Jul 5, 2023 | Digestion
Carminatives in Ayurveda
are herbs that aid in the dispelling and reduction of intestinal gas. They also typically enhance digestion, absorption, and the assimilation of nutrients. As such, carminatives are very important for pacifying disturbances of apana and samana vayu in the mahavaha srotas (small and large intenstines). All carminatives prevent the formation of ama (internal toxins from poor digestion) and some help eliminate or burn up the ama. In Sanskrit, these actions are called dipana (agni enhancers) and pachana (ama digesting).
Carminatives may be warming or cooling. The warmer carminatives generally aggravate pitta and are best for vata and kapha. They include ajwan, basil, cinnamon, nutmeg, and garlic. Warm carminatives generally have a strengthening effect on samana vayu and thus increase agni.
Cooling carminatives are best for pacifying pitta dosha and stabilize samana vayu . They support agni without aggravating pitta. Cool carminatives include coriander, peppermint, chamomile, fennel and lime.
In summary: Use carminatives if you have gas. Choose the one that is best for your dosha. Vata vitiation causes the most gas but it does not smell much. Pitta vitiation causes less gas but it smells a lot. Kapha vitiation can also cause gas but it is strong and not as abundant as it is when vata is vitiated. It’s also sometimes said that the smell is pleasant.
Mar 16, 2023 | Digestion
Supremacy of Jaṭharāgni
There are many different agnis (fires, enzyme) in the body and mind. Ayurvedic students study the five bhutuagnis that reside in the liver and seven dhatuagnis that reside in the tissues. All play an important role in maintaining the health of the body. However, it is the jatharagni that is supreme among them all. What happens to the jatharagni, affects all other agnis.
Jaṭharāgni is the main digestive fire. Jaṭhara means stomach or abdomen. The agni that resides here controls all the fires of the body and mind. If it rises, so do the others. If it is diminished, so are the others. Hence, if digestion is healthy, the rest of the body has the best chance of being healthy. So does the mind. If digestion is not healthy, the rest of the body and mind can not be healthy.
In Ayurveda, optimal health of the body begins with healthy digestion!
Based in part on Caraka Samhita, Cikitssthana XV 38-41. Classes at the California College of Ayurveda begin year round. For more information, check out our website: ayurvedacollege.com. Be well, Be kind, Be love!
Dec 9, 2022 | Digestion
Avasthāpāka: The Three Stages of Digestion
The word avasthāpāka comes from two words, avasthā and pāka. Avasthā means “stage” and pāka means “digestion.” Thus, the term avasthāpāka means “the stage of digestion.”
There are three stages of digestion as food moves through the digestive tract. These stages are described by the location of the dominant doṣha acting on the food and its influence on the digestive process.
- The first stage of digestion is the kapha or sweet stage. This stage dominates in the mouth and the upper half of the stomach.Here the watery components of saliva and the alkaline secretions of the stomach mix with the food.
- The second stage of digestion is the pitta or sour stage. This stage dominates in the lower half of the stomach and the small intestine. Here the fiery components of the acid secretions of the stomach and the enzymes and bile within the small intestine mix with the food and further transform the food into āhāra rasa (nutrient substance used to build tissue )
- The third stage of digestion is the vāta or pungent stage. This stage dominates the activity within the large intestine. In this phase of digestion, the food remains (annakiṭṭa) undergo a drying process. Water is absorbed and the remaining indigestible earth element is discarded.
Om Shanti
Dec 9, 2022 | Digestion, Kapha, Vata
Digestion and Weight, Paschimottanasana,
This beautiful asansa offers many benefits to health and well-being. From a purely physical, structural perspective, its easy to see that this asana stretches the muscles of the lower back and hamstrings offering those who practice regularly greater flexibility in general. However, one of the most important benefits according to the texts of Hatha Yoga like the Siva Samhita is that this asana kindles agni – the power of digestion. In addition, the Siva Samhita states that this asana also brings mastery of vata dosha – the air the disturbs digestion. Hence, this asana reduces vata and kapha doshas. Those who have a pitta imbalance (vikruti) should use some caution as this asana increases heat. This is especially true if a person experience GERD or hyperacidity.
Because this asana helps balance both vata and kapha doshas, it can be used to help manage vata-kapha type weight gain. This is weight gain that has its origin in anxiety eating. Indeed, this asana is very grounding and centering – reducing anxiety. Combined with stabilizing or increasing agni, weight slowly comes off. Naturally, for this purpose, the practice should be combined with a vata-kapha pacifying diet and lifestyle.
Caution should be taken by those who have back problems caused by a disc herniation as this can aggravate the back pain. However, not all low back pain has it’s origin in the disc. Please take care and if there is pain, decrease or eliminate the practice.
Om Shanti.
Nov 18, 2022 | Elimination
Imbalances often first appear in the digestive / elimination system of the body before overflowing and entering into other tissues. Awareness of digestion and elimination can lead to treatment of the vitiated dosha before it causes even more problems in the body. Think of the digestive system as containing the root of a weed. The dosha is the weed. Pull the weed at the root and the rest of the weed soon dies. This is the case with many diseases. Heal digestion /elimination and many diseases slowly fade away.
The stools of a person with a vata imbalance tend to be hard and difficult to eliminate without straining. One presentation is of hard little balls often called “rabbit turd” stools. The frequency of elimination is often variable with a tendency toward constipation. Elimination that occurs once every two or more days is almost certain to indicate a vata imbalance. Even with daily stools, if they are hard and dry, vata is out of balance. Constipation is often but not always accompanied by gas and bloating.
The bowel movements of a person with a pitta imbalance tend to be soft or loose and quite frequent. It is unusual for people with a pitta nature to miss having a bowel movement and if they do, a vata imbalance should be suspected. Sometimes a pitta imbalance will also produce stools that are greenish or yellowish, reflecting liver and gallbladder imbalances. People with a pitta imbalance often have 2-3 bowel movements each day and the stools may burn the rectum when eliminated. The sharp nature of pitta is also evident in the bowel movements in the form of a strong, putrid odor. Pitta elimination is often but not always accompanied by burning indigestion.
Kapha-type imbalances in the elimination system lead to large and bulky stools, reflecting the heavy, solid nature of kapha. Elimination is mostly regular but the stools may appear pale or contain mucus that can be seen as stringy, strands in the toilet. Kapha-type elimination is often but not always accompanied by heavy, sluggish digestion where it feels like food just sits in the stomach. Appetite is low as a result.
Watch your elimination carefully. This is a good self-awareness tool for you to use to make adjustments to your diet and lifestyle before more serious issues occur.
Be well, Be kind, Be love.
Nov 17, 2022 | Ayurvedic Botanicals, Digestion
Vishmagni, Tikshnagni and Mandagni are caused by their doshic predominance respectively (vata, pitta, kapha), while samagni (balanced agni) is caused by the normalcy of all doshas”. Ashtang Samgraha, Ch.1, vs. 24.
Here, we find the three states of agni (digestive fire); variable, high and low. Vata vitiation causes variable agni. Pitta vitiation causes high agni. Kapha vitiation causes low agni. When the doshas are in a healthy state however agni is balanced and healthy. When agni is healthy, digestion works well. When digestion works well, there is no ama (toxicity from digestion) and ojas is formed. Ojas protects the body from disease. Hence, a wise person guards their agni through following a proper diet, by taking food properly, and by following healthy daily and seasonal routines.
About the Image: Agni is so important that it was worshiped as one of the most important ancient Vedic Gods. More hymns were sung to the God Agni in the Vedas than any other God. The God Agni is the source of all fire, even the sun, and the source of all light. In the body, there are many types of agni that regulate metabolism. Agni’s light is the light that illuminates consciousness.
