The digestive system is recognised in Ayurveda as both the seat of good health and the root cause of disease, depending on whether it functions well or poorly.  And Ayurveda gives us many tips to keep the digestion strong and healthy, from the way we take our foods to the foods we consume from season to season, and according to our Ayurveda metabolic type. 

We all know the things that can cause us to digest poorly. Stress, eating on the go, late night meals, skipping meals, over-eating, junk and processed foods are likely to catch up with all of us sooner or later. 

Some of us will consequently experience bloating and gas, whilst others will find they are suffering from hyperacidity and inflammatory conditions, for others nausea begins to set in after a meal, or feelings of heaviness and fatigue. Some will find they have issues with hot, spicy foods, others with oily foods, some will find they are just not doing well with cold, raw foods and salads….that we would expect to be healthy, others with glutenous foods, sugary or dairy foods. 

Our symptoms and the foods that tend to trigger them may differ, but the indication is the same. Our digestive system is struggling, and for the sake of our all-round health, it needs to be reset.  A little exploration into Ayurveda’s understanding of the digestive process and it’s role in health and disease, can help you to undersatnd why, in fact, whenever we are experiencing symptoms, we need to come back to the gut.

Let us have a look, therefore, at how Ayurveda views the digestive process.  We take foods into the mouth and the digestion begins there with good chewing, and softening of the foods with saliva, and this should awaken the jathar agni (digestive fire, triggering acids and enzymes ready to receive foods). This is the first part of the digestive process.

The second stage then is with the breakdown of foods in the stomach and first part of the small intestines. 

Waste products are moved on towards the colon, some nutrients are absorbed here, and the remaining valuable components of our foodstuffs are moved to the liver for further breakdown by five special “agnis” which are called the “pancha bhuta agnis” (fires of the five elements). 

Some further nutritional essence of the food is absorbed and assimilated here, wastes are eliminated, and remaining nutritional components are moved through this same process into ever deeper tissues. 

Ayurveda recognises that we have seven tissues altogether: rasa (lymph and blood plasma), rakta (red blood cells), mamsa (muscle), meda (fat), asthi (bone), majja (bone marrow), and shukra ( the reproductive essence). Our foods are moved through all these tissues, being continually refined a little further by the “agnis” of each next tissue so that some nutrients can be extracted and the remaining essence of the foodstuffs moved into the subsequent, deeper tissues. In this way the tissues are “fed” and overall health of the body is sustained.  We are literally what we eat! The quality of our foods dictates the quality of our tissues, and the effectiveness of our “agni”, digestive and metabolic fires, dictates the capacity of the body tissues to  make the most of the goodness we feed it.

Now, if the first stage of digestion is not optimal then it stands to reason that the absorption and assimilation of nutrients to support health and well-being in all other tissues will be impaired. The effect will be lowered vitality, impaired immunity, and moreover accumulation of toxicity as tissues  are not sufficiently nourished and their agnis are functioning suboptimally, so that the waste byproducts of the metabolic processes are not effectively eliminated. The scene is set for disease to take root even outside of the gut.  

 Another point to note is that the types of digestive ailments we experience are a good indication as to which doshas (Ayurveda humours) are aggravated and need paciffying. If the doshas are allowed to remain elevated in the gut,  the excess dosha will eventually spill over into other tissues , usually tissues governed by that dosha,. Then again, with excess dosha in the tissues, and accumulation of ama (toxicity) due to impaired digestion, disease takes it root and symptoms begin. 

The deeper the tissues where symptoms are lying,  the more difficult the disease is to treat. That is why it is important to take note of digestive symptoms and reset your digestion. It is important not to just take an antacid or other digestive aid. We need to pay attention. These niggling symptoms in the gut are the first stages of disease, and the longer we leave it, the more the problem is likely to deterioriate to a disease of the digestive system and/or to move into other tissues of the body. After the first stage of disease, it becomes more difficult to restore health and balance. 

And so, taking measures to allow the agni in your gut to function optimally for better breakdown, absorption and assmiliation of nutrients, alongside more effective removal of the by-products of the digestive and metabolic processes, is one of the best things you can do for your health and well-being.  It is both a preventative and a cure. 

The best times for a digestive reset are times of seasonal transtion, for example, the transition from Winter to Spring, or from Summer to Autumn. At these times, the body is having to make adjustments to environmental and climatic changes, and this challenges the digestive system further. This makes it the ideal time to eat a little lighter and cleaner, to drink digestion enhancing teas, and perhaps to favour a mono diet for a weekend.  

Moreover, each season is governed by one of the Ayurveda doshas (humours). During any time of year, that season’s dosha can accumulate within us, especially if it is the same as our own constitutional dosha type, or if our lifestyle is aggravating that dosha type within our own body-mind. A digestive reset, not only supports the agni to function optimally, but with the right herbs and foods can balance any accumulated dosha (humour) that might be affecting the optimal functioning of the digestive process. 

Make it a habit to note in your diary when the seasonal junctures are each year, and schedule time in your diary to set aside for self-care: rest, nourish your body with light, organic and seasonal wholefoods and digestion enhancing teas, enjoy daily Yoga practices speficifally to support the digestive system and organs of elimination, enjoy cleansing breath practices and other Hatha Yoga practices such as agni sar dhauti and nauli which can stimulate and strengthen the digestive function. 

This is a small price to pay for the great reward of enhanced health and the promise of increased longevity. 

Once you have tried the digestive reset programme, you may be inspired to give even further support with a full 7 – 10 day Seasonal Cleanse programme, with special therapies for removal of accumulated toxins stored in the liver and other tissues of the body,and a final purgation to expel those toxins from the gut along with any excess dosha, 

Check our My Radiant Body: Digestive Reset Programme page. On this programme, we give you all the support you need to get started with regular digestive reset  week-end in the comfort of your own home. You will receive nutritional and herbal protocols, online teachings about taking care of your digestive system, and Yoga and lifestyle practices to boost your digestive function.

And if you’re curious, here are details of the  My Radiant Body; Seasonal Cleanse Programme

If you’d like to find out more, let’s arrange to have a chat about your health and how a digestive reset or seasonal cleanse programme might best help you, and what kind of approach is best for your body type and state of health.

Discover your Ayurveda type by taking our short quiz, plus Sara will give you some key tips for your type, to help you stay in balance!