JUICE UP YOUR OJAS
The art of Ayurveda medicine dates back to the Vedic period in 1500 BCE. This holistic healing tradition tailors to your individual needs based on your constitution, or your dosha, for prolonging life. In Ayurveda ojas, sanskrit for ‘vigor’, is thought to be responsible for strength, health, long life and strong immunity. Ojas, or life energy, is your vitality, your drive for life that brings with it longevity. It is the essence of every cell in your body that powers your immune system and fight disease. It manifests in more than the physical body, ojas gives you a strong resilient mind too. Signs that you have an abundance of ojas are mental and emotional wellness, feeling rested, radiant complexion, feeling content and balanced, good digestion, a clear mind and feeling light and energised.
FINDING YOUR OJAS
Ojas comes from eating pure and nourishing foods. A diet full of fresh organic sattvic food and plenty of plants as close to nature as possible will boost you ojas stores. A diet high in processed foods, oily foods and too much meat increases your toxicity and depletes your ojas stores. Similarly negativity, anger, greed and attachment depletes your ojas too. Self care is an important component in honouring your ojas life force. Running on empty and living in a constant state of heightened stress will burn out your ojas stores.
EXPLORING OJAS IN YOUR PRACTICE
Ojas sit at our heart centre. Gentle heart opening backbends and juicing up all your joint with this ojas flow which will tap into your stores and circulate this life energy through your whole body. The sun salutations will move all the joints in every directions and replenish the synovial fluid. Find new sensations in the poses by spending some extra time in the standing poses. Meet yourself exactly where you are today and find your vital energy.
ALIGNMENT CUES
You will start low and start slow with this sequence and very gradually build up to the standing poses. The peak pose is Baddha Virabhadrasana/Humble Warrior. Look for an opening of the heart centre and a humble nod to the power of Ojas.
From Virabhadrasana I or Ashta Chandrasana, interlace your hands behind your back.
Inhale, lengthen the spine, exhale hinge forward from the hip joint just to the inside of your right leg.
Raise your arms up behind you with a soft bend in your elbows, broaden through the collarbones, keep your shoulders level to the ground.
Press into your left heel, hug your right hip to the midline, gaze down.
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Ruth Delahunty Yogaru