Is There Fire In Your Belly?

Ayurveda & The Elements: Fire

Ayurvedic nutrition is all about digestion and metabolism.

Tejas, or fire, is the principle of conversion, heat and light. The sun is a great example of this principle. It’s heat is responsible for conversion (metabolic processes) and without it there would be no life.

In the body we each have our own fire called agni. Agni is the energy of digestion, transformation and metabolism. It nourishes our doshas; creating energy, radiance and strength, and it maintains our life force. If your agni, or digestive fire, is weakened or slow, you’ll notice stagnation and eventually dis-ease. We address this from the inside by changing what/how/when we eat, avoiding cold food/drinks and introducing digestive herbs to the body. We can help stimulate our agni from the outside by using svedana.

Svedana are sudation therapies and pretty much include anything that makes you sweat. It improves agni by helping to loosen then remove improperly digested foods that led to stagnation and feelings of heaviness in the body. While we offer many forms of svedana, the many benefits of our infrared therapies definitely make them stand out. So while you’re kindling your digestive fire you can also improve circulation, ease mental stress and relieve pain and stiffness, among many other things.

Ayurveda teaches us many great things, but a key concept is balance. As we head into cooler fall and winter weather, don’t let your fire be diminished. Let us help you stay balanced.