The concepts of Ayurvedic anatomy are energetic.. When food is consumed and broken down in successive steps, until the energy is processed and dispersed to all of the body tissues. The individual soul is signified by fire in Vedic thought. The spiritual fire is called AGNI, which means inner guide. The ultimate goal of all YOGA and AYURVEDA practices is to develop the inner AGNI into its full glory. The fire of AGNI, the very spark of life, manifest in many forms in the human body.

Fire in the stomach (jatharagni) begins the breakdown of food. Fire in the live (bhutagni) extract the energy of the elements from the food. At each stage, the appropriate agni (metabolic tissue process) acts to form a tissue, and then pass on the metabolic products to the the next tissue.

THREE DOSHAS

VATA is ether & air the function is movement, nerve regulation, respiration, circulation and excretion. The qualities of VATA dosha are dry, cold, light, mobile, irregular and rough.. VATA dosha regulates movement, breathing, natural urges, tissue transformation, motor and sensory function.

PITTA is fire & water but mostly FIRE, the function is digestion, metabolism, assimilation, body heat, glandular secretion. The qualities of PITTA dosha are oily (wet) hot, light, fluid, intensity, wet. PITTA dosha regulates body heat, digestion, hunger and thirst.

KAPHA is water & earth, the function is stability, lubrication, tissue building & solidity. The qualities are Oily, cold, heavy, dense, stable & smooth. Kapha dosha regulates energy, stability and lubrication.

SUBDOSHAS

Each of the dosha is further reduced into 5 subdoshas, based on the location and actions of the energies. The subdosdas help to further define energy imbalances.

VATA- VAYU

Subdosa

Prana Vayu: Drawing in prana. Movement outside to inside. Location; brain moves down to chest. Mental: addiction

Samana Vayu: Absorption of prana, venous circulation, afferent nerve impulses, stoking agni. Movement: periphery to center. Location: small intestine. Mental: mental instability

Vyana Vayu: Circulation of prana and blood, primarily arterial, Flow of sweat, movement of limbs and efferent nerve impulses. Movement: Center to periphery. Location: Heart. Mental: Obsessive thought leading to overwhelm, fear, worry and anxiety

Udana Vayu: Action, expression and liberation. Speech and memory. Movement: upward and outward. Location: Chest and throat. Mental: memory failure, altered enthusiasm.

Apana Vayu: Action, Elimination waste such as feces, urine and menses. Also ejaculation, ovulation and parturition. Movement: Doward and outward. Location: Colon Mental: Negativity.

PITTA

Pachaka digestive pitta: Action: Digestion of food & body temperature. Location: Lower stomach & small intestines. Imbalance: Hyperacidity, diarrhea, fever

Sadhaka mental pitta: Digestion of sensory impressions, idea and thoughts. Location: Brain & heart. Imbalance: Nerve inflammation, headaches, poor retention of information due to mental fatigue. Heart disease.

Alocaka pitta of vision: Digestion of visual impressions. Location: pupil of eye. Imbalance: distorted vision blood shot eyes.

Bhrajaka pitta of the skin: Digestion of touch, sunlight and oil. Location: skin. Imbalance: Inflammatory skin disease, skin cancers.

Ranjaka pitta that provides color: Formation of blood. Location: liver, spleen. blood, gallbladder. Imbalance: Liver, gallbladder, spleen and blood disease of excess heat.

KAPHA

Kledaka Kapha: Lubricates & protects the stomach from acids. Location: stomach. Imbalance: Sluggish digestion, nausea, excess mucus production.

Avalambaka Kapha: Lubricates and protects the respiratory system. Storehouse of mucus. Location: Chest, heart & lungs. Imbalance: Moist respiratory conditions, attachment, sorrow, weight gain, clinging

Tarpaka Kapha: Lubricates and protects the nerves, brain and mind. Location: Brain & heart. Imbalance: Dullness, sluggishness, depression, complacency

Bodhaka Kapha: Lubricates and protects the mouth & throat. Provides for taste. Location: Mouth & tongue. Imbalance: Excess salivation, excess mucus in the mouth & throat.

Slesaka Kapha: Lubricates and protects the joints. Provides stability. Location: joints. Imbalance: Swelling, restricted motion.

THE SEVEN TISSUE TYPES (DHATUS)

TISSUE ENGLISH FUNCTION

Rasa Plasma Menstruation and lactation

Rakta Blood Tendons and blood vessels

Mamsa Muscle Muscle and skin

Meda Adipose Fat and sweat

Asthi Bone Teeth, nails and hair

Majja Bone Marrow & Nerves Tears

Shukra Reproductive Tissues Sexual organs

AMA

When you take substances into your body, mainly food (however this applicable to all sensory experiences,) and they don’t get processes correctly, the incompletely processed particles don’t get metabolized or eliminated properly. This is an accumulated waste is AMA. This very general concept of AMA covers just about any substance or energy that originates from improperly digested or metabolized particles…These improperly digested toxic byproducts that clog the channels (sortas) in your body. AMA toxicity tends to accumulate wherever there is a weakness in the body, which will result in disease.. When AMA becomes mixed with unbalanced doshas, disease is not far behind.

AGNI

The Ayurvedic concept of fire, or agni, is critically important to our overall health. Agni is the force of intelligence within each cell, each tissue, and every system within the body. Every organ, and for that matter, every cell, has an agni. Agni is said to regulate in addition to digestion, vision, body temperature, complexion, bravery and anger., it is the discernment of agni that determines which substances enter our cells and tissues, and which substances should be removed as waste. In this way, agni is the gatekeeper of life. Ayurveda identifies a vast range of functions for which agni is directly responsible, but it also teaches us that impaired agni is at the root of all imbalances and diseases. Hold on. Let’s just let that sink in for a moment: impaired agni is at the root of all imbalances and diseases! Agni is the the fire energy of metabolism and digestion. Since all bodily functions depend in metabolism, agni is paramount in health and homeostasis ]. Fundamentally, all pathology is due to impairment of agni in some manner.

There are four variations of digestive agni.

Mandagni: is low weak digestive fire, due to excessive Kapha- creating slow metabolism, overweight, allergies and mucus disease.

Tikshnagni: is intense digestive fire, due to excessive Pitta- it may create hyperacidity, heartburn, hypoglycemia and inflammatory disease.

Vishamagni: is imbalanced digestive fire, due to excessive Vata- it may create anxiety, insecurity, fear and neurological problems.

Samagni: is the result of balanced dosha- this type of agni allows a person to eat any type of food without problems, digestion absorption and elimination function properly.

THE 13 AGNIS

  1. Jatharani or pachakagni location stomach the function initial breakdown of food

  2. Akasha (ether) mahabhutagni location in LIVER the function fine molecular metabolism and assimilation

  3. Vayu (air) mahabhutagni location in LIVER the function fine molecular metabolism and assimilation

  4. Agni (fire) mahabhutagni location in LIVER the function fine molecular metabolism and assimilation

  5. Jala (water) mahabhutagni location in LIVER the function fine molecular metabolism and assimilation

  6. Prithvi (earth) mahabhutagni location in LIVER the function fine molecular metabolism and assimilation

  7. Rasa (plasma) dhatvagni location is PLASMA provides tissue energy

  8. Rakta (blood) dhatvagni location is BLOOD provides tissue energy

  9. Mamsa (muscular tissue) dhatvagni location is MUSCLE provides tissue energy

  10. Meda (adipose tissue) dhatvagni location is FAT provides tissue energy

  11. Asthi (bone marrow) dhatvagni location is BONE provides tissue energy

  12. Majja (bone marrow) dhatvagni location is MARROW provides tissue energy

  13. Shukra (semen) dhavtagni location is REPRODUCTIVE TISSUE provides tissue energy