The Eternal Purifier – Fire (Element- III)

Right from a small Fire to the raging and destructive forest Fire, from an erupting Volcano to the bright and protective radiant Sun- Fire element represents all forms of Fire on Earth. Fire- the heat in your body signifies Life. The absence of Fire signifies Death.

As a Purifier

Fire, the source of heat energy, is the only element which cannot be contaminated. As the Agni is considered to be so pure, there exists a strong belief and practice for purifying, cleansing and strengthening the Human as well as Divine Aura by Fire. This is one of the main reasons why “Aarti” is performed for deities in Hindu Temples. Despite many varied offerings for the deities, the ritual is not complete without performing the “Aarti” which emancipates and radiates the energy of the consecrated deity manifold. Same is the effect when Homas, yagas and yagnas are performed in holy places. The Dhristhi dosha practice of removing the energy blocks in the Human Aura using fire has also been in practice from good old times.

The Fire and the Kundalini

The Fire element or Agni is also the link between Heaven and Earth. The Root Chakra or the Mooladahara Chakra denotes the Earth. The Crown Chakra or the Sahasrara Chakra represents Heaven. The Manipuraka Chakra in the middle represents the Agni. It’s here the purification of Kundalini Shakti as it moves upwards through the Manipuraka Chakra takes place.

Just as the flame of the Agni rises upwards, so is the case with the Kundalini Shakthi or Energy which moves upwards and gets its elevation and oneness with the Sahasrara or Crown Chakra.  The chanting of any powerful mantras or any consecrated divine chants has its base originating from the centre of the Stomach, the seat of Manipuraka Chakra, to intensify the Agni element in the Seeker and to aid in the faster purification process of the Kundalini Energy.

 Personality

A Fire Personality’s energy, laughter and high spirits are contagious. You are charismatic, brave, confident, expressive, optimistic and straight forward.

You don’t attach importance to material possessions, but as inspirational and motivational leaders, you excel at commanding others to action and helping people in achieving their goals and building positive relationships. You are ambitious, inventive and creative and may be interested in taking up new projects, assignments and responsibilities.

 You love to talk and socialise. You don’t like to be alone and would look out for the attention and admiration of the others. You are quick-witted and good at giving compliments and pleasing people. You will have the ability to communicate well and resolve conflicts. You will be able to set clear boundaries. You feel trust, satisfaction and closeness in your relationships. You are generous and have a great ability for affection and compassion. Your skin will have a healthy lustre and you will have bright and clear eyes.

Imbalance

When you have a  Surplus Fire element, it may make you feel hot and bothered. You tend to become impatient, frustrated, angry, arguing and critical of self and others. You may experience increased sweat and urination. Your bowel movements may become loose and frequent. It may also cause dryness of the lungs, throat inflammation and sinus. The other common symptoms of excess Fire element include painful joint inflammation, headache, fever, bloodshot eyes, excess thirst and appetite, Skin irritation, reddishness, rashes and acne, etc.

On the other hand, a deficient Fire element may cause you restlessness, anxiety and insomnia. You may talk too much and too rapidly and may stutter too. It may slow down your digestion and may make your skin cold and sticky and eyes to appear dull or glassy. A weak Fire element can also impair the lungs ability to expand and contract fully and easily. This may result in poor oxygenation of the blood, coughing and nasal congestion. As digestion and elimination of wastes from the body get affected toxins can build up in the body. It may also lead to a thick coating in your tongue. 

Tanmatra

The Tanmatra or the subtle element associated with Fire is ” Vision” or Rupa. The sense organs associated with this Tanmatra are the “Eyes”. There exists a special relationship between Fire and Visual sense. The light for perception is provided by Fire. It’s through Eyes light is absorbed and perception takes place. So, any disorders of visual perception are due to the imbalance in the fire element. Feet denote the Fire’s action organs as they help us to react instantly when we visualise anything.

Organs

Heart and the Small Intestine are the Organs associated with the Fire element. The taste associated with the Fire element is “Bitter” and the associated colour is Red. Joy is the emotion related to the Fire element. If you become too excitable or may become emotionally cold and unfeeling it might denote that your Fire element is out of proportion.

Fire and Human Body

Fire or Agni converts food in the form of Energy which serves as the basis for all the vital functions of the body. According to Charaka, Fire or Agni is divided into thirteen types. They are:

1. Jatharagni – One that is present in the Stomach and Duodenum. 
2. Bhutagni – Five Agni from the five basic elements known as Pancha Bhutas
3. Dhatvagni – Seven Agni present, one in each of the tissues (Dhatus). 

1. Jatharagni is the Agni present in Jathara which denotes the Stomach and the Duodenum. The seat of Jatharagni is Duodenum or Grahani as it holds the food for a certain duration inside the Stomach or Amashaya before it starts the digestion. Jatharagni is considered to be the most important as it plays a significant role in the digestion of food and transforms it for the utilisation by the respective tissues. Jatharagni separates the food into the essence portion (Sara) and waste products (Kitta) in the human body. It is classified into four categories based on its digestive functions in the human body.

2. Bhutagni is the one which is present in each of the five basic elements or Bhutas. As each cell in our body is composed of the Pancha Mahabhutas, the five Bhutagnis digest their own part of the element present in the food substances or materials. After the digestion by the Bhutagni, the digested materials containing the qualities and elements similar to each Bhutas nourish their own specific physical elements of the body. In the modern perspective, the function of the Bhutagni corresponds to the conversion of digested materials in the liver.

3. Dhatvagni- All the seven-element tissues of the body or the seven Dhatus contain their own Agni to metabolise the nutrient materials supplied to them through their own circulation channels or Srotas.

1. Rasagni present in the Rasa Dhatu
2. Raktagni present in the Rakta Dhatu
3. Mamsagni present in the Mamsa Dhatu
4. Medagni present in the Meda Dhatu
5. Asthyagni present in the Asthi Dhatu
6. Majjagni present in the Majja Dhatu
7. Shukragni present in the Shukra Dhatu

Pitta  and its types

The Fire and Water elements combine to form the Pitta Dosha and this combination is responsible for the bile formation. When your Pitta is in balance, you are energetic, ambitious and have the ability to focus on a task and in its successful realisation. 

When your Pitta is out of balance, the bile goes into various tissues and organs leading to infections and inflammations. This imbalance, in general, leads to toxin accumulation in the body leading to abnormalities in the functioning of the organs and the whole system as well.

The Five types of Pitta are:

1. Panchaka Pitta: Located in the Lower Stomach and Small intestine, it provides our body with the capacity to digest food, its assimilation and metabolism. The digestive juices,  enzymes and various acids involved in the digestion process contribute to Panchaka Pitta. When out of balance, it may show symptoms like bloating, stomach upset or acidity and cravings for food.

2. Ranjaka Pitta: It is located in the Liver, Gallbladder and Spleen. It governs the formation of red blood cells, balancing blood chemistry and responsible for giving colour to the blood and stools. When out of balance it can lead to toxins in the blood, premature greying of hair, etc.

3. Alochaka Pitta: Located in the eyes it governs the functioning of the eyes and is responsible for maintaining good sight and vision. When out of balance, it can lead to bloodshot eyes or poor vision.

4. Sadhaka Pitta: Located in the Heart, it governs the drive, decisiveness, spirituality and emotions such as contentment, happiness, love, devotion and anger. It balances the functions of the Heart in case of emotional distress. If out of balance it can lead to demanding, perfectionist and workaholic tendencies.

5. Bharajaka Pitta: Located in the Skin, it governs the lustre, complexion, brightness, temperature and pigmentation of the skin. When out of balance it can cause redness in the skin, rashes, skin irritation or acne.

Fire Element Foods:

• Fruits like blackberries, strawberries, papaya, mango, pineapple, apricot, cherries, melons and apples, all bitter foods including dark chocolates and herbs and spices like ginger, garlic, cinnamon, rosemary. 
• Vegetables like eggplant, corn, cauliflower, peas, green beans, sprouted mung beans and lentils. 
• Greens, Whole grains and beans contain a lot of fibre and other essential nutrients for the health of the Heart and Intestine. 
• Flax and chia seeds and nuts like almonds and walnuts are a good source of essential healthy fats and can lower bad cholesterol. 
• Since red is the colour associated with the fire element include red foods like tomatoes, beetroot and red peppers in your diet.

The Heart & its well-being

Heart, the master organ is responsible for the healthy well being of the whole body, mind and spirit. A deeper impactful understanding would reveal that it’s quite impossible to enjoy wholesome health without a “Peaceful Heart”.

Controlling the circulation of blood in the body, Heart paves the way not only for sound physical health but also for good mental health. An unbalanced Heart may lead to sleep irregularities like Insomnia, Hypertension, restlessness and nightmares. 

The Tongue is the organ related to the  Heart. A healthy red colour tongue signifies a healthy Heart. The Tongue may look pale due to the insufficient blood in the Heart, while a dark purple tongue reveals blood stagnation.

For a Healthy Heart

1. The Fire element is most active between 11 a.m and 1 p.m for the Heart. So, whether you are prone to tiredness or emotional swings during this time or whether you feel more energised can be an indication of the state of your Heart health.
2. Be physically active. For great heart health, it is pertinent to follow regular and moderate physical activity. Get to your ideal weight to avoid too much pressure on the Heart.
3. Avoid Smoking. Being smoke-free signifies that you care for your heart. Say “NO” to alcohol.
4. Check your salt intake. Consume less salt. Replace table salt with chemical-free original sea salt or rock salt.
5. Replace unhealthy saturated and trans fats with healthy unsaturated fats. Though being a saturated fat, the fats in unrefined coconut are proven to be heart-healthy. Coconut Oil is one of the dietary sources of medium-chain fatty acids that are said to lower cholesterol and protect the heart.
6. Consume nutritious diets with healthy fruits and vegetables.
7. Be Happy, Joyful and Positive. A happy mental state of health would not only keep depression at bay but all other parameters of heart health like your blood pressure, erratic sugar levels, etc can be maintained at normal levels. So your mental well-being is the primary factor responsible for your physical well-being. So never take stress or yield to your mood swings or depression. Have healthy, qualitative family time. Meditate. Engage in your hobbies. Read, Dance, Sing, Play and live your heart to glory!!!

The Small Intestine:

The vital part of digestion, namely the absorption of nutrients in our food into the bloodstream takes place in the Small Intestine. It also prevents the entry of toxins and microorganisms into our system. The muscles in the intestinal wall not only aids the movement of food but also contracts every 90-120 minutes even in the absence of food to clean out the wastes and the bacteria. A normal, healthy small intestine consists of very few bacteria than the large intestine as bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine may disturb the process of absorption of nutrients.

Care for your Gut:

1. The Fire element is active between 1 p.m- 3 p.m for the small intestine. Observe your energy levels and mood swings during this time to know about your gut health.
2. Avoid stress. Too much stress may hamper your whole body system including your gut. Meditate, Exercise, invest time in your hobby and try to find solutions for your problems rather than worrying constantly about the problems.
3. Get good sleep. Deep, relaxed sleep is not only necessary for the proper functioning of your organs but also essential for your internal system to heal and restore the imbalances. A good sleep from 10 p.m to 4 a.m is necessary for the body to heal itself.
4. Stay hydrated.
5. Take healthy fibre foods and avoid high-fat, processed food and refined sugar. Eat slowly and chew your food well to aid complete digestion and nutrient absorption.

Do you know how effective the Fire wash/ cleansing is for your Aura? To know more about it watch the YouTube video given in the link.

With Divine Love,

S.Swarnalatha