As, the nighttime air starts to cool off a bit, I was reminded of this Tonic that I make often. I wanted something warm and calming. This particular tonic helps me a lot during the fall and winter seasons. However, it's perfect to have all year round! It helps calm Vata dosha, and any sort of restless energy.
I decided to share my super easy version of this traditional Ayurvedic tea used to promote sleep and increase Ojas.
So, what the heck is Ojas and what does it have to do with this drink?
Let me explain the meaning of the word and the thought process behind this concoction.
In Ayurveda, we refer to the word "Ojas" all the time. This word literally means, "juice, or nectar." In short, Ojas is used to describe our vitality, on all levels. Ojas is a sign of good health, good energy, and good nourishment. When someone is depleted of Ojas, there's dryness, restlessness, and loss of strength and vitality. So, in order to help restore Ojas, we need to have good sleep! Good sleep is one indicator that we have good Ojas. We need Ojas to live a zesty, juicy life. It's directly linked to our immune system.
Some foods that promote Ojas are nuts (especially almonds and cashews), ghee, dates, raisins, figs, coconut, sweet & juicy in-season fruits, and more. Good quality milk also promotes Ojas, however since our milk sources aren't the best here in the US, I leave that one out of the equation sometimes.
Some things that deplete our Ojas are stress, old or stale foods, fried foods, undercooked foods, processed foods, lack of sleep, overexertion, and toxic relationships.
So, this tea or tonic is a double winner because its boosting our Ojas, while calming our nervous system.
Its a really nice thing to add to your night time routine and it offers so many benefits. All of these spices are incredibly nourishing for our bodies. You can play around with the amount of each ingredient. Make it to your liking, but don't leave any ingredients out!
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup of milk - nut milk or oat milk will also work
1 teaspoon of ghee
4 pitted dates
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, ground
1/2 teaspoon of cardamom, ground
1/2 teaspoon of freshly graded nutmeg
Pinch of turmeric, ground
Pinch of black pepper, ground
1/2 cup water
DIRECTIONS:
Place all the ingredients in a blender, and blend on high speed until the dates are liquified. This will probably take a minute or two.
Then pour the mixture into a saucepan and bring to a light boil.
Pour into mugs and drink while it's still hot to warm.
Add a little bit of honey if needed.
Makes about 2 cups of tea.
** NUTMEG IS AN IMPORTANT INGREDIENT FOR THIS TONIC. IT HAS TO BE FRESHLY GROUND IN ORDER TO GET THE MAX BENEFIT. NUTMEG PROMOTES RESTFUL SLEEP. Feel free to double the amount of Nutmeg. It's also a mood booster, can help with joint pain, and has anti-inflammatory properties.
HAPPY SLEEPING!!!
ENJOY!!
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