After moving across town two months ago (which was totally exhausting!) and with the busy-ness of the studio (New Year’s resolutions, anyone?) and keeping up with my studies, I’ve been feeling a bit drained lately – a sure sign that it’s time to focus on building ojas. Ojas is the nectar that nourishes the body and mind; it is that special substance in the body that governs immunity, mood, sleep, digestion, physical strength and mental endurance. Ojas is greatly diminished from stress and is increased through proper nutrition, meditation and Āyurvedic herbs and rasāyanas. A favorite source of ojas, for me, is this turmeric and ginger milky tea and a few ojas balls. They make a great afternoon snack and a welcome pick-me-up.
Ginger-Turmeric Tea
6 cups of water
1/4 cup diced fresh ginger
pinch ginger powder
milk (any kind, as desired)
turmeric-honey (as desired) *
Bring the water and ginger to a boil, then cover and simmer for up to an hour. The longer it simmers, the stronger the tea will be. Then turn off the heat and allow the “tea” to steep until cool enough to drink. Then add milk to desired creaminess and a scoop of turmeric honey. This recipe makes more than one serving, so I usually put the extra aside and refrigerate before adding the milk and honey to my cup.
* To make turmeric honey, simply put a scoop of turmeric powder in a small container, and add some raw honey to it and stir. Use enough of both ingredients to get a smooth consistency, but know that over time it will get much thicker and possibly even a bit hard. That’s okay. It won’t spoil. I keep this mixture in my cupboard all the time, and use it for a quick turmeric tea whenever desired. It also makes a very effective treatment for cold sores, by the way.
Ojas Balls
8 medjool dates
1/4 cup raisins (optional)
1 cup almonds
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1 Tbsp melted ghee
1 tsp honey
unsweetened shredded coconut
Place the dates and raisins (if using) in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Let sit for a few minutes to soften the fruit. Then drain, reserving the water. Add the fruit to a food processor along with the almonds, ginger, cardamom, ghee and honey and grind until a smooth consistency. Mine is usually too thick; use the reserved water if needed to get a smooth texture. Then form the mixture into balls and roll in the coconut. Keep refrigerated.
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