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In our last blog post, we shared about the magic of ghee. We touched base on ghee being in direct correlation to building Ojas. Some of you may be wondering what Ojas is - so let's dive into the power of Ojas & what it truly means to have it, build it & keep it.
Ojas is protection.
Ojas allows you to fully be you.
Ojas encourages your soul to flourish.
But what isss it??
In Ayurveda, we have the 3 subtle energies or mental humors. Prana is the life force energy (check out our blog post about it here), Tejas (which you can find here!) is the intellect, & Ojas is the "essential energy of the body" (Frawley, 1989). Being that these are the subtle energies, they are not physical substances. However, Ojas is likened to Soma, life giving nectar. Ojas can either be depleted or enhanced by any of the body systems. We build Ojas by building upon all the body systems for it is the final product of health.
When Ojas is high, you are in good health. When Ojas is decreased, there is disease. Therefore, Ojas is directly correlated to your immune strength. External stresses are at an all time high as we currently face a global pandemic. It is essential that we all work on building Ojas at this time. Without Ojas, one cannot live - so in order to live a long, healthy, enjoyable life, it’s dire to build healthy Ojas.
Eat dense, natural foods: ghee, milk, butter, dairy, root veggies, meat, quality oils, grains
Build a relationship with tonic herbs: ashwagandha, aloe, amalaki, astragalus, bala, chyavanprash, comfrey, gaduchi, ginseng, kapikacchu, licorice, marshmallow, schizandra, shatavari, slippery elm, triphala
Live in alignment with your spiritual desires: practice your ideals (what you value & preach)
Cultivate a healthy release for emotional stagnation: write, speak, scream, sing, & move these energies out of your body
Practice transmuting negative emotions (anger, frustration, impatience, depression) into positive emotions (gratitude, love, appreciation, peace, inspiration for change)
Keep prana flowing through your body: exercise, walk, swim, run, dance, stretch, yoga asanas
Practice keeping healthy boundaries in all aspects of life: relationships, social interaction, sensory stimulation, self analysis, indulgence, etc
Pause sensory intake: meditation, silence, close your eyes, sleep well
Be aware of your sexual energy reserve: is sex nourishing you or depleting you?
Strengthen your core sense of sacred energy: honor the parts of you that whisper love into your soul
Processed foods with low to no nutritional value
Stress
Excess criticism of others or oneself
Unattainable expectations
Overworking
Excess sex without replenishment
Overstimulation of the senses (constant sensory intake)
Intake of aggravating sensory impressions: certain music, movies, social interactions, etc
Harmful emotions: anger, frustration, impatience, depression, jealousy, envy, rage, insecurity, lack of worth
Negative self talk
Honoring your body & soul's true alignment sets you up to live a life of fulfillment. This is the actual essence of self-care. Self-care is individualistic. The stronger your Ojas, the more intuitive you are.
Ojas is a barrier from the outside world that allows you to have strong discernment from what is you & what is around you. Building Ojas strengthens the nervous system. That being said, the act of building Ojas enhances your ability to handle stress, anxiety, overwhelm, & general Vata ailments. Depletion enters through Vata-like qualities such as light, airy, dry, movement & a fast pace. Use opposite qualities to alleviate Vata such as dense, heavy, unctuous, stillness & a slow pace.
Building Ojas also means not taking life too seriously. One must work with mindset to not let life's tragedies have too strong of an impact. One must remain playful and invite love into their life & be willing to experience it.
