The Agni (digestive fire)
There is a saying in Ayurveda that a person is as old as his or her agni.
The span of life, health, immunity, energy, metabolism, completion , strength, enthusiasm, lustre and the vital breath are all dependent on the agni (bodily fire). One lives a long healthy life if it is functioning properly, becomes sick if it is deranged, or dies if this fire is extinguished. Proper nourishment of the body, depends upon the functioning of agni in digestion.
“The five types of agni, corresponding to ether, air, fire, water and earth, digest the respective components of the food. In tho way, balanced agni cooks the appropriately chosen and timely consumed food, and leads to promotion of health.
Agnic is necessary for the normal process of digestion, and the subtle energy of agni transforms the lifeless molecules of food, water, and air into the consciousness of the cell.
Vasant Lad
