Agni
The "digestive fire": the body’s ability to digest, assimilate and transform — a concept at the heart of all of Ayurveda.
Agni literally means fire — the fire of the Vedic hearth as much as the fire in the belly. In Ayurveda it is the force of transformation: the capacity to digest food, but also experiences and emotions. A strong agni builds quality tissues and steady energy; a weak agni leaves behind poorly digested residues, known as ama.
The tradition describes four states of agni: sama (balanced), vishama (irregular, typical of Vata), tikshna (excessive and burning, typical of Pitta) and manda (slow and weak, typical of Kapha). Almost every Ayurvedic dietary recommendation — eat warm food, use spices, make lunch the main meal — is aimed first and foremost at protecting this fire.
Signs of a healthy agni: genuine hunger at mealtimes, quiet digestion, stable energy, a pink tongue on waking. To care for it day to day, see our full guide to agni, the digestive fire and the golden rules of Ayurvedic meals.