" Vigor ... "

“ ... start of lyrics A pebble, a bone, a sigh and such

Can all become unnerving when one is succumb 

To the vigor of fear

Reckless as, it feeds on the young

Fear, fear in myself evoking thought

Why all just seems so unfathomable

A sword in my breast, twice kissed in protest

Why all just seemed so unfathomable

Yet totally real... “

~ Alpine ~ The Vigor ~

***

The word Oja, comes from Sanskrit and means “vigor”.  Within the principles of Ayurveda, Oja is the essential energy of the body which can be equated with the “fluid of life”.  

“ ... Ojas (pronounced oh-jus) is the ultimate refined result of digestion, metabolism, absorption and assimilation. The substance that connects the mind to the body and consciousness, it is a wholesome biochemical substance that nourishes all body tissues and has a direct influence on the nature and quality of physical, mental and emotional life. Ojas’ primary location is the heart, from where it circulates to and pervades the entire body. Ojas is collected from the body’s seven tissues — plasma, blood, muscle, adipose tissue (fat), bone, bone marrow, and reproductive tissue (semen and ovum) — by the influence of enzymes (Agnis), similar to how a bee collects honey from the essence of many flowers. The purest substance in the universe and omnipresent in the human being, ojas is responsible for higher states of consciousness, purity of thoughts, perfect health, positivity in feelings, love, joy, better immunity, longevity, intelligence, creativity, memory, bliss, and thought process. When an individual’s inner consciousness awakens spontaneously, ojas increases. In a nutshell, ojas is the sap of the entire physiology and sustains the life of an individual ... “

Ojas is a type of vibrancy within you ... and can deplete in the process of life.  Ojas is spent when you are engaging in any of the five senses.  In the context of spiritual and emotional well-being, Oja is referred to as “the physiological expression of consciousness.”  Ojas is also considered the most refined by-product of digestion ... e.g. complete digestion of a meal is considered to take about 24 hours, it takes 30 days for the body to digest food and refine it enough to manufacture ojas.

***

How the Seven Body Tissues Can Deplete Ojas ...

Rasa production, which is the first nutrient fluid and eventually becomes lymph, is literally stopped by the chemistry of chronic stress. The lymphatic fluid flows best in an alkaline environment. Stress releases stress-fighting hormones that have acidic waste products. Excessive stress results in excess acidity which causes the lymph to congest. It can be stress from work, exercise, emotions, travel or digestive stress from bad food that can block rasa.

Rakta, the body’s blood, can deplete ojas when it becomes inflamed and toxic, carrying damaging inflammatory and degenerative chemicals throughout the body.

Mamsa, the muscle tissue, most commonly depletes ojas through excessive exercise and exhaustion.

Medha, the body’s fat, will deplete ojas when it is stored and taken out of circulation due to the excesses of stress. Most toxic chemicals are fat soluble and thus are stored in times of stress.

Asthi, the body’s bone, will deplete ojas due to chronic issues such as osteopenia and osteoporosis. These conditions are extremely rare in second and third world countries where the culture of stress is not as rampant.

Majja, the nervous system, depletes ojas when it is directly affected by chronic stress and excessive activities. Excess stress stimulates the release of degenerative hormones which accelerate aging, cause chronic disease, fatigue, sleep issues and much more.

Shukra is the reproductive fluid. Excessive sex will deplete ojas.

***

We can rebuild our system with proper food, rest and attitude.  Emphasis on the attitude ... rebuild your Oja by loving others, laughing, acting on what you are passionate about, giving and serving others, practicing yoga-breath work-meditation and being one with nature.  

www.walkstrong.ca

" Stitch by Stitch ... "

What you say, without words, 

resuscitates what was numb inside

So repair me, every thread of me, 

'cause you're bringing me back to life

I'll be okay, 'cause you heal me...

So put me back together now, stitch by stitch

Put me back together now, stitch by stitch

~ Javier Colon ~ Stitch by Stitch

***

Not a lot of people openly talk about their colons.  Yes you read that right colons.  But we all need and use it often ... and we cannot underestimate the importance of it.  Our digestion and our life depends on it ... and it all starts in our guts.

Your eating habits will determine how acidic your body is.  This acid leaves lots of residue in your colon.  These residues remain from days to months and produce fermentation, mold and bacteria ... a breeding ground for dis-ease.  The importance of an alkaline diet is crucial as this protects our colon.  When we eat the right food combinations we increase nutrient absorption and promote proper discharge of waste before it rots inside of us.  Yes I know, what a disgusting thought, but very real.

Gut check.  The length from your mouth to your anus is 30 feet long.  This “tube” plays a vital role on all health levels .. mind, body and spirit.  So food combinations can help in restoring the balance in your body.  For example, when you eat animal products, it can take up to three days for your gut to digest.  So that is three days of it sitting in your gut rotting away ...

The key is to find restoration of balance in your gut.  

What I have learned about food combinations is that carbs are digested with an alkaline condition in the stomach and protein is digested with an acid condition.  When combined, it can confuse the stomach.  So some general guidelines are protein and starch should not be combined.  To keep your gut happy, pair them with greens and veggies.

Enlist a naturopath, dietitian or nutritionist to help you.  Start by keeping a food diary.  Write down the date, time, and meal you eat.  As well, keep track of your mood, body changes, and bowel movements.  Remember, every body is unique, and your body will respond to modifications in its own way ... just be kind to your gut, as your colon will thank you for it.

" Dream On ... "

" Every time I look in the mirror 
All these lines on my face getting clearer
The past is gone
It went by, like dusk to dawn
Isn't that the way
Everybody's got their dues in life to pay ... 

Dream On, Dream On, Dream On ... "

~ Aerosmith ~ Dream On ~

***

I, for one, use to underestimate the power of Sleep.  I use to be one of those that once again took pride in working lots and sleep less.  Like I was looking for a badge of honour or something.  I imagine some of those around me thought I was insane.  Asking themselves, how can you function with minimal sleep?  And it was also the quality of sleep.  Once I would get to bed, I would lie awake allowing my thoughts to review all the going ons in my life, eventually falling asleep ... then, I would wake in the middle of the night only to be irritated that I couldn't fall back to sleep ... finally getting a few zzz's in prior to the darn alarm clock waking us.  Overall, not well rested and just played frustrated.  Sound familiar?

Yet the importance of sleep, rest and dreams is critical for optimum health.  Getting less than 6 or 7 hours of sleep can increase our risk for developing dis-ease.  "Rest = Restoration" ... Sleep provides us an opportunity to cleanse, repair and rejuvenate on a deep cellular level and we can nourish our body within this natural cycles of rest ... this is when the healing work takes place.  Without the need to attend to all of the functions of daily life, our immune system and organs of detoxification can focus attention on cleansing and restoration.  This is the time when our bodies does major housecleaning, taking care of wastes that have accumulated during the day and repairing cellular damage.  So overriding this desire for sleep interferes with the natural rhythm of cleansing.  Also, according to some in traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine, as well as Western naturopathic healing philosophy, the most important hours for detoxification and rejuvenation are before midnight.  The earlier you go to bed, the better.  

For the most restful and restorative sleep make sure that your sleeping environment is as healthful as possible.  We have cotton bedding to allow the body to breathe.  As well we keep our window open a few inches year round for fresh air.  A few other things we do to prepare for a good night sleep is to avoid stressful mental activity right before bed, and listen to soothing music or meditate.  Sometimes a brisk 30 minute walk or a soothing hot bath can help.  Anything to get you to relax, unwind and prepare for your healing sleep.

This is all so timely as tonight, here in Calgary, we get to wind our clocks and "fall back" with the time change.  Very excited as another hour of rest is always welcome.  And a recent survey in our city asked "what will you do with that extra hour tonight?" ... and it I was happy to see that the majority will use it to benefit their health and ... Sleep.

♥ Sleep is the best meditation ♥ Dalai Lama