The natural goals of the spiritually-inspired sage-scientists of Vedic India were to grow from body to super-body, from everyday mind to a transcendental mind, and from recognizing their spirit essence to realizing God.
This is why Ayurvedic medicine not only takes action to prevent disease, but also restore, refine, and flower the body and mind into optimal state.
Central to mind-body-soul rejuvenation in Ayurveda is an invisible substance called Ojas. The ancient sages teach about ojas, writing that the word comes from the root word ubjate, meaning “to express oneself,”and it is often called “the physiological expression of consciousness.”
What is Ojas?
Ojas is an invisible substance, but its presence can be known from inner glow, cheerfulness, disease resistance, and vitality.
Ojas is a product of the food you eat and is a subtle, yet essential feature of all human beings. It is the essence of healthy digestion. When you have good digestion, you have good ojas - provided you make healthy food choices.
Your digestion is like an orchestra. Not one instrument can be out of tune, else the entire symphony is in discord. Ojas is the final precious fruit after the body has accomplished the hard labor of playing the music in perfect sequence with divine skill.
There are many ways to build 0jas within the body, such as eating certain foods and herbs, practicing self-massage and meditation.
Manufacturing ojas is not easy, but depleting ojas is, unfortunately, super easy.
Ojas gets burned up by Mithya Ahar Vihar, which means wrongful food and lifestyle. Here are 5 major reasons for the loss of ojas, and how to remedy them!
1. Worrying
Do you know that worrying for no reason burns your ojas big time? The senses go under major stress when you incessantly worry.
Remedy: Let go, release to a High Power. Meditate. Adopt Karma Yoga and Bhakti Yoga as lifestyles.
2. Inconsistent Mealtimes
If you have a habit of indulging in fast foods and untimely meals, you are losing ojas.
Remedy: Plan your meals and eating times in advance. Stick to your plan. You’ll soon find yourself feeling more energetic and with a clearer mind.
3. Over-Doing Anything
If you are overworking, staying up late at night to watch movies, browse the internet or even working out and exercising excessively, you may be losing ojas.
Remedy: You are a precious being. Show your body how precious it is. Don't abuse it or push it beyond its capacities. Recognize who you are - a Divine Spirit, not a mere mind pushing a poor body at whim! Adopt Jnana Yoga to awaken your spiritual memories.
4. Ignoring Seasonal Shifts
Going on diets or detoxing in the wrong seasons can destroy your critical reserves of ojas. Instead of feeling great you become fretful, anxious, shaky, and irritable.
Remedy: Explore Ayurveda's timeless teachings on food, food rules, and cooking at a deep and connective level.
5. Negative Emotions
Perhaps most important of all, negative emotions like anger and resentment fry up your ojas. Just one rage or jealousy attack can set you back, big-time! You can even have a heart attack when ojas plunges below normal!
Remedy: Make your mind a priority. Cultivate a peaceful mind. As a teacher, I focus intently on the mind. Find a counselor, teacher, discipline, path that helps you master your mind.
Don’t be fooled! While today’s representations of Ayurveda may imply it, there are no quick fixes to boosting ojas.
If eating ghee, drinking golden milk, or popping herbs like Ashwagandha and Amalaki alone was enough to boost your ojas (immunity and vitality factor), India would be the healthiest country - but it is hardly that.
What we must not forget is what the ancient Vedic sages were telling us, which is that our negative mental states, out-of-control lifestyles of over-work, over-exertion, over-activity, excessive exercise, and even excessive ambition are working against us.
Along with the ghee, cow’s milk or Amalaki, we also need consistent and restful sleep. We need calm and rested senses. We need a lifestyle that is not excessive in any way - physically, emotionally, socially or spiritually - and we need a heart that feels pleased to be alive and free of fear.
For my Alchemy through Ayurveda course, I have recorded over 120 hours of my teachings for all levels of knowledge-seekers. I dive deep into how to manage the mind, how to experience healthy emotions, and how to create balance in our modern lives with so many pressures.
Mind management is the well-considered response to a life that inhibits Ojas, rather than merely popping herbs to up the ojas. Ojas endows us with immunity, vigor, vitality, charm, and intelligence.
You are built for ojas, and you deserve immunity and vitality and inner peace, provided you are willing to lead your life with wisdom. I invite you to study with me! View payment plans for the course here and read what my students are saying here.
Acharya Shunya is a globally-recognized spiritual teacher and Vedic lineage-holder who awakens health and consciousness through the Vedic sciences of Ayurveda, Vedanta and Yoga. She is the driving force behind an online wisdom school and worldwide spiritual community, and the author of best-selling book on the Vedic art of mind + body + soul well-being and health, Ayurveda Lifestyle Wisdom (Sounds True, 2017) and forthcoming second book with Sounds True to be released in 2020, Sovereign Self. Acharya Shunya is a keynote speaker at national and international conferences, and serves as an advisor to the Indian Government in matters pertaining to global integration and cultivation of Ayurveda and Yoga. Receive her free online teachings and browse her current eCourse offerings here or see more about her on Facebook and follow her on Instagram. Subscribe to her YouTube Channel where she holds live Global Satsangs once per month. Study Ayurveda with Acharya Shunya in her online course, Alchemy through Ayurveda.
