Ojas is a substance made in every tissue of the body, and it corresponds to our vitality, energy reserves, and immunity. It’s not the energy we use in routine activities, but rather a deeper resource or buffer. It’s our natural protection against disease, general wear and tear, and premature aging.

We use our Ojas whenever we over-push or burn the candle at both ends to finish a big project just before deadline – or when the body mounts a quick defense against a bacterial agent that we never even know about because we don’t get symptoms. That’s Ojas on the job.

However, one key factor to remember is that our Ojas supply is NOT limitless. Just as when we use up that last cup of milk or handful of greens, we need to restock the refrigerator, we also need to restock our Ojas regularly. Otherwise we come up short at the next affront – we end up catching every bug or flu that comes around, or we feel fatigued all the time. 

Ojas is what gives us resilience, or a quick rebound capacity. When life takes us down, if we have sufficient Ojas we bounce back easily. You know those folks – they never get sick, and they have a certain glow in their skin. Some would say they have an aura of healthiness about them. That’s Ojas.

As I’ve said before, one thing I love about Ayurveda is that it names certain concepts that we may have an intuitive sense for, but once we have an official term for it, we start seeing and appreciating it even more. So it is with Ojas – once you know about it, you naturally start seeking it!

And yes, there are certain things we can eat and certain things we can do that help build our Ojas supply. However, it’s equally important to know what to STOP doing. We must take care to protect Ojas as we can in fact run out.

Some drains on our Ojas include:

• Overworking the mind, or overthinking
• Exercising too much
• Not eating enough, especially in the middle of the day
• Anxiety or excessive worry
• Staying indoors all day, or not spending enough time in nature
• Excessive sexual activity
• Too much technology usage
• Over-scheduling our time

If one of these items set off alarm bells of recognition in your mind, then make a firm resolve now to do something different going forward.

It won’t matter what Ojas-rich foods we eat or what Ojas-supportive activities we add to our lives if we drain our Ojas away as soon as we build it. Protecting our Ojas is necessary for our vitality and immunity.

For more ideas on how to build Ojas, tune in to my Instagram page in the days ahead – or better yet, come on the “Replenishing Ojas” Retreat with me in 2 weeks!