Sharp, Hot, Penetrating, Light, Clear, Spreading, Subtle, & Luminous ~Agni
Stay with me for this one, it’s well worth the read, as the concept of Agni shows up time and time again in Ayurveda – it’s just so important to out health and happiness.
In Sanskrit, Agni means fire.
We all have Agni inside us. Agni is responsible for digestion in the body and mind.
Agni is sharp, hot, penetrating, light, clear, spreading, subtle and luminous.
Agni is responsible for anything that goes into our body and mind, whether that’s food or impressions.
For example, Agni transforms food into nutrients for the cells in our body and impressions into memory and knowledge.
Agni is central to our physical and mental health.
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When Agni is strong, we can effectively and efficiently ‘digest, metabolise, and transform’ whatever we take in from the outside world. I describe this process as ‘complete digestion’ – a process that involves initial digestion, absorption, assimilation, and elimination.
Agni is intelligent too, knowing what to digest verses what might be harmful.
Complete digestion is the key to perfect health, giving clarity and vitality to the body and mind.
However, Agni is not always strong — often Agni is variable.
Agni varies in strength from person to person. Agni also varies at different times of the day, from one day to the next, and at different stages of life. Also consider how digestible something is, also varies. For example, whole foods are easier to digest, positive experiences like walking in nature, are also easier to digest.
Weak Agni can lead to poor health causing incomplete digestion, meaning the fire inside isn’t strong enough to ‘digest’ what it’s been given.
Anything undigested, whether physical or mental, creates Ama in the body and mind.
Ama is a type of undigested waste or by-product, that gets lodged in the body or mind.
The only way to rid the body or mind of Ama, is to strengthen Agni.
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There are many way to strengthen Agni.
Whole foods, exercise, and sleep all strengthen physical and mental Agni. But the mind often needs more.
Mindfulness, meditation, and breathing exercise go a long way to supporting complete digestion in the mind, but my other suggestion is journaling.
Journaling supports and strengthens the Agni of the mind by assisting the mental digestive process.
Writing and reflecting on the impressions, relationships, conversations, and experiences that flow through the mind every day can really help to complete mental digestion. In turn, allowing our sharp, hot, penetrating, light, clear, spreading, subtle and luminous Agni, to fire-up and glow.
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Take your notebook and pen.
5 mins - Calm your mind, be present
To begin, spend a few minutes writing about your immediate sensory experience and surroundings. Writing should be specific, descriptive, and done with mindful awareness
10 mins - Lose yourself in the mind
Try to recall a past or present stuck emotion.
Think about the qualities of that stuck emotion and how they feel in the mind. Jot down all related thoughts and feelings to that one stuck emotion.
Imagine fully digesting and accepting that difficult emotion and imagine how much brighter and lighter you would feel afterwards.
5 mins - Reflect on what you’ve written
Reread everything you’ve written. While reading, observe the tone and emotion in your writing. Make further written notes underneath or beside what is already written to aid your reflections.
Journaling often stirs emotion so don’t be afraid if you touch on something that makes you feel certain way. Allow whatever comes up to pass freely and without judgement.
