AYURVEDA AND CULTIVATIN OF TEJAS, OJAS AND PRANA

In living vinyasa, the micro- and macrocycles of yoga and ayurveda both emerge from the fire altar. Agni—sacred fire—is revered as the divine consciousness and is understood to be both material and spiritual. In the body, agni performs much like the outer fire that burns wood. It is the metabolizing force of creation, and as such it requires physical fuel in the form of food, and spiritual fuel in the form of mantra and prayer. Agnideva, the personification of fire as a deity, has two faces: one creative, the other destructive. In its igniting capacity in the body, agni sparks cellular regeneration as well as the destruction of old cells to make room for the new.

Agni represents the fire at our core. Depending upon our constitution, lifestyle, and practices, it can be well balanced to support our evolution or lead to imbalances. When unbalanced, agni can burn us up and dry us out (known as excessive fire), manifest in low energy and lack of inspiration (weak fire), or oscillate in place, leaving us unable to move forward in life (wavering fire).

Ayurveda applies Vedic teachings on balancing the sun, moon, and fire within to maintain inner vitality.

Agni manifests as tejas—inner illumination—and governs all metabolic processes in the body. Because it involves heat, it is related to the sun’s energy; it keeps body, mind, and emotions radiant. The moon of the Vedas and Tantras is soma or lunar nectar. It supports the cultivation of ojas within our physiology as a vital protective energy, a subtle substance providing luster and immunity to the system. Ojas nourishes the body in a way similar to the moon’s effect on plant life. It soothes the emotions and the mind. The sun as vayu (wind) is prana, the life force, the flow of intelligence, creativity, and the circulation of vital energy. In cultivating your Heart Fire and creating a healthy life, you work to maintain balance between these qualities of tejas (fire), ojas (moon), and prana (sun) that is the core Vedic-tantric metaphor and practice of tending the fire in an altar or in one’s spiritual or worldly life.