What Is Ojas?

According to ayurveda, ojas (pronounced oh-jus) is the vital sap that gives us vitality, resilience, and strong immunity. It also promotes creativity, mental clarity, compassion and spiritual strength. In our youth, ojas is plentiful—giving us energy and vibrancy. As we age and begin to feel the effects of stress, we can become more vulnerable to fatigue, weakened immunity, and disease.

How do you know if your ojas is low?

Ayurveda says that low ojas can manifest in many ways: low energy, increased susceptibility to colds and flus, weak digestion, poor focus, increased anxiety, or just a lack of enthusiasm. Chances are, we all could use a healthy boost to our ojas!

How do we rebuild our ojas?

Since much of our ojas is depleted through stress, the major way to replenish ojas is through relaxation. Therefore, this weekend retreat provides an opportunity to unwind through massage and stress-reducing classes focused on breathing, relaxation, and meditation.

Strong ojas also arises from living in harmony with your particular nature—your ayurvedic constitution (dosha), or Prakriti. This weekend will give you insight into your personal Prakriti, and your personal tendencies that either help or thwart your inherent healing capacity. With this knowledge, you will begin to understand how to increase ojas effectively, restoring balance and harmony to your whole system.

2 Day / 2 Night Retreat Includes:

Over this weekend, you will learn about the ayurvedic process of building ojas, restoring your inner “glow”, and reconnecting to your innate well-being through ojas enhancing treatments and classes that include:

• 60-Minute Relaxing and Therapeutic Massage: Our experienced massage and bodywork therapists work with you to personalize your massage for maximum comfort and relaxation. Additional treatments or sessions are available throughout the weekend as add-ons.
• Yoga Classes For Your Specific Dosha: Each of the three classes are taught once throughout the weekend and focus on one of the three doshas (Vata, Pitta, and Kapha). Specific asana poses and pranayama techniques are incorporated into each class to pacify and balance the focus dosha. Come to the one that fits your constitution or experience all three.
• Evening Discussions on Ayurvedic Health at Home: Evening discussions are organized to help you understand your particular nature and develop ayurvedic self-care routines including dietary choices, relaxation practices, and herbal medicines.
• 90-minute Stress Reducing Group Classes: These gentle classes are designed to help you experience deep relaxation and peace; offered twice daily.

Add-Ons:

During the retreat, ample downtime is built-in for you to schedule additional treatments and relax in your own unique way. Add-on services include:

• Additional massage treatments including ayurvedic Garshana, Shirodhara and/or steam Jin Shin Jyutsu, Reiki or Craniosacral therapy
• Biofeedback therapy to assess vagal tone, heart rate variability and improve relaxation skills
• Personalized one-on-one yoga sessions to create or refine a home practice
• A consultation with an integrative medicine health professional (physician or nurse practitioner)

The program begins with orientation on Friday evening and concludes at lunch on Sunday.

Amenities Beyond Your Daily Treatment Schedule

In addition to the weekend retreat schedule of lecture, practicum and massage, you will have access to:

• Morning yoga classes
• 3 Vegetarian meals daily
• Explorations in self-awareness
• 400 acres of wooded hiking trails and vistas
• Sacred Grove Cafe
• The MarketPlace Bookstore and Giftshop
• Unlimited Wi-Fi