Ojas and Shakti

Ojas is a Sanskrit word which literally means "vigor or Shakti which means Energ
y". According to the principles of Ayurveda , it is the essential energy of the
body and when sufficient it is equated with immunity and, when deficient, result
s in weakness, fatigue, immune system related disorders like cancer, Crohns dise
ase, HIV, Sarcoidosis, Multiple Sclerosis and Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Ojas is both the gateway and the container. It is the gateway between consciousn
ess and physiology, between spiritual and material. As the subtlest physical, it
is a container. It contains the flow of cosmic energy (Prana) which is the life
energy that performs respiration, oxygenation, and circulation. All motor and s
ensory functions are linked to prana from Atman through the individual.
Ojas is the first material expression of consciousness. It is both manifest and
unmanifest. It pervades the body, like ghee in the milk or sweetness in the suga
rcane. It has a yellowish-red color, looks like ghee, tastes like honey. It is s
imilar to balanced Kapha only not as heavy.
Ojas is Primal vigor. Ojas is the subtle energy of water, the stored-up vital re
serve, the basis for physical and mental strength and endurance. It allows the b
ody-mind s balanced functioning. Ojas is responsible for maintaining contentment,
luster, strength, and health.It is produced at every stage of digestion and is t
he finest end product of digestion. As such, it is the essence of the body tissu
es (dhatus).
There are 5 Factors Which Increase Ojas
Behavioral Rasayanas like truth,Love, Devotion, Helping nature, Non voilence, P
eaceful mind
Devotion or bhakti yoga unconditional faith in God or Jesus or Super consciousn
ess
Medicinal Rasayanas (includes ojas increasing foods) like amla, shilajit, ashwa
ganda, holy basil, guduchi and shatavari.
Satvic Diet and Lifestyle like Ghee , almonds, Dates , Sweet Fruits , Rice and F
resh Vegetables and Pranayama
Eliminating Ama with the help of Panchkarma and Taking Castor oil or Triphala at
bedtime.
There are 7 Factors which hamper the flow of transformation of the Dhatus causin
g Ojas to be Less or Imbalanced:
Excessive injury/ harm to the body or many accidents and Mental Traumas will der
ange vata and causes fast ageing and less Ojas
Excessive loss of substance like too much Vomiting , Diarrhea , loss of fluids ,
heavy bleeding or too much sweating will cause reduction in fluid and in turn
reduction in ojas
Overexertion increases vata and ageing process
Excessive anger will derange the pitta or digestive fire resulting in metabolism
disturbance and decrease ojas production
Excessive grief aggravates vata and disturbs sleep and reduces Ojas
Excessive thinking , worries and anxiety also aggravates vata inside the brain c
ausing drying of ojas
Excessive hunger or fasting or dieting will cause decrease in ojas production
Ojas during Pregnancy
During pregnancy, prana enters into the womb and then fetus through the navel. I
t is prana that regulated the circulation of ojas in the fetus. If anything is w
rong in prana, any fetal disorder could arise. This is the reason why Ayurveda r
ecommends goodness at every level of pregnancy, before and after it. This result
s in imbalances in ojas and tejas.
Ojas is the essence of all seven dhatus or bodily tissues. Ojas is the vital ene
rgy that governs the hormonal balance.
Ojas is related to kapha and any imbalance in kapha imbalances ojas. This is tru
e vice versa as well. It is necessary for pregnant women to maintain optimum lev
els of ojas and kapha,. Fetus needs to grow healthily and displaced ojas prevent
s it from doing so.
Decreased ojas, on the other hand, creates vata-related problems both in the mot
her and the growing baby. Vata problems in this case include general weakness, f
ear, perception issues, loss of consciousness, and even death.

During the eighth month of pregnancy, ojas finds its passage into the fetus from
the body of the mother. This transfer of ojas is essential for the overall well
being of the baby. Ayurveda attributes death of premature deliveries to lack of
ojas in the fetus.
Abundance of ojas in the mother is responsible for the love and compassion she d
evelops for her baby. It is also presumed that higher the ojas, attractive is th
e baby.
Ghee helps to enhance ojas. And pranayama can transform ojas into a fine-tuned i
nner strength. It is thus not a bad idea for the mother to indulge in light medi
tation before planning to conceive. The effects linger till long after giving bi
rth to the baby.