Understanding Ojas and it's Importance
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Have you ever ‘burned’ for something? Hold that feeling.🔥 It’s one of the points to Yoga! 🤯
When we practice our aim is to increase our internal and transformative fire, just like any other kind of fire.
However, to keep the fire burning without depleting ourselves, we need to ensure we have enough fuel to burn. This fuel reserve is known In Ayurveda as ojas, which is our fundamental level of health, vitality, and groundedness.
Ayurveda and yoga work together to build ojas and provide a deep nourishment that supports our physical and mental wellbeing.
Six Tips for Building Ojas and Supporting Yoga Practice
- Diet and Food Choices
Ayurveda places a significant emphasis on diet and food choices as they play a vital role in building Ojas. Eating healthy and nutritious food is essential to nourishing our system and building our energy levels. Cooking a meal at home, with seasonal and locally sourced ingredients and paying attention to our food while eating can help us get the most nourishment out of it.
- Reducing Sensory Stimulation
Reducing sensory stimulation is also crucial to building Ojas. Avoiding excessive use of technology and limiting our exposure to blue light can help prevent the depletion of our energy levels. Walking without distractions or avoiding looking up while walking can also help us conserve our energy.
- Cultivating Love and Positive Relationships
Love is one of the most effective ways to deepen our yoga practice and build Ojas. Being grateful for life and developing a devotion for our practice can help us build a strong foundation for our spiritual journey. Cultivating positive relationships and reducing stress from unhealthy relationships can also help us maintain our energy levels.
- Getting Enough Sleep
Getting enough sleep is vital to building Ojas. Ayurveda suggests sleeping before 10 pm to activate the ‘Pitta’ time, and avoiding mental stimulation between 1-2 pm as this is the time for digestion and assimilation. Additionally, reducing our use of technology at least half an hour before bed can help us get better quality sleep.
- Managing Sexual Energy
Managing our sexual energy is also essential to building and preserving our Ojas. Being conscious of how much sexual energy we are expelling and avoiding excessive use of sexual fluids can help us protect our practice and build our energy levels.
- Renouncing Expectations and Developing a Personal Relationship with God/The Universe/Nature
Living life in a way that is less goal-oriented and renouncing the need for things to turn out a certain way can help us conserve our energy levels. Developing a personal relationship with God or a deity might not be your jam but connecting to something ‘bigger than yourself’ like nature’s intelligence can also provide us with the sustenance, longevity, and potency necessary for our yoga practice.
Top up your Ojas tank!
When looking to deepen your yoga practice, it becomes essential to keep your Ojas tank super full and nourished all the time. By following these tips, you can build Ojas and support your yoga practice, which will help you cultivate a strong and transformative fire without depleting yourself. So, start implementing these tips today and begin building your Ojas to support your yoga practice and overall well-being.
