When our digestive fire (Agni) is burning well our body gets the most nourishment from what we eat and drink. Â Like a campfire, early in the morning our Agni may just be coals or embers. Â If we want to rebuild our fire for the new day, we start with some dry grasses and light kindling before putting heavy logs on the flames. Â Similarly, when we wake up in the morning our Agni may be diminished and slow, so we want to tend that fire and build it back up before putting a heavy meal into our belly. Â
Here are a couple of tea recipes that are perfect for stoking our digestive fire before meals.
Spicy Ginger Tea:
- a quart of water
- a pinch of Cayenne pepper
- two handfuls of grated fresh ginger
- two teaspoons of sweetener, like, sucanat, jaggery or other sweetener
- one teaspoon of rock salt
Boil all of the above together for 20 minutes. Take the tea off the heat and add the juice of half of a lime (do not boil the lime juice).
Sip throughout the day!
Yummy Agni Tea:
- One part coriander seeds
- One part fennel seeds
- One part cumin seeds
Combine the ingredients in a jar and stir everything together. Put about 1/2 teaspoon of the seeds per cup of water in a pot or kettle. Bring to a boil then simmer for 4-5 minutes. Sip away!
Feel free to adjust the ratio to suit your taste.