The fresh thizome or its dey powder are Both used, and have somewhat cliferent properties, Here ate some remedies excerpted from Chakradatin and Bhavaprakasha in. which singer is used to stimulate ag *Grate or slice a teaspoon of fresh ginger. Sprinkle a pinch of rock salt, and ‘chew on it 16 mimates before a meal. This cleanses the tongue and ehroar and im proves appetite *Pour boiling water over a half tea- spoon of dry ginger powder in a cup. Let it steep for 5 minutes, The powder will setle at the bottom. Drink this infusion first thing in the morning to stimulate appetite * For indigestion take two cups of water in a pan and add two teaspoons each of coarse powders of dry ginger and coriander. Bring to a boil and then simmer uncovered! for 20 minutes or ell one-quarter of the wa ter remains. Filter and drink this decoction, ‘Soon you will feel the natural rhythm of gn returning, Tune in to yourself In the modern age we are often out of touch with ourselves. We get $0 preocet pied with work, family, entertainment, of the latest electronic gadgees thar we don’t pause to observe what's happening within, Am I feeling hungry? Do I fel satiated afer a meal? Or drowsy? A couple of hours later, do I stil feel a sense of heaviness? Are there any unusual burps? Hom, Make a mental note of what you feel. You may have been unaware of occasional bouts of indigestion, or tend t0 ignore them, By shifting your awareness inward you will begin t0 observe clues of your digestive function. How do you know whether your pre- vious meal is digested? Simple. Look for these symptoms of proper digestion ex cerpted here from the 16¢h-cennary hand. book Bhavapratasha: *Burps that have no taste or smell of undigested food + Feeling of lightness of bady ‘Feeling energetic + Proper elimination of stool and urine + Return of hunger and thirst If you observe the opposite of these symptoms, your digestion may have become sluggish. Be vigilant and take cotrective steps Remedies for indigestion ere are some simple remets “If there isa feling of heavines, loss of appetite, or burps with a taste of previously caten food, the best remedy is fasting. Skip 4 meal or wait until you feel hungry. Then partake of light meals until normal appetite i restored “Ifyou get sour burps a couple of hours afier a meal, it indicates a ype of indigestion caused by excessive pita called vidagdbn- ira. The best remedy then sto drink a plss ‘of water. The water calms pitta and helps the food move down the digestive tract “Ifyou fel a burning sensation in your throat, chest, or abdomen after a meal, it may be relieved by licking a paste made by grinding five black raisins, one teaspoon (of havtaki powder, and one teaspoon of raw cane sugar with one teaspoon of raw honey. Organic hartaki powder is availabe on Amazon. “If there is colic pain accompanied by sluggish elimination of feces, urine, and 4, itis due to obstruction of the normal downward movement of vata. This type of indigestion is called vishabdbajima, Here the best remedy is hot fomentation. You can do that by keeping a hot water bag on your abdomen. If indigestion becomes chronic, a vicious cycle develops wherein the impaired agni causes indigestion, then the paraly digested food produces ama, a morbid substance that farther depresses agi. Then these remedies may not suffice to break the vicious cycle See your doctor for a teatment regimen, According to Ayurveda, most diseases are caused bya slowdown of apni fnction Thus, by preserving the vitality of apni we can prevent most illnesses. Aso Jesbanandani, BLAJM.S. and Silvia Mill los BAMS. were clasmates at the Gujarat Ayurved Univesity, Jamnagar Jethanandani now practices ayurveda in San Jos, The concepts presented bere re based om the clasical texts of ‘ayrveda, Ilucrations are original works by Sibia Mille wor.clascal- ayurveda com, “Woman to Woman ERE ae Dr. Nilima Mamtora BOARD CERTIFIED OBSTETRICS, GYNECOLOGY & (714) 956-3535 531 S. Harbor Bivd. 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