Agnisara kriya Pranayama | Pump the fire to Purify Abdomen

Author: Randeep Singh / go to all Techniques of Yoga articles

Agni means fire, and Sara stands for movement; Agnisara Kriya is the process of cleansingor purifying the organs of the abdomen,by the heat ( fire) generated during the practice of this breathing technique.

It comes under the vitalizing ( heating effect) category of breathing techniques of Yoga, as opposed to the cooling effect,the tranquilizing category of pranayamas impart to the practitioner.

It falls under the Dhauti, meaning cleansing, action out of the six actions, shatkarmas, as mentioned in hatha yoga pradipika. Thus it is also known as vahnisara dhauti which means activating the digestive fire. Vahni also means fire.

Sara also means the essence, agni Sara here means the essence of fire which is normally attributed to the digestive process. When the digestive fire or the energy of the abdominal organs whittle out, the digestive process goes sluggish, agnisar kriya helps fan the digestive fire back to its full potential. Agnisara kriya is also known as Agnisara dhauti or purification by fire.

In order to grasp the procedure of agnisar kriya pranayama one must begin by practicing Swana pranayama as a preliminary activity. It is the simple form of agnisar dhauti itself. Swana means “panting” like an animal or like dog pants – it breathes by short, fast breaths with its tongue hanging out of its mouth. In Swana pranayama one learns to coordinate abdominal movement with oral breathing. Agnisara dhauti uses Sunyata -suspension of breath after exhalation – while making the abdominal movements, whereas in Swana pranayama one breathes rapidly while making similar movements with the abdomen. Here the abdominal muscles are used instead of the diaphragm as in normal breathing.

Preliminary to Agnisar Kriya -Swana pranayama

To begin with, one can sit in Bhadrasana – place the hips between the thighs on the floor from Vajrasana with toes touching and knees apart -by placing the palms on the respective knees, or like in Simhasana with the palms on the floor between the knees and the fingers pointing towards the pelvis
The elbows are held straight with the torso slightly leaning forward, relax for a while by breathing normally, inhale slowly & deeply through the nose by keeping the head and the back straigh t, open the mouth wide and extend the tongue out to the maximum possible length, use force to inhale and exhale at least up to 10 breaths, this is one round the movement of the abdomen is coordinated with the breaths; abdomen moves in while exhaling and out while inhaling
The movement must be rhythmic and harmonious, gradually increase the number of breaths per round to 25, practice 5 rounds with normal breathing in between the rounds

People suffering from stomach, intestine ulcers, hypertension must not do this practice hernia, hyperthyroidism, or chronic diarrhea must avoid doing this practice. It helps heal digestion, constipation, flatulence and low appetite issues. Swana pranayama also helps tone the muscles, nerves and blood vessels of the abdominal region, it clear the lungs of stale air and removes extra fat deposits from the abdominal region.

Agnisar Pranayama Steps

Stand erect with the feet wider than the shoulder width, bend the knees slightly, bend forward a bit and place the hands with palms down on the thighs just above the knees, relax the abdominal muscles
Take a short inhalation, then make a prolonged, smooth exhalation till the last lungs go nearly empty, slowly pull the abdominal muscles in while exhaling till the navel appears to be touching the spine, suspend ( hold) the breath here as in Sunyaka pranayama, holding the breath after emptying the lungs is also known as Uddiyana bandha
Now press the palms on the bent knees and drop the head down to tuck the chin into the upper edge of the sternum ( chest), this is known as Jalandhara bandha
Release the abdominal muscles for a while on a short inhalation, again exhale and draw it in as in uddiyana bandha, keep making these abdomen in and out pumping motions for about 8 – 10 times ( one round) initially, as the capacity to hold the abdomen tight after an exhalation improves gradually move to 20- 30 times in one round, after one round stand up erect while inhaling and breathe normally before starting the next round

Agnisar Dhauti Kriya how often? When to do?

Agnisar kriya must be done on an empty stomach, preferably after emptying the bladder and the bowels after one wakes up in the morning, there must be a gap od at least 4 hours after one has had a heavy meal before starting the practice
Beginners can start with 3 rounds of 10 repetitions each, which can be gradually increased to 50 repetitions as the abdominal muscles gain strength
The time of holding the stomach in after an exhalation must also increase with the increase in the number of repetitions per round
While designing yoga sequences Agnisara dhauti kriya is best placed after the asanas and before one does pranayamas

Agnisar Dhauti Kriya Precautions

Always learn agnisar kriya from a qualified teacher, and never by reading books
Try to hold the breath after the exhalation is complete at the glottis in the throat, this will make bending the head into Jalandhar bandha ( chin lock in the hollow of the upper chest) much easier
The lungs must be completely empty before suspending the breath into uddiyana bandha
The more one practices agnisar dhauti, easier it becomes to get into uddiyana bandha
If practiced during summers there is a high chance that the body heat will rise along with the blood pressure, make sure to practice cooling pranayamas like sheetkari or sheetali after practicing agnisar kriya to cool the body down
The practice must feel relaxing and stimulating at the same time

Agnisara kriya pranayama Contraindication

Practicing Agnisara pranayama is not recommended in case these conditions are present

High or low blood pressure
Overactive thyroid
Recent abdominal surgery
Pregnancy ( more than three months)
During menstruation
Hiatal hernia
cardiac issues
Duodenal or peptic ulcers
Slipped disc
Colitis
Acidity reflux disease known as gastroesophageal reflux disease
In case of any intestinal, or pancreatic diseases consult the doctor before beginning the practice of Agni Sara dhauti kriya

Agnisara Pranayama Benefits

Agnisara pranayama fires up the appetite and improves digestion, it is a significant technique for people looking for yoga for good appetite and healthy digestion

The pumping action of Agni Sara kriya provides good massage to the abdominal organs and the related muscles, this strengthens the muscles and improves the health of the abdominal organs

It activates all the five prana, especially Samana which uplifts the energy levels of the body as a whole alleviating depression, and lethargy, it a very effective technique for someone seeking to learn yoga for alleviating depression

Practicing Agni Sara dhauti kriya regularly stimulates peristalsis action of the intestines which cures constipation, it promotes better absorption of the nutrients, flushes the cells with oxygen, and aids in eliminating carbon dioxide ( especially the residual toxins in the lungs ) and other gaseous waste from the digestive tract

Practicing Agni Sara kriya regularly keeps the pelvic muscles toned, strengthened which prevents prolapse of the uterus, rectum, or the bladder

As the nervous system becomes drained of toxins the mental faculties become sharp bringing clarity and acuity to the thought process

A detoxified nervous systems can now keep the abdominal and pelvic organs innervated more efficiently

The region of the body on which the Agnisara dhauti kriya works is where the Manipura chakra is located ( navel region), the upward push provided by uddiyana bandha lifts the energy of the Manipura chakra higher into the heart chakra which induces the quality of generosity in one’s personality, one’s sense of direction, discrimination , and expression improves as this energy moves further up through the vishudhi chakra and the Ajna chakra respectively, and finally to the Sahasrara chakra to help the practitioner realize the final goal of yoga

As the nervous energy gets purified the prana begins to flow easily up the Sushumna nadi, the central channel through which the cosmic energy moves up for raising the conscious awareness of the being, the raised consciousness helps develop love and compassion for one’s fellow beings in one’s mind & the heart. Agnisara kriya is an important procedure which forms a part of the yoga for inducing the sense of love and compassion for fellow beings

Agnisara dhauti prepares the practitioner for performing Bhastrika pranayama and Kapalbhati kriya

It also prepares one for the practice of Nauli (one of the Shatkarmas) as it imparts the required strength to the abdominal muscles

It helps cure diabetes and also strengthens the immune system

The small intestine, large intestine, pancreas, liver, kidneys, gall bladder, uterus, ovaries, adrenal glands, and the prostate gland directly benefit from practicing Agni Sara kriya on account of being located in the abdominal and pelvic regions, students who are designing the yoga program for a healthy uterus cannot afford missing out this technique

As it aids in absorption fo the nutrients it is very good for people who remain malnourished in spite of consuming nutritive food

It is beneficial in treating obesity and helps slow down the aging process of the practitioner as it rejuvenates the entire body

Agnisara kriya helps tighten up the abdominal and pelvic muscles as a part of postnatal care for women

It helps alleviate the condition of hypoacidity as well as hyperacidity