How to get rid of indigestion Ayurvedically

The digestive process is very important for our health and Ayurveda has many recommendations to improve this function. Many times, people who have an excess of Vata become imbalanced and this manifests in the body as indigestion.

An aggravated Vata leads to an irregular fire at the digestive and tissue levels. This could lead to an irregular appetite. So a person who has an irregular eating pattern (due to Vata influence) is prone to an irregular release pattern of digestive juices and enzymes.

For digestion to happen properly, the release pattern should go its normal course. The irregular release of appetite promoting enzymes, and later digestive enzymes for the consumed food, leads to a particular type of indigestion called Vishtabdha Ajeerna (indigestion arising from aggravation of Vata Dosha). As a result, your meal schedule, size, and digestive capability- all are disturbed.

Causes of indigestion

• An irregular eating schedule and eating too often disturbs the Agni and Vata
• If you are a Vata dominant personality type, you may be more prone to this type of indigestion
• Eating incompatible foods also leads to this type of indigestion
• Negative emotions like stress, impatience, worry, grief and so on affect our digestive system’s normal Vata functioning

What can you do if you are experiencing indigestion?

The key to an effective digestive system is a balanced Agni (digestive fire). We can self-examine our Agni by watching our daily digestion and the amount of food we’re eating every day. There are a few symptoms  that indicate that the food has been completely digested. Most of these symptoms are subjective, and can be felt only by the person himself. When you get up in the morning, take a moment, and try to look for these symptoms. When your food is fully digested, you will feel fresh and energetic. Your stomach will not feel stuffed. You will feel ‘light’ instead of feeling heavy and groggy. If you belch, it would be without odor. You would also be able to answer nature’s call in a timely manner.

Follow these simple rules:

• Don’t skip meals. An empty stomach makes more stomach acid.
• Eat your meals at regular intervals, not leaving too much of a gap between each meal.
• Eat breakfast, even if you are not hungry in the morning. Eat something even if it is just a little bit. If you skip breakfast, you can be too hungry at lunchtime and might overeat.
• Meditate to relieve stress.
• Enjoy the beauty of nature.
• You can take a teaspoon of anise seeds along with a pinch of rock salt with warm water twice a day.You may choose to have only warm water throughout the day.
• Vital Digestion may help improve digestion.
• You can use Six Taste Spice Mix to dress vegetables etc. to help balance Agni.

DISCLAIMER: Nothing in this document may be viewed as the diagnosis or treatment of any medical disease whatsoever. The contents of this document are the opinions of the author based on his/her learning and experience. This document is meant only for educational purposes. The Ayurveda Experience is not liable or responsible for the suggestions made herein.Please consult your primary care physician before implementing any change in your diet or lifestyle.