The Ayurvedic concept of AGNI(fire) is critically important to our overall health. Agni is the force of intelligence within each cell, each tissue, and every system within the body. Ultimately, it is the discernment of agni that determines which substances enter our cells and tissues, and which substances should be removed as waste. In this way, agni is the gatekeeper of life.
Ayurveda has described an important factor of digestion and metabolism in our body as Agni. Ingested food is to be digested, absorbed, and assimilated, which is set for the maintenance of life, and is performed by Agni.
In Ayurveda, the term “Agni” is used in the sense of digestion of food and metabolic products.
according to Acharya charak, Agni converts food into the form of energy, which is responsible for all the vital functions of our body. Therefore, Ayurveda considers that Dehagni is the cause of life, complexion, strength, health, nourishment, lusture, oja, Teja (energy), and prana (life energy).
death happens when the fire subsides, and when the Agni of an individual is balanced (sama), then that person would be absolutely healthy and would lead a long, happy, healthy life. But, if the Agni of a person is impaired, the whole metabolism in his body would be disturbed, resulting in ill health and disease. Hence, Agni is said to be the base(mool) of life.
Ayurveda identifies a wide range of functions for which Agni is directly responsible, but it also teaches us that impaired agni is at the root of all imbalances and diseases.
So As we have seen, agni is of central importance in our lives. Not only is it essential for proper digestion, it also plays a critical role in the maintenance of overall health, affecting everything from our digestive and excretory functions, to our mental capacity, emotional health, and enthusiasm for life.
