The 4 types of digestion: How to mindfully balance your intestines

How is your digestion? Do you think about it every day? Do you notice how your digestive health changes depending on what you eat or how you feel emotionally? Yoga and Ayurveda have long known that our overall well-being depends on our healthagnior “digestive fire.” Read books likeYoga for the digestive systemand you will discover the wealth of wisdom that yogis have about the digestive system...

When digestion works well, we also work well. However, when something is wrong, it can have a real impact on the mind and body. While it can feel overwhelming when you start exploring the different probiotics, pills, and potions that can support digestive health, there are some simple, proven, and gentle ways to balance your digestive health so you can feel better sooner.

Why is digestion important?

The gastrointestinal tract includes the mouth, throat, stomach, small and large intestines, and excretory ducts - that's a pretty big part of the body! Not only does the digestive system run through much of the body, it is also heavily connected to the liver, which in turn is one of the organs we need to keep healthy in order to feel well. Approximately 70% of the immune system is located in the gut, as is 80-90% of serotonin, a vital neurotransmitter that controls sleep, appetite and mood. Low serotonin levels have been linked to depression, and the root cause is all too often digestive problems. Digestion is also important because it is not just about “burning” the food we eat, but absorbing the nutrients from them and also getting rid of the waste. You can eat all the organic superfoods you like, but if you can't digest them properly, they'll literally end up straight in the toilet!

The four types of digestion

Yoga and Ayurveda recognize four types of digestive health, which makes working with our digestion a little easier. The Sanskrit word for digestion isagni,means “fire”. A fire that burns strongly but doesn't get out of control is what we want to work towards. Observe the following types and consider which type best suits your type:

Tiksha Agni:

This type of digestion is characterized by too much heat, too much acid, burning, and moving way too quickly… If you have Tiksha Agni, you are probably always hungry and become “hangry” if you don’t eat regularly. You might eat too much, have sugar cravings, have heartburn and diarrhea. While most people think it's a good thing to boost metabolism and digestive fire, a fire that's too bright will cause the body to "burn out" and nutrients are likely to move through the body too quickly to be properly absorbed. All of this can lead to acidity, heartburn, malnutrition, hot flashes, liver pain and inflammatory problems. Consuming too many hot and spicy foods, vinegars, acidic foods, caffeine, sugar, alcohol, or allergens can trigger tikshna agni, as can many “hot” emotions such as anger and stress.

Vishama Agni:

This type of digestion is very irregular. Some days you will feel hungry, while others you will feel a significant loss of appetite. You may regularly forget to eat or have a very irregular eating schedule. Vishama Agni usually presents as bloating and bloating, occasional constipation, cravings and aversion to food, and mood swings. The body loves rhythm and routine, and when we “starve” it of this regularity in eating, we wreak havoc on blood sugar levels, which can contribute to type 2 diabetes. Eating at irregular times, eating foods that cause bloating, excessive caffeine, skipping a meal for too long or eating too much, and eating foods to which you are sensitive can cause Vishama Agni. This type of digestion is also very strongly linked to emotional disorders such as anxiety and stress, anxiety and the feeling of being “ungrounded”.

Manda Agni:

This type of digestion is slow and sluggish and often suffers from “heaviness” and loss of appetite. While people with Manda Agni crave sugar and fatty foods, their digestive fire is weak, meaning these foods are digested very slowly, leading to a buildup of toxins andama(literally “undigested food”) in the body. Patients with Manda Agni may experience constipation, bloating, indigestion and weight gain, as well as high blood sugar (another precursor to type 2 diabetes). Fatigue and depression are also associated with Manda Agni. Eating too much heavy, cold, oily, and sugary foods, as well as a sedentary lifestyle, can contribute to sluggish digestion.

Sama Agni:

Samameans “equal,” “centered,” or “balanced.” This is the type of digestion we have when we feel our best. When you are experiencing Sama Agni, it is likely that you are energetic, digesting all your meals well, feeling hungry before meals, and listening to your satiety signals. With Sama Agni, your mood is more balanced, the immune system is strong, and your sleep is more likely to be optimal. We find this type of digestion by consuming foods that our unique body types can process well (some bodies love more fat while others eat more carbs - pay attention to what yours loves), eating seasonally, having a mindfulness practice that keeps us mentally calm, getting plenty of exercise, and eating regularly. Below are some important tips for balancing your Agni.

Use (link removed) in a gentle practice for your digestion.

Tiksha Agni:

• Üben Sie Chandra Bhedana (Atmung durch das linke Nasenloch)
• Praktiziere restauratives Yoga – besonders sanfte Rückbeugen mit Hilfe von a (Link entfernt), die helfen kann, den Magen zu beruhigen und zu entspannen.
• Verbrauchen Sie kühlende Lebensmittel wie Gurken, Früchte der Saison, Blattgemüse, Kokosnuss und Kräuter wie Koriander, Minze und Basilikum. Ein Tonic aus einer Handvoll schwarzer Trauben, einer Prise Kardamom und kühler Kokosmilch oder Wasser kann Wunder bei saurem Reflux und einem überhitzten Verdauungssystem bewirken. Pukkas Relax Tee ist auch großartig, um das Verdauungssystem zu beruhigen.
• Essen Sie regelmäßig
• Kultiviere eine Praxis, die dir hilft, dich ruhig und entspannt zu fühlen. Dies könnte eine geführte Meditation sein, Yoga Nidra, eine Meditationspraxis mit Mala-Perlen, oder alles, was Ihnen hilft, sich gelassen zu fühlen.

Vishama Agni:

• Entwickeln Sie eine feste Essensroutine und halten Sie sich daran.
• Kultivieren Sie Rhythmus und Routine im Alltag. Versuchen Sie, jeden Tag zur gleichen Zeit aufzuwachen und einzuschlafen.
• Praktiziere Nadi Shodhana (alternative Nasenlochatmung)
• Stellen Sie sicher, dass Sie sich ruhig und entspannt fühlen, bevor Sie eine Mahlzeit zu sich nehmen.
• Essen Sie in entspannter Umgebung.
• Trinke einen Tee wie Die Verdauung von Pavillion nach einem großen Essen.
• Essen Sie frühstücken – dies kann Ihnen helfen, sich ruhig und geerdet zu fühlen und Ihr Verdauungsfeuer zu entfachen.
• Iss warme, nahrhafte Speisen wie Suppen, Curry, Knochenbrühe und Brei sowie süße Speisen wie Datteln und wärmende Gewürze wie Zimt, Ingwer und schwarzer Pfeffer.

Manda Agni:

• Beginnen Sie, sich mehr auf eine Weise zu bewegen, die Ihnen wirklich Spaß macht. Das kann Tanzen, Laufen, eine dynamische Yogapraxis oder alles sein, was dein Herz höher schlagen lässt.
• Übe Surya Bhedana (Atmung durch das rechte Nasenloch)
• Bringen Sie Ihren Blutzucker ins Gleichgewicht, indem Sie raffinierten Zucker und verarbeitete Lebensmittel eliminieren.
• Nehmen Sie Ihre größte Mahlzeit mittags zu sich und eine kleinere Mahlzeit am Abend.
• (Link entfernt), da ein voller Geist sehr oft zu einem „vollen“ Verdauungssystem und Verstopfung führt. Stellen Sie einfach einen Timer auf zehn Minuten und schreiben Sie, was Ihnen in den Sinn kommt.
• Tragen Sie bequeme Kleidung, in der Sie wirklich atmen und sich gut bewegen können (einschränkende Kleidung kann Verdauungsprobleme verursachen) – das Neue Öko-Rückgewinnung Sortiment ist so bequem und atmungsaktiv, dass Sie direkt von der Yogamatte auf den Esstisch gehen können!
• Verzehren Sie leichte Mahlzeiten und wärmende, anregende Gewürze wie Ingwer, Cayennepfeffer, schwarzer Pfeffer und Ajowan.

If you are currently experiencing Sama Agni, stick with it! For recipe inspiration, choose books likeLiving AyurvedaandGood + Good,and remember to eat seasonally when possible.