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Ojas: how to build resilience as an artist
One of the most beautiful concepts in Ayurveda is the concept of ojas. Sometimes called the body’s natural nectar or honey, ojas is the most refined essence of everything we take in to our bodies. After nutrients from our food are used to nourish all layers of our tissues, what’s left is ojas. Ojas is related to immunity and resilience. When our ojas is high, we are not so easily swayed by outer circumstances. We are strong mentally and physically, and don’t often get sick. If we do, our ojas will help us to bounce back fairly quickly. As an artist, building and conserving ojas is absolutely crucial to the…
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Agni: how to stoke the fires of your creativity
Digestion is considered to be a “sacred fire” in Ayurveda. The ancient Ayurvedic texts refer to this fire as agni. Attending to our agni is one of the best things we can do for our health. As my teacher Katie Silcox writes in her book Healthy Happy Sexy, “The best food on the planet can’t help you if you don’t have the digestive fire to transform and assimilate what you are putting in your body.” Addressing digestive issues is traditionally the first place you would start when working with an Ayurvedic practitioner. But be warned; this isn’t your typical article on ways to strengthen your digestion! What made me fall…