Sacred Dance Day Sadhana ( Day 23 )
The Ayurvedic concept of fire, or agni, is critically important to our overall health
Agni is the force of intelligence within each cell, tissue, and every system within the body.
Ultimately, it is the discernment of agni that determines which substances enter our cells and tissues, and which substances should be removed as waste. In this way, agni is the gatekeeper of life.
Ayurveda identifies a vast range of functions for which agni is directly responsible, but it also teaches us that impaired agni is at the root of all imbalances and diseases. Hold on.
Let’s just let that sink in for a moment: impaired agni is at the root of all imbalances and diseases!
This resource is meant to help you understand why agni is so important, to learn to recognize the signs and symptoms of both healthy and impaired agni, and to direct you to some practical tools for tending to your own agni.
A metaphor often used is your digestive fire is like a campfire.
You have to tend to it so the flames don’t get out of control and burn everything around it.
( This is the Pitta Dosh Out of Balance )
You also don’t want to understand or it will become damp and the fire with go out if surrounding elements are cold and wet.
(This is Kapha Dosha Out of Balance )
The goal is a steady moderate flame that is tended to and adjusted when needed.
(This is all Doshas in balance)
The microbiome
The term ‘microbiome’ refers to an ecosystem of microorganisms that live in and around the body, most of which reside in your gut. These microbes act as a protective barrier against foreign invaders with the potential to harm our health. We all have a unique microbiome comparable to our fingerprint which is defined by the environment both within and around us.
The bacteria found in our gut are essential for efficient digestion and also help to digest antioxidant polyphenols (shown to help reduce the risk of disease) and synthesize vitamins such as B12, D, folic acid, and thiamine. New and evolving research has also begun suggesting that the diversity of bacteria in your gut may even influence mental health and play a role in obesity by way of the gut-brain axis.
A healthy gut microbiome controls gut health by communicating with the intestinal cells, digesting certain foods, and preventing disease-causing bacteria from sticking to the intestinal walls.
Journal Prompt:
Think of your food as medicine. What are your favorite foods and what elements are in them?
Then think of your Doshas, and see if the foods that you naturally are attracted to are helping balance or imbalance your natural state.
( Example A pitta dominant person loves hot & SPICY foods so they should not have too much or the agni ( fire) will burn the stomach causing lining indigestion etc.
List 3 foods you could phase-out of that you know are harming your body.
Invite in 3 new foods and perhaps recipes to inspire more yummy foods once again viewed as medicine.
This website on ancestral foods and eating is a great resource to explore your relationship to food the seasons and your unique constitution.
https://www.wellforculture.com/ancestral-eating.
See more here https://www.ritualmovementarts.com/ayurveda
I am very passionate about empowering and sharing this information as an ancient map of our bodies and how to actively live in harmony with the elements.