Agni in August
Building fire to digest your life.
It is hard to ignore the transformative power of fire. As flames are literally devastating parts of our country the power of this vital element is at the front of my mind. Fire seems to be demanding our respect right now. This month I will respectfully honor this life force.
If we look at where the element of fire is represented in the chakra system we see it is located in the center of the body. The solar plexus, or Manipura chakra, translated as “city of jewels”. This is the center of our vitality. It is the area of digestion, the liver, and the pancreas. We want our prana or vital life energy is flowing freely in his area.
When we have balanced fire in the mind and the body we are radiant and shiny. We have strong digestion, clear skin, and bright eyes. More importantly, we do what we say we will do with enlivened dedication and heightened perception.
However, if the fire element becomes imbalanced the excess can show itself as rashes, inflammation, or infections. Sometimes piercing headaches or fevers will arise. Digestion will often have a sharp quality. This leaves us only partially nourished because our food will transit too quickly. There may be sharpness in our speech in the form of criticism, judgment, and sarcasm.
This is how our body talks to us, through our aches and pains. If we can be present and conscious enough to listen, then we can make food and lifestyle decisions to support our well-being. Ignoring the signals will ignite an excess fire and then aggravate the other four elements.
Ayurvedic cleansing in the fall has two purposes to prepare us for winter. First, we aim to eliminate the excess pitta or fire element from our summer season. Second, we want to clear the ama, (toxins) that have been building up during the previous several months. It will look a little different for each of us as we all have unique constitutions and varying issues.
During this time we want to re-engage a healthy respect for the positive aspects of fire. In Ayurveda, having a strongly balanced Agni is the key to good health. There are many common lifestyles and dietary choices that will increase the strength of our digestive fire.
Please start with a simple, but a big one. Stop drinking ice water. Ok, I just heard an audible groan. I know most folks love near freezing cold drinks but 40-degree beverages will not help maintain a healthy fire in the belly.
Lastly, it is important to look at the digestive strength of our emotions. How well can we comprehend and assimilate information? When our mental digestive fire is weak, then we have brain fog and lack clarity. This is another reason it is helpful to cleanse. This rejuvenation will give us healthy physical, mental, and emotional states so we can better digest our lives.
If you would like to further unpack Ayurvedic cleansing please join me on Saturday, September 8th from 12-4. You will dive into your current imbalances. Learn how your body is speaking to you by looking at tongue and stool diagnosis (remember everybody poops). Then we make and share a super yummy nourishing dish called kitchari.