By Michael Doko Hatchett

Isn't it true that we wish our anxiety and fears would simply disappear? Can we ask (tell!) them to leave? Of course not. In Ayurveda we know that an aggressive or unkind rejection of any state causes physical stress and stress diminishes our 'immune-essence' (Ojas - the all important foundation of our immune system and longevity, created by proper digestion of physical and mental food).

Ojas, anxiety and fear have a circular relationship. When anxiety and fear are regularly present there is sure to be depleted Ojas and when there is depleted Ojas there is sure to be anxiety and fear. Often anxiety and fear are habitually present, not because the circumstances of our life warrant it, but because we have abused and neglected our Ojas with poor diet, mental and lifestyle habits over a long period of time.

With low Ojas, anxiety and fear set up camp and are difficult to remove. So......we have to be sneaky and instead of trying to remove the fear and anxiety we must instead change the conditions that make an easy home for them - a body/mind with low Ojas.

To improve your Ojas, take a deep breath, slow down, and look to patiently re-start the healthy Ojas-building process right here-now with loving care and precision. Give your brain and nervous tissue the rest they desperately need. Instead of flogging yourself with another mental attempt to understand "why, why, why?",  forget about the past. Be here-now with an attitude that looks to care for fear and anxiety rather than force the 'whys' to reveal themselves. In this way not only are we are taking away the conditions for anxiety and fear to grow, we are also setting up the inner 'immune-strength' for them to be gently cleansed over time.

So if you are at home and starting to feel the creeping sense of anxiety, maybe look to the WARMTH cookbook instead of your psychology self-help book. Enter the kitchen, not your judgmental head! Make a yummy easily digestible dinner, go to bed early after a warm oil self-massage, maybe listen to some Al Green (get your groove on!) and..... be open to a deep breath and a smile. Ojas building has begun...