Ever wondered how that one friend of yours can eat a hearty meal at night and still feel hungry in the morning while you are struggling with bloating every time you eat? Well, let's unveil this mystery!

According to the ancient science of healing, we are each born with a unique digestive fire, known as Agni, the digestive fire that turns food into energy. While a balanced agni promotes good health, longevity, and fulfilling life, imbalanced Agni leads to imbalanced doshas, diseases, and discontent.

Agni and the Tridoshas
A disturbed Agni is usually a result of an imbalance of the Tridoshas - Vata, Pitta, or Kapha in the digestive tract and hinders its proper functioning. Over time, imbalanced Agni can exacerbate doshic imbalances in the body and lead to the accumulation of Ama. This can either dampen the digestive fire or make it burn too bright, causing further problems and imbalances in the body. Therefore, it is necessary to break the cycle and return our digestive fire to a balanced state to restore our health.

Wondering how to identify the signs and symptoms of an imbalanced Agni and to return it to balance? Ayurveda’s ancient wisdom distills our digestive fire into four categories, each of which comes loaded with its own set of healing solutions. Possessing a foundational understanding of the types of Agni and how the tridoshas affect it can help us streamline effective treatments for each Agni type.

Here's a simple Ayurvedic guide to the different types of digestive fire.

Vishama Agni: Irregular Digestion
Vishama Agni translates to erratic digestion and is associated with Vata dosha. While Vata dosha’s light, dry, subtle, and clear qualities support the Agni, it's cold quality douses the digestive fire and its airy quality can either intensify the fire or blow it out completely. Therefore, erratic digestive fire changes from fast-burning to slow, as if the air is blowing on it.

Since Visham Agni is unpredictable, an individual with Visham Agni will either feel nourished and satisfied post-meal or they'll have problems like bloating, gas, constipation, etc. Visham Agni's connection with Vata dosha makes it unpredictable. Emotionally, this Agni tends to cause anxiety, fear, and insecurity.

Signs of Visham Agni
Bloating, Gas, Constipation, Irregular appetite, Indigestion, Abdominal Distension, Gas, Gurgling Intestines, Dry Skin

Balancing Visham Agni
Visham Agni can be soothed by following a Vata-balancing diet that includes warming, grounding, clear foods such as broths, soups, root vegetables, and healthy fats like ghee. Steer clear of raw and cold foods like salads, and smoothies

Tikshna Agni: Hyper Digestion
Associated with Pitta dosha, Tikshna Agni is characterized as when our digestive fire burns too brightly. It is often understood as fighting fire with fire. While Pitta’s light, hot, sharp, and subtle qualities usually support Agni, in excess, these qualities can inflame the digestive fire which leads to hyper digestion.

When our internal flame is too strong, nutrition is often incinerated even before our body has a chance to assimilate them, leaving the tissues undernourished. This also causes hyperacidity, heartburn, and ulcers. It could also lead to an overload of work for the liver. Tikshna Agni is also often accompanied by an intense craving for sweets post-meal. Emotionally, Tikshna Agni tends to trigger hotheadedness, fiery moods, anger, envy, irritability, aggressiveness, a judgemental mindset, and a strong desire to be in control.

Signs of Tikshna Agni
Hyperacidity, Acid Indigestion, Gastritis, Heartburn, Hot Flashes, Acidic Saliva, Hypoglycemia, Nausea, Vomiting, Diarrhea, Sharp Appetite, Dysentery, Loose Stools, Ulcerative Colitis, Heated liver

Balancing Tikshna Agni
Soothe Tikshna Agni by following a pitta-balancing diet that includes cooling herbs like fennel and mint, leafy greens, juicy fruits, coconut water and cleansing herbs. Avoid excess spicy and pungent foods such as cayenne, onion, and garlic, which will further ignite your digestive fire.

Manda Agni: Slow Digestion
Manda Agni is associated with Kapha Dosha, a dosha that is known for its heavy, slow, cool, oily, smooth, dense, soft, stable, gross, and cloudy qualities. When in balance, Kapha dosha's qualities serve as a defense barrier against the heat and intensity of our digestive fire. However, when in excess, these qualities suppress the digestive fire, bequeathing it dull, sluggish, and underactive.

Since our digestion is going at the pace of a snail, our slow-burning and weak digestive fire leads to weight gain, lethargy, slow metabolism, loss of appetite, and heaviness in the stomach. Emotionally, slow digestive fire can lead to boredom, attachment, greed, possessiveness, and drowsiness. Individuals with Manda Agni also experience cravings for sharp, dry, and spicy  foods.

Signs of Manda Agni
Lymph Congestion, Hypertension, Hyperglycemia, Diabetes, Hypothyroid, Nausea, Weight Gain, And Cold, Clammy Skin

Balancing Manda Agni
Bring Manda Agni back in balance by following a Kapha-balancing diet that includes light, stimulating foods such as steamed vegetables, digestive spices, and stick to eating two or three smaller meals in a day. Avoid dairy products, sugar, starches, fried foods, and excess protein.

Sama Agni - Balanced Digestion
Balanced Agni, known as "Sama Agni," is a clear sign of optimal wellbeing and corresponds to great digestion and metabolism. The select few amongst us who are blessed with balanced Agni enjoy balanced digestion, absorption and assimilation of nutrients, proper Ama elimination, a surplus of Ojas, Tejas, and prana, strong immunity, and a lasting sense of contentment, even bliss, in their lives.

Balanced Agni results in happiness, perfect health, and a calm and clear state of mind. Individuals with Sama Agni are blessed with strong digestion in any season and phase through seasonal and weather changes gracefully. They can eat pretty much any food type without unwanted symptoms of indigestion. Unfortunately, in the modern era, with our fast-paced, stressful lifestyle, and fast food culture, an individual with Sama Agni is a rare find. But if this is you, you deserve a gold star. Sama Agni is the ideal Agni type, where all three doshas are in harmony with each other.  Sama Agni is the goal for all body types and to be blessed with a balanced metabolism, follow an Ayurvedic diet and lifestyle routine in line with your body type. It will help accomplish your goal of a balanced Agni.

Signs of Sama Agni
Healthy bowel movements, No digestive discomfort after eating, Strong Ojas, Radiant Skin, Shiny Hair

Balancing Sama Agni
According to Ayurveda, digestion is uniquely specific to an individual's body type, eating habits, and environment. There are, however, few generic tips that can be used to balance their Agni.

As we've observed, our digestive fire is much more than what we eat. We can eat the healthiest food and still not benefit from it merely because we consumed it in a stressed-out state. Here are some of the to-do's to fuel your Agni the right way.

- Eat mindfully. Distractions reduce the effectiveness of our digestion.
- Be grateful for the food we receive, and take time to taste and enjoy your food.
- Be mindful of our body's needs. Eat until we're satisfied but not overly full.
- Choose slow cooking processes that make food easier to digest.

For dosha-specific recommendations, consult an Ayurvedic practitioner. Until then, begin by incorporating these to-do's in your lifestyle to build a healthy digestive fire and reduce ama in your system.