LIVING AYURVEDA AYURVEDIC DIGESTION With Maria Garre
AGNI the fire of digestion One cannot discuss, assess or understand Ayurvedic digestion without a full grasp as to the role of Agni and how it bridges the concept to theory to life. Gunas of Agni: light, dry, hot, subtle, liquid (not devoid of liquid). Comprised of all metabolic activity from digestive enzymes, to catalysts, hormones, metabolites, etc. Jathara Agni: main digestive fire living in the stomach/small intestine area. Related to all doshas, sub-doshas, organ systems. There are total 40 bodily Agni’s categorized in Ayurveda.
AYURVEDIC DIGESTION In Yoga there’s the Annamayakosha. The food layer of the body. We are what we EAT! What we take in we become. What we can digest becomes our strength, what we can’t digest becomes our weakness. The weakness shows itself in the form of symptoms and illness. Digestion is the process by which proteins, fats, and carbohydrates are broken down. The process of breaking food down is called absorption. Digestion takes from 5 to 6 hours. Digestion is the mechanical and chemical breakdown of food into simple molecules that the body can absorb and deliver to cells, in the cells metabolism takes place where these molecules are transformed inside the cell to support cell function. Food allergies can develop due to an improper relationship with food. If it is not broken down in digestion then it becomes toxic to the body. That is called Ama
AMA Raw, uncooked, unprocessed toxic substance known as metabolic waste. Gunas: heavy, dull, slow, cold, gross, liquid, sticky Ama comes from: low agni, accumulated waste products, imbalanced dosha, unresolved and repressed emotions
Stage 1: Mouth Mouth – salivary glands, chewing. This is where we taste, and taste has a direct affect on the doshas
Stage 2: esophagus to stomach •HCL secreted to digest protein •Pepsin secreted for diges2on, food + enzymes passed into small intes2ne.
Stage 3: Small Intestine & Pancreas • small intestine + pancreatic enzymes begin to break food down even smaller
Stage 4: Intestinal Wall • food nutrients pass through intestinal wall into the blood where distributed to the body
Stage 5: Colon • Remaining undigested, bulk material is passed into colon and eliminated.
Stage 6: colon to rectum •Primary absorption at this stage; when astringent tastes bring things together.
Feces are formed. A combination of the air element helps dry at the right level and make feces compact (earth) to be excreted out.
Ayurvedic Stages of Digestion
•Water/Earth – Kapha: •Fire - Pitta:
Tasting, masticating food. Sweet
stomach acids, enzymes. Sour
•Water/Fire – Pitta/Kapha: emulsification, alkaline process. Salt •Air/Fire:
increased heat and circulation, enzymes. Pungent
•Air - Vata: absorption of food through villi, lightness in stomach. •Earth/Air:
Bitter
further absorption, stool in ascending colon, peristalsis. Astringent