Emotional Healing Series : Resilience

In the Ayurveda tradition there are the crucial concepts called Ojas and Ama which are related to our digestive system: whether Ojas is this nourishing nectar created by and strong Agni or the digestive fire, as Ama is this toxic residue created by a weak Agni or weak digestion. Like, in a fireplace, when the fire is strong there is light, there is warmth and there is no residue left, whereas with a weak fire, there is not enough light, there is not enough warmth, and a lot of smoke remains. Most of the Ayurveda practices are based on the objective of maintaining a strong digestive system, a strong Agni, which is considered a pillar of strength.

Now this not only refers to our digestive system in terms of food, but also in terms of how we digest all the experiences we go through in daily life. Developing the necessary strength to digest these experiences becomes crucial in order to create more Ojas (the sweet, warm, nourishing nectar) and less Ama (the harsh, heavy, toxic residue).

The word resilience derives from the Latin verb resilire, which means «to jump back» The word salire, a verb that means «to leap» is the base of resilire. In Physics the word resilience is used to describe elastic materials that can absorb and release energy and return back to its original shape within the process.

So emotionally talking, resilience could be seen as being able to absorb any daily experience without rejecting it, and then sending out a response to that experience according to the circumstances while keeping our emotional balance. I found this example to be a perfect representation of what resilience means. It creates a platform that soundly builds our emotional layer of existence.

Now the concepts of Ojas and Ama play a key role in this process. In order to build this sound platform we need to ask ourselves what is it that we want; to leap out in response to what we got receive, and produce a delicious lovely nectar (Ojas) that can nourish the situation and transform it into a growing experience. Or do we want to react harshly, creating a bitter and heavy toxic residue (Ama).

Finally I believe that when we understand the real meaning of the word responsibility (the Ability to respond) we can clearly put into practice the ideas of Ojas and Ama. And then, we are able to own our impact on ourselves, others, the environment, etc.

“What sorrow takes away from the heart it replaces with something better. Without the fury of the thunder and lightning the plants will be scorched by the sun.

Be grateful for all you receive, good and bad alike, for it may be a gift from the treasury of Spirit that will bring the fulfillment of your most secret desire”

RUMI