Post by Admin/ Traveler on Oct 12, 2018 19:07:35 GMT
AYURVEDIC GUIDE TO BUILDING DIGESTIVE POWER
"If you consult with an Ayurvedic practitioner, don’t be surprised if she asks you a hundred and one questions about the state of your digestive system—no matter what brought you into her office! Regardless of where your imbalances manifest, Ayurveda places incredible emphasis on the state of digestion, also known as agni.
According to the Ayurvedic paradigm, a digestive imbalance is considered to be the root cause of most illness (Frawley, 2000). Conversely, a strong and balanced digestive system puts you at much greater odds for attaining and maintaining optimal health. This article will explore Ayurvedic methods for supporting digestive health, and ultimately, building digestive power.
How Hot Does Your Fire Burn?
To begin, it may be helpful to outline why Ayurveda places so much emphasis on digestion. Our digestion is our processing system for almost all of our nourishment. Of course, some nourishment is received via the air, and our skin has its own absorption as well. But, as we all know, one cannot live for long without food or drink. Furthermore, though it is wonderful to have food and liquids of high-quality, if we can’t make use of that nourishment through good digestion, it does us little good. Taking this one step further, strong digestion builds healthy blood, and healthy blood is carried all throughout our bodies, giving rise to healthy organs. Thus, our gut is the first portal of nourishment and addressing the digestive system, or regulating agni, is the foundational approach to most diseases (Frawley, 2000).
The state of digestion is classified into four major categories in Ayurveda:
mandagni (low digestive fire),
tikshnagni (high digestive fire),
vishmagni (variable digestive fire), and
the elusive unicorn of Ayurveda: samagni (perfectly balanced digestion) (Frawley, 2000).
It is rare (but not impossible) to find perfect equanimity in digestion. Signs of healthy digestion include, but are not limited to:
only a very thin coating on the tongue,
pleasant breath and body odor,
good energy,
healthy circulation,
regular daily bowel movements, and
a healthy appetite for meals (Frawley, 2000).
It is quite common for agni (the digestive fire) to be imbalanced in one direction or another. This article will primarily explore methods for building digestive power, which is appropriate in instances of mandagni (low digestive fire), and sometimes, in cases of vishmagni (variable digestive fire).
Signs That Your Digestion Needs Building
In general, weak digestion is an expression of kapha dosha. Those with a kapha constitution are more prone to slow or sluggish digestion. However, anyone can experience mandagni. Furthermore, late winter and spring is the time of year ruled by kapha, so you may find your digestive power flagging a bit at that time of year in particular.
For vatas, the digestive power is often variable. At times, vata’s intense hunger may need calming down; at other times it can use a little agni boost. So, these guidelines may be helpful for those with variable digestion as well. Pittas, on the other hand, tend to have a very powerful and warm digestive system. A pitta digestive imbalance is characterized by intense hunger, burning indigestion, and perhaps diarrhea. Therefore, these guidelines are less suitable for pitta types or those with a pitta digestive imbalance.
If you are really perplexed about the condition of your agni, it is always wise to consult with an Ayurvedic practitioner. However, these are some general signs of low digestive fire:
poor appetite,
tendency to gain weight even when eating very little,
a thick coating on the tongue,
feeling heavy or sleepy after eating,
foul breath and body odor,
excess mucus and congestion, and
frequent colds and flu (Frawley, 2000)."
---------------------------------------------------------
Trav here - this article goes into a lot more detail, but I don't want to infringe on copyright laws or whatever, so please, if you believe this information may be of benefit to you, follow the link above to the article! It's free information that is out there waiting for us to find and use it.
Personally, I have a lot of digestive issues, and a "low digestive fire" for most of my life. I've been working on it, and although it's improved I'm not sure I've even attained the 'variable digestive fire' as of yet, but that is my goal! LOL!
"If you consult with an Ayurvedic practitioner, don’t be surprised if she asks you a hundred and one questions about the state of your digestive system—no matter what brought you into her office! Regardless of where your imbalances manifest, Ayurveda places incredible emphasis on the state of digestion, also known as agni.
According to the Ayurvedic paradigm, a digestive imbalance is considered to be the root cause of most illness (Frawley, 2000). Conversely, a strong and balanced digestive system puts you at much greater odds for attaining and maintaining optimal health. This article will explore Ayurvedic methods for supporting digestive health, and ultimately, building digestive power.
How Hot Does Your Fire Burn?
To begin, it may be helpful to outline why Ayurveda places so much emphasis on digestion. Our digestion is our processing system for almost all of our nourishment. Of course, some nourishment is received via the air, and our skin has its own absorption as well. But, as we all know, one cannot live for long without food or drink. Furthermore, though it is wonderful to have food and liquids of high-quality, if we can’t make use of that nourishment through good digestion, it does us little good. Taking this one step further, strong digestion builds healthy blood, and healthy blood is carried all throughout our bodies, giving rise to healthy organs. Thus, our gut is the first portal of nourishment and addressing the digestive system, or regulating agni, is the foundational approach to most diseases (Frawley, 2000).
The state of digestion is classified into four major categories in Ayurveda:
mandagni (low digestive fire),
tikshnagni (high digestive fire),
vishmagni (variable digestive fire), and
the elusive unicorn of Ayurveda: samagni (perfectly balanced digestion) (Frawley, 2000).
It is rare (but not impossible) to find perfect equanimity in digestion. Signs of healthy digestion include, but are not limited to:
only a very thin coating on the tongue,
pleasant breath and body odor,
good energy,
healthy circulation,
regular daily bowel movements, and
a healthy appetite for meals (Frawley, 2000).
It is quite common for agni (the digestive fire) to be imbalanced in one direction or another. This article will primarily explore methods for building digestive power, which is appropriate in instances of mandagni (low digestive fire), and sometimes, in cases of vishmagni (variable digestive fire).
Signs That Your Digestion Needs Building
In general, weak digestion is an expression of kapha dosha. Those with a kapha constitution are more prone to slow or sluggish digestion. However, anyone can experience mandagni. Furthermore, late winter and spring is the time of year ruled by kapha, so you may find your digestive power flagging a bit at that time of year in particular.
For vatas, the digestive power is often variable. At times, vata’s intense hunger may need calming down; at other times it can use a little agni boost. So, these guidelines may be helpful for those with variable digestion as well. Pittas, on the other hand, tend to have a very powerful and warm digestive system. A pitta digestive imbalance is characterized by intense hunger, burning indigestion, and perhaps diarrhea. Therefore, these guidelines are less suitable for pitta types or those with a pitta digestive imbalance.
If you are really perplexed about the condition of your agni, it is always wise to consult with an Ayurvedic practitioner. However, these are some general signs of low digestive fire:
poor appetite,
tendency to gain weight even when eating very little,
a thick coating on the tongue,
feeling heavy or sleepy after eating,
foul breath and body odor,
excess mucus and congestion, and
frequent colds and flu (Frawley, 2000)."
---------------------------------------------------------
Trav here - this article goes into a lot more detail, but I don't want to infringe on copyright laws or whatever, so please, if you believe this information may be of benefit to you, follow the link above to the article! It's free information that is out there waiting for us to find and use it.
Personally, I have a lot of digestive issues, and a "low digestive fire" for most of my life. I've been working on it, and although it's improved I'm not sure I've even attained the 'variable digestive fire' as of yet, but that is my goal! LOL!