The fire within - yoga & digestion

“It’s my gut feeling that there are too many of us with some or other digestive complaint, thinking this is something we have to put up with. We eat well, we exercise, we take medication, yet still our bellies aren’t working properly. Physicians have known for centuries that digestion is the key to health, and that digestive problems are behind most diseases. Poor digestion can lead to bloating, gas, a heavy feeling and a build up of digestive impurities, loss of appetite, cravings, and not tasting food, understandably. Poor digestion brings us down.
   There are many ways deriving from various traditions which advise on how we can get our digestive system functioning and balanced. We shall examine just one.
   In the opening verse of the oldest of all the sacred texts from the Indian tradition, the ‘Rig Veda‘, the first word besides OM is ‘agni‘, or ’fire’ in Sanskrit. In the Vedic tradition, fire is worshipped as the earthly manifestation of the creative and regenerative power of the Sun.
   Fire has always been and is an integral part of our lives. It is used in religious worship, rites and symbolism. It is one of the four basic elements: air, earth, fire and water. Fire is heat and it is light. It is also purifying and transforming. Without fire, the greatest example of which is the Sun, we could not survive. Fire needs oxygen, fuel and movement, and if left unattended, can fade into nothing or become a devouring wall of fury.
   Internalised fire is an important aspect of Yoga, with many Yoga practices used to light the spark, stimulating our fire core. This, it is said, leads to the awakening of the inner fire of transformation within ourselves.
   The agni we will be exploring is one of 13: the digestive fire which is to be found in our bellies. The food we eat needs to be efficiently digested and transformed into energy to help keep us going...”

Written by Brenda Farquhar, the article continues to describe in detail agni sara (purging by cascading the fire), an exercise sequence for abdominal breathing. Further article to follow covering why the internal fire is so important to a yogi, how to cope after a heavy meal, and how to bring a happy glow by letting the fire burn brightly with uddiyana bandhas and nauli.