Invigorate
I love the word ‘Invigorate’ It implies so much more than just the dictionary definition, it’s not just to give strength & energy to something, it’s also about consciously infusing ourselves with some extra potency & vigour! In Sanskrit, (the language in which our Yoga Practice is codified) the word for vigour is ‘Ojas’ Sanskrit is an exquisitely crafted language which paints with profound clarity on the universal canvasses of Science, Art, Spirituality, Mathematics, Music, Movement & Stillness. Ojas is the essence of vigour within all the ‘Dhatus’ or tissues which constitute the structures of the body: the blood, the muscles, the bone marrow, the nerves etc. when the Ojas is strong we enhance our immunity to viruses & unwanted bacteria, we improve our capacity for digestion & we become proficient at wise discernment! We are all born with Ojas as our internal essence, therefore as with any type of resource, we have the opportunity to either intensify or deplete it depending on our lifestyle & decisions.
Yoga plainly & simply strengthens the Ojas! We become more aware & mindful of which options & actions nourish the Soul the Mind & the Body, that is to say through the regular Practice of Yoga in its complete form, we develop the skill to recognise when we need stillness & reconnection, what information we fill our heads with & what kinds of physical exercise to do along with good eating habits. So as we move forwards in our lives we can become more selective about the newspapers we choose, the teachers we learn from, the people with whom we keep company, the cultures we soak up, our standard of nutrition, the way we meet our bodies & our breath, our habits around treatment of others & our planet etc. Yoga covers all this and more and so if we engage in a regular Practice of this sublime system of living, our essence/lifeforce can be exalted, not just individually but also collectively as children of the universe!
Most of us, especially in stressful times feel diminished…the easy course of action when we experience this depletion is to hold ourselves captive by addiction, avoidance of the truth, superficial living & self-deprecating narratives, we have all experienced these corrosive patterns and we know how draining they can be….most of us need to learn the lesson the hard way, I believe that a certain amount of struggle (Dukkha) is grist for the mill so we can rise more strongly having been through it! however we must also allow every possible opportunity to Invigorate ourselves so that we can be the Yogis that our world needs now more than ever! Wishing you all the motivation you need to get on your mat & Invigorate your Ojas. It’s perfect timing, let’s rise to the occasion!
