ConsciousCo

Ojas: The Elixir of Life

As we reverberate through the symphony of urban life, the juice of living in the moment seems to be a hazy dream. In the midst of this lockdown, as I stand introspecting on what was, I fail to understand if it was a photo flash all along. I hear in every meditation, I am ‘Sat-Chit-Ananda’, ‘I am that infinite’, I am bliss, ‘ Aham Brahmasmi’, but am I? Are you?

Life requires that we take each step centred, unanimously in agreement with the magnanimity of our being. But very few of us are born with that poise, I certainly have my two left feet often falling, often navigating this tunnel with a speedy dash. But now the secret does unveil itself as I dive deeper into the study of our rich cultural heritage, Ayurveda.

The Rishis in their seat of meditation discovered that each of us is a unique combination of 5 different components- Earth, Water, Air, Fire and Ether. And this unique code is categorised under one or a series of combinations, Doshas (Vata, pitta & Kapha) as they are called. More interestingly, this combination constitutes our very own ‘Prakriti’ or ‘own nature’. Technically this sounds complex, but practically our body & mind is very easily decoded by JUST understanding after all ‘our very own nature.’ When the doshas are in balance, we rage through our life, feel enthusiastic, Agni or metabolise every morsel, and feel nourished on the inside & outside. This purity that ties the health of our body, mind and spirit is what is called Ojas! Ojas is that juice that gives us an armour of radiant immunity, & thus ultimate wellness.

Such a body performs every action with a sweet disposition of precision, awareness & joy! Life doesn’t become a fuzzy series of uncoordinated movements but a sweet melody that perfumes the air it breathes!

If you’re telling yourself, “I want this Ojas now!”, read on…

Self-care is the primary need for a strong Ojas. The juice of Ojas flourishes when following a supportive dinacharya or daily routine that complements the circadian rhythm of nature, committing to well-balanced nutrition & sleep. Only then can we mitigate stress, fructify our many relationships, & find our true purpose ‘Swadharma’ of this life.

Few of the easy to do Ojas building practices are regular Yoga, pranayama, & meditation complementing one’s own unique nature, building Santosha or contentment in daily life, ingesting ayurvedic herbs & tonics to energise the dhatus or vital tissues, consuming fresh, seasonal & organic fruits, vegetables, nuts, honey, grains & rice spiced with ingredients that align with our dosha, and eat balanced amounts of organic dairy, ghee, fresh butter or nut milk.

Being guilty of seesawing through many lifestyle changes, bouncing from one recommendation to the next in this day and age of ‘TMD’ — too much data, we may soon put this on our repository of the many lifestyle changes advocated by the many lifestyle gurus. But this isn’t one of them, in fact, it’s ‘THE ONE’ that isn’t a change, it is yours and mine forever science!

Written for CoCoGram by Anchal Pilani (Yoga teacher, Health & Wellness Counsellor, Vedanta Teacher to Kids)

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