Ojas

Ojas is an essential essence in Ayurveda. It is the essence of all seven tissues of the body: plasma, blood, muscle, fat, bone, nerve, and reproductive tissues. Ojas is ultimately the product of the long-term nutritional process, the overall energy we hold within ourselves. You can think of it as the seed of energy for the body, holding all of the potential energy we can use. It is the container for Prana and Tejas.

Ojas is also strongly connected to the nerve and reproductive tissues, influencing our mind and creative forces, which also shows its hold over Prana. However this held energy isn’t just for the nerve and reproductive tissue, it gives us our muscular strength and physical stamina. Ojas is our energy to push ourselves and is responsible for our positive energies. Much like we have those in life to help us stay positive and give us energy, Ojas is our inner energy to push us forward from within.

Also considered the higher essence of Kapha dosha, Ojas possesses the biological water humor. This also shows how important Ojas is, as it is the main nutritional support for our tissues, most of which are watery in nature. It also protects all tissues from within as the essence that powers them.

We possess certain Ojas from birth, our strength, and vitality. We also have eight drops of the Higher Ojas in our heart, behind all of the tissues. This Ojas has the ability to spread throughout the entire body.

The state of Ojas is indicated by our long-term stability and continuity for positive energy and actions of the mind and body. It permeates inner power to take us through our challenges. Our Ojas make us strong, it helps keep up the vitality of our inner strength. Our Ojas can be depleted over time, which can lead to the breakdown of our health. This includes things like physical and psychological immunity, loss of resistance to disease, vulnerability to toxins, and increased aging. Ojas can be weakened or damaged by serious and long-term diseases and injuries as well as stress, overwork, and malnutrition.

Signs of Low Ojas?
Here are some signs your Ojas may be low:

• Chronic fatigue

• Depression

• Anxiety

• Insomnia

• Tremors

• Weakness of muscles or bones

• Loss of body weight

It’s important to take care of yourself and your Ojas, as proper Ojas is important to keep your doshas in balance.

Building Your Ojas

Ojas are mainly increased through nutrition and consuming nourishing foods and herbs. Some well-known Ojas increasing herbs include Ashwagandha, Bala, Shatavari, Amalaki, Shilajit, Gaduchi as well as preparations like Chyavanaprash. For herbs that support Ojas’s psychological immunity, Brahmi, Tulsi, and Shankhapushpi are the most recommended.

While spices don’t increase Ojas, they can help extract Ojas from your food. Some spices such as turmeric, ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, cumin, and cloves, are notable for their properties to draw out Ojas from food.

Foods that are good for building Ojas include milk, ghee, almonds, cashews, dates, tahini, as well as root vegetables (such as yams or potatoes), and whole grains like wheat and oats, and dahl like moong. Coconut water also helps to protect Ojas at times of great stress and depletion.

Tejas, Ojas, and Prana
Ojas is a part of a triad of subtle energies, which also includes Prana and Tejas. Tejas is our inner vital warmth and radiance, using Ojas as its fuel. Ojas is the fuel for our higher agnis, the powers of Tejas and Tapas in Yoga. In order to activate your Prana, the higher vata component, you need to activate Ojas, which as a watery element needs to be circulated properly. Not only that, but you need good Ojas to sustain Prana, as Ojas holds the deeper level of vital force.

Ojas supports the lungs and heart, which helps with deeper pranayama practices. However, if you don’t have proper Ojas to hold Prana, strong pranayama practices can disturb your nervous system.

Ojas in Modern Times
We live in a society where it is difficult to connect with nature and many electronic waves disturb and deplete our Ojas. This is especially true for those who live with high tech or urban lifestyles, and thus most people live with low or irregular Ojas. We become ungrounded with nature.

While it is strongly recommended to try and reconnect with nature as you can, with things such as nature retreats and rejuvenation practices, calling upon disciplined sattvic lifestyles with regular meals, exercise, and meditation can help regulate and strengthen your Ojas. In general, strengthening your Ojas should be considered as a part of all Ayurvedic treatments.

Yoga and Ojas
Proper Ojas is incredibly important for Yoga. Since Ojas is strongly connected to our mind and nervous system, gives us steadiness, focus, and helps ground our higher awareness, it is heavily connected to yogic disciplines. If we do not have proper Ojas, we then lack the stamina for yogic disciplines and the flow of higher yogic energies. Ojas is also strongly connected to Muladhara, or root chakra, as it holds the Earth element and the mind and body. Without grounding power, volatile energies of the mind and body cannot be held or concentrated.

Strong Ojas helps to fend off depression, anxiety, fear, anger, and emotional imbalance, which is one of the many reasons why it is important to strengthen and build our Ojas. Strong Ojas allows mental energy to be stable like a strong and steady river, flowing seamlessly.