By Nadia Marshall
In a recent Brian Cox documentary, 'Forces of Nature', Professor Cox describes how the moon travelling around the earth combined with the earth's rotation creates the tides... and when the sun and moon are in line, the combined gravitation pull creates some crazy tides, particularly at the equator. If the unfathomably huge oceans on this enormous planet are subject to these forces of nature, just imagine how at mercy us teeny tiny humans are to the ebbs and flows of the water element in our bodies?! Which brings me to consider Ojas, the subtle element of water in our body/mind.
Ojas is described in Ayurveda as the nectar of life. It is said to have the colour of ghee, the taste of honey and the smell of dry roasting grains and to be cool, clear, unctuous and viscous... kind of like a light honey syrup. It is the final substance formed as part of the process of tissue metabolism, following the production of sexual reproductive tissue. So it is even more subtle, potent and mysterious than the tissues that create life itself!
Ojas resides in our heart but is also diffuse throughout our body. One of it's main roles, aside from keeping us alive, is facilitating the smooth functioning between our body and mind. It is said to provide us with qualities like courage, patience, faith and strength. It gives us perseverance, steadiness and the fortitude to face the difficulties of life. In a nutshell, it literally makes our hearts strong.
But Ojas can be depleted. If we've been burning the candle at both ends for an extended period of time, this depletes Ojas. Excessive alcohol and excessive raw, cold and dry foods deplete Ojas. Desire, greed and generally trying to keep up with the Jones's depletes Ojas. Grief and emotional trauma deplete Ojas strongly. And... worry, anger and fear deplete Ojas the most.
So what happens when the tide in our body that supports our very lifeforce gets low? Are we unaffected? Absolutely not.
When Ojas is depleted, we get tired. Bone tired. The kind of tired where no amount of good quality sleep seems to help. We become impatient. With everyone and everything. The smallest things drive us crazy. We become more fearful and anxious. We lose faith that everything is going to be okay. And we kind of lose our joy for life. It can create a feeling of deep flatness.
When Ojas is low, it can be very difficult to contact more skillful, positive seeds in our mind. It's difficult to be mindful. It's difficult to be patient. And even plain old warmth can feel very far away. Low Ojas can lead to low immunity and an onslaught of viruses, fevers or colds. It can also literally weaken the heart which may manifest as heart palpitations or weird blood pressure.
So how do we replenish this subtle water element? Good quality sleep is ideal but additional rest is imperative. Slowing down between rests is imperative. Self-massage with warm sesame oil is a game changer, shiropicchu will help and heart dharas are amazing, especially if suffering from palpitations or anxiety. It's also a good idea to increase your dose of a few Ayurvedic superfoods like ghee, rice, unhomogenised milk, dates, almonds, honey and ginger which all help nourish Ojas. Some of these foods are a little heavy and difficult to digest so you need to eat them in small amounts and prepare them correctly (e.g. soak, blanch and toast almonds and eat only a few at a time; cook milk with spices as a chai etc). Ojas is fed by warm, easy to digest foods (because balanced Agni/digestion eventually nourishes Ojas), kindness and self-care. Seeing an Ayurvedic Practitioner for additional herbal preparations can help enormously with your recovery.
So..... when you're feeling a bit low-tide, feeling flat, feeling exhausted and totally emotionally unstable, don't thrash yourself further with questions of 'Why? Why? Why? What's wrong with me?'
Instead ask yourself...Have I been overdoing it? Have I had a lot to contend with? Have I been trying to be everything to everyone, all the time, for a long time? Have I had a big, stressful, long-term project on? Have I experienced an emotional trauma? Have I been on high stress or high flight/fight mode for ages? If the answer to any of these questions is 'Yes', then the way you are feeling may just be a result of low Ojas. You are depleted. Deeply depleted.
It's time to stop, slow down and care for yourself. Take time to care for your Ojas. Start where you feel strong... for some this is running a warm bath. For some this is getting a massage or joining a gentle yoga class. For some it is lying in the sunshine and watching the clouds go by. For some it is taking some deep breaths or doing meditation. I usually start with some quality time in the kitchen. Making ghee, or kicharee, or both.
But whatever you do, be sure to relax more. Whatever it takes, you need to relax.
Sometimes just realising that you're not actually crazy, you just have low Ojas.... can be enough to kick-start the relaxation process. But if you need more guidance, don't be afraid to seek a little help from wise guides.
Love
Nadia xx
Feeling A Bit Low-Tide
