Body · Reading
Digestive system and agni
From the mouth to the large intestine, and Ayurveda's idea of agni, the digestive fire.
Awaiting subject reviewWritten from our source material and not yet checked by a teacher of this practice. Read it as reference, and learn the practice from someone who teaches it.
Structural anatomy
Digestion begins in the mouth with chewing and saliva. Food passes down the oesophagus to the stomach, where acid and enzymes break it down, then into the small intestine, where most nutrients are absorbed with help from the liver, gallbladder and pancreas. The large intestine absorbs water and forms waste.
That is the physical account.
Agni, in Ayurveda
Ayurveda describes digestion through agni, the digestive fire. Strong agni transforms food into nourishment; weak agni leaves undigested residue, called ama. Ayurveda holds that weak agni lies at the root of disease. That is a statement of Ayurveda's view, not a medical finding, and this page does not suggest otherwise.
Practices named
The content map links twists, forward bends and Shankh Prakshalana to this card. Shankh Prakshalana is a supervised cleansing practice, described for reference only.
Practices
Ideas behind it
Sources and tradition
- YOG Union App Content Map, 2 November 2026, pp. 11–12, anatomy cards