Overview & Traditional Lineage
The Fire at the Navel (Agni Dharana) is a classical meditation rooted in Ayurvedic agni and the manipura chakra of the tantric body. Attention on the warmth below the navel — the classical seat of digestion. Warming and mildly rousing, so it belongs in the morning and not before sleep.
Primary Goals: Digestion, Energy. Themes: Sluggishness, Cold, Heaviness.
Full Guided Practice Script & Cue Timeline
| Timestamp | Spoken Cue / Instruction | Pause |
|---|---|---|
| 0:00 | Sit upright, with the belly free — nothing tight at the waist. | 15s |
| 0:23 | Rest one hand two fingers below the navel. Feel the warmth of the hand through the cloth. | 20s |
| 0:53 | Breathe normally and notice that the belly moves under your hand. Do not push it. | 25s |
| 1:28 | Now find the warmth underneath. Not the hand's warmth. The body's. | 30s |
| 2:05 | It is faint. It is always there. This is the fire the texts call agni, and everything you eat passes through it. | 25s |
| 2:44 | On each in-breath, imagine air reaching it. On each out-breath, imagine it glowing a little steadier. | 45s |
| 3:39 | Not bigger. Steadier. A fire that is too big digests the wrong things. | 40s |
| 4:27 | Stay with the warmth below the navel. Breath feeding it, quietly. | 75s |
| 5:49 | Now take the hand away and see whether you can still find the warmth without it. | 40s |
| 6:39 | Let it be. It will keep going without your attention, as it has all your life. | 25s |
Contraindications & Guidance
- Not during acute heartburn, gastritis, ulcer, or in the first hours after a large meal. Not in pregnancy. If you run hot, use Cooling Attention instead.
