OJAS: the Cream of the Body

An insanely interesting and important topic in health and wellness.

Unlike Prana and Tejas, Ojas is a substance. Like cream as the essence of milk, ojas is the end product of digestion, produced once all the dhatus are nourished, and is the stuff of vitality and immunity.

Charaka calls Ojas “the nutrient cream of the body,” and “that which keeps all the living beings refreshed.” Like honey, Ojas is the nectar of nutrition, and it takes volumes of food and days of digesting to produce a small amount.

During the process of digestion and metabolism, a small amount of Ojas is released into each tissue layer before the remaining nutrition is passed onto the next layer. This provides immunity and strength for each tissue. The refined end product, which takes thirty days to produce from food, results in Ojas for the vitality and longevity of the entire body.