Are you often tired and feel listless or irritable? If so, it could be that you have a lot of Ama in your body and can easily bring your digestive fire, Agni, back into balance with Ayurvedic nutrition and other Ayurvedic techniques. We explain the terms Ama and Agni, the causes of Ama congestion and of course what you can do about it!
Definition: What is Agni and Ama?
According to Ayurvedic teachings, Agni actually means the fire god. Applied to humans, Agni means the digestive fire and thus the force that has a decisive effect on our life energy, the prana.
Strictly speaking, our Agni consists of many individual digestive fires. The most important of these is Jathara Agni, which is located in the stomach and small intestine. Together, all the individual Agni control our digestion. With a balanced, healthy Agni we feel strong and content. However, there is also an opponent that often stands in the way of this state, namely Ama.
Ama is the residue of metabolic processes, the so-called malas. Colloquially, it is also often referred to as slag. The weaker your Agni is, the more Ama can accumulate in the body and thus important energy channels become blocked. By the way, this can happen not only on a physical level, but also on a mental level.
If too much ama accumulates, the body makes itself felt. This can happen in the form of sluggishness, tiredness, bad breath or digestive disorders. A clear signal is when you can see a white coating on your tongue. So what should you do if there seems to be an excess of ama?
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How can I stimulate my Agni with Ayurveda?
A main goal in Ayurveda is always to bring the Agni (back) into a healthy state, so that it is neither too strong nor too weak. This way, your digestive fire permanently counteracts the development of Ama and the three doshas Vata, Pitta and Kapha can remain in balance.
The most important prerequisite for a healthy Agni, with which you can feel completely at ease, is nutrition. In Ayurveda, spices play an important role. The so-called Deepana are spices that stimulate the digestive fire. Best suited for every constitution type are:
- Ginger
- Cinnamon
- Turmeric
- Fennel
- Coriander
- Triphala
- Cumin
- Amalaki
Ginger in particular can help you to really get your Agni going. You can take the pungent yet sweet spice in the form of Ayurvedic ginger water. You can find a recipe for it here. Apart from this, Ayurveda knows many other ways in which nutrition can contribute to a healthy Agni:
- Choose your meals wisely: An ideal Ayurvedic meal combines as many flavours as possible. It is best to use easily digestible, fresh foods and season them strongly.
- Prepare your meals properly: Raw and cold foods are a challenge for your Agni. Therefore, eat as many meals as possible warm and consciously take the time to prepare each meal fresh.
- Eat just the right amount: always try to leave about a third of your stomach empty. This makes it much easier for your Agni to digest the food you eat and you don't feel tired after eating, but full of energy. For this purpose, it is best to eat only every 5-7 hours and chew each bite at least 30 times.
- Eat and drink at the right time: Water puts out fire - and this also applies to your digestive fire. So don't drink too much for at least 30 minutes before and after eating to keep your Agni strong. If spices like pepper make you too thirsty, you can drink a glass of warm water in small sips during the meal. By the way, the perfect time to eat is at noon, as the Agni is strongest then.
- Use good fat: You can easily make your own Ayurvedic butter, called ghee, and use it as a fat for cooking, among other things. Ghee is much more digestible and healthier than other fats.
As you can see, you can do a lot of good for your digestive fire with just the basics of Ayurvedic nutrition.
To keep it healthy, it is best to avoid fatty foods, combinations of dairy products and fruit, and (red) meat. All of this challenges the Agni and makes it easier for the Ama to accumulate.
How can I reduce my Ama?
If you want to actively reduce your Ama, you can start with an Ayurvedic fasting cure. But it depends on your needs - of course it doesn't have to be a fasting cure lasting several days. If you need a lot of energy in everyday life, you can also achieve a lot with one fasting day per week.
Another option is to drink an ama tea for a few days. You can prepare this soothing tea from half a teaspoon each of coriander, cumin and fennel seeds. Pour boiling water over the mixture and let the tea steep for 10 minutes.
Last but not least, relaxation is also an important factor in reducing ama. A so-called Panchakarma oil massage, for example, promotes the elimination of the digestive tract and at the same time you can become calmer. Meditation techniques such as yoga have a very similar effect.
How are Agni and Yoga related?
In short, there is a very simple connection between digestive fire and yoga: Meditation helps you relax so that the ama is significantly reduced. In addition, the gentle yoga movements can help digestion: Asanas with twisting movements, for example, massage and stimulate the digestive organs.
The Agni is also happy about Pranayama, the yogic breathing exercises. Fire breathing, for example, creates warm energy in the centre of the body - you can almost feel your digestive fire getting going!
Yoga in any form is always a kind of meditation. And meditating regularly helps you overcome depressing emotions and gain a more positive outlook on life. On a psychological level, this prevents ama from arising in the first place.
No matter why you want to strengthen your digestive fire: The holistic Ayurvedic approach can help you in the long term. From diet to small habits in everyday life, there are many things you can actively do for your Agni. Try it out - it's definitely worth it!
