Baby You Can Light Your Fire - by Mehtab, Yoga Yoga's Founder

As the seasons change with an occasional frosty morn, our attention turns to the warm and cozy. Warm foods, heated yoga classes, and fireplaces become attractive as we bring more fire into our lives with the approaching Winter Solstice.

Fire is an important concept in the whole practice of yoga. The yogis called this fire in our body, mind, and yoga practice "Agni," which literally means "the transforming force."

Here is how to ignite, stoke, and increase your yoga fire in the weeks ahead:

First, realize that there are actually seven "fires" or agnis in the practice of yoga. There is the divine fire (brahmagni), the fire of consciousness (chidagni), the fire of bliss (anandagni), the fire of intelligence (brauddhika agni), the fire of the mind (manasika agni), the fire of prana or the breath (pranagni), and finally the digestive fire of the body (jatharagni).

For ultimate success in the practice of yoga, the fire of breath (pranagni) is actually the most essential agni to develop as it purifies the whole subtle body to receive the higher experiences of yoga. This is done through the cultivation of right breathing, pranayama practices, and breathing good quality air rich in prana or vital energy.

For most of us, however, the development of our digestive fire of the stomach (jatharagni) will give us the most immediate benefits in our physical health and well-being, particularly as we move into the colder season. This digestive fire is centered around the stomach and small intestine. People with a strong digestive agni have a good appetite, can eat almost anything, and enjoy good energy and health.

This fire of the physical body and digestion is immensely aided by the practice of asanas, or yoga postures, which purifies and relaxes the physical body. Correct practice of postures strengthens both digestion and elimination which creates a healthy digestive fire so the foods we eat are digested, assimilated and eliminated with a minimal amount of toxic residues or byproducts.

Indeed, a yogi with a strong digestive fire can eat substandard and even poisonous foods and still remain healthy as the toxins are burnt away in the fire. Just the thing to reflect upon when you sit down at the next holiday family dinner!

Yoga postures like twists, seated asanas, core and abdominal strengthening exercises, and stomach lifts (uddiyana bandha) are marvelous for strengthening the digestive fire of the body.

Other ways yogis develop this digestive fire is eating the right balance of food (a varied diet in moderate proportions), eating as pure or natural foods as possible, and getting healthy oils or fats in the diet (particularly "ghee" or clarified butter, a superb yogic food) as opposed to heavy processed oils that smother the fire.

Periodic fasting, which in yoga usually means eating less or eating a highly simplified diet for a period of time, also gives the system a chance to rekindle and strengthen its digestive fire. Prolonged fasting is usually not advised for the serious yoga practitioner but instead to follow a consistent and moderate diet.

Finally, a selection of appropriate spices and herbs are super for boasting the digestive fire. An old yogic remedy for poor digestion, or when you knew you would be eating more than usual, is to eat a small slice of raw fresh ginger before the meal. Other useful spices for building agni are cayenne pepper (actually almost all hot peppers), cardamom, and turmeric.

One of the best spices for digestive fire is the whole black peppercorn (just like we use to make our Yogi Tea!). Boil 8 to 12 whole black peppercorns in a cup of water for 5 to 10 minutes and let steep. Take a few tablespoons on an empty stomach and watch the fires roar! It is also a great way to chase away a cold or flu.

The last way yogis build the digestive fire is to develop resistance to cold and temperature changes. One of the earliest definitions of a yogi was "a person who feels neither the hot nor the cold." If you get easily chilled, the inner fires are weakened. And indeed as you practice yoga and begin to regulate the internal temperature control of the body through a healthy hypothalamus functioning, you will notice your temperature sensitivity decreasing.

With overheated homes, offices and cars, our natural digestive fire weakens in the winter and we become cold sensitive. The yogis overcame this cold sensitivity and strengthened their internal fire by the practice of Ishnan, or yogic hydrotherapy. By bathing in cold river waters in the early morning hours, their body became resistant to cold and the internal fires strengthened.

Today we accomplish the same thing with a nice cold shower the first thing in the morning. Sounds horrible but works magic. Do this for a few weeks and see the results in your disease resistance, improved circulation, enhanced digestion and elimination. You will handle the winter weather better and your fires will burn strongly!

Yes, you can turn the water to warm at the end of the shower, but always start cold and shower until the body begins to feel warm all over through increased circulation. And just to be yogic about it, shout something nice when the cold water hits you. One of our Kundalini Yoga teachers says she shouts the mantra "Wahe Guru" (a cosmic wow to the divine light) instead of the other four letter words that used to come to her mind.

So make this winter cozy. Work your asanas, spice your meals, cold shower your body, turn up the agni and light your fire with yoga!

Click here to read past articles from Mehtab!