Agni Aid Spice Mix for Igniting Your Digestive Fire

The Importance of Agni

Agni is of paramount importance to maintaining a healthy body, mind, and spirit. When you think of digestion, do you only think of food as being something that is digested? Did you know that we also digest what we see, hear, smell, and touch?

Well balanced agni is important so that we can assimilate all of the information that comes in through the tanmatras (the 5 sense perceptions of sight, sound, smell, touch, taste) and have proper discernment. Having proper discernment allows us to have the ability to make healthy choices and decisions in life.

Start the new year off with these wise words and an agni supportive spice mix:

The agni which digests food (jathara agni) is regarded as the master of all agnis because increase and decrease of other agnis depend on the digestive fire. Hence one should maintain it carefully by taking properly the wholesome food and drinks, because on its maintenance depends the maintenance of lifespan and strength. —CHARAKA SAMHITA

But what avail the largest gifts of Heaven,
When drooping health and spirits go amiss?
How tasteless then whatever can be given!
Health is the vital principle of bliss.
—JAMES THOMSON

Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food. —HIPPOCRATES

Heaven is largely a matter of digestion, and is mostly a matter of mind.
—ELBERT HUBBARD, A THOUSAND AND ONE EPIGRAMS

Increase of ojas (one’s life sap that is strong when agni is healthy) makes for contentment, nourishment of the body and increase of strength. —ASHTANGA HRIDAYA

Agni Aid Spice Mix

• 3 Tbsp. ground cumin
• 3 Tbsp. ground coriander
• 3 Tbsp. ground fennel
• 1 Tbsp. ground ginger
• Tbsp. ground cardamom
• 1 Tbsp. ground turmeric
• 1 tsp. mineral salt
• 1 tsp. granulated sweetener, such as unbleached cane sugar, date sugar, or coconut sugar
• 1 tsp. ground long pepper (pippali) or ground black pepper

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and then transfer to a spice jar.

You can add Agni Aid into your food as you cook, or sprinkle it over food that has already been cooked. You can even carry it with you to a restaurant, and take a teaspoon of it with warm water before a meal to aid in digestion!