The Gunas
According to Ayurveda and Yoga, the natural world consists of a variety of elements and qualities that often form harmonious and balanced relationships with one another. As we reflect on these complex relationships found in nature, many of us may hope to seek out a sense of balance and harmony in our own lives. In order to do so, it is important to consider the different ways in which we may encounter a sense of imbalance in our lives and what we can do to restore that harmonious balance.
The Three Gunas
The word “guna” comes from Sanskrit, and it more broadly refers to a quality or attribute of some kind. It literally means “what binds” because if misunderstood, it can keep us binded to the external world. The gunas are unique qualities that have a great deal of influence over one’s consciousness as well as one’s mental and emotional states of being. The three gunas: Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas are in constant interplay through out our day. For example: Rajas is what gets us out of bed in the morning, Tamas is what makes us wind down to go to sleep at night, and Sattva are the harmonious decisions we make through out our day.
Sattva
The quality of Sattva is connected with intelligence and is also associated with things that are good and pure. Sattva is balance and a sense of lasting peace. It is that inner clarity to just “know” with out the urge of wanting to know. Sattva guna automatically arises from a dedicated yoga and meditation practice. This is the most sought after quality because it is inner contentment.
Rajas
Rajas is the quality of motion, turbulence, and change. This attribute is what allows us to feel constantly motivated to act and achieve the goals we set for ourselves. A decent amount of this quality in our lives can keep us moving and feeling ready to tackle the day ahead of us (or maybe even the week or year). This is what drives our ambitions and makes us look forward to what life has in store for us as we move forward. Rajas is stimulating in the short term, but it can quickly result in pain due to its unbalanced nature. It can also lead to a sense of inner turmoil if one does not reach the high standards they set for themselves, or if they don’t reach those goals fast enough. If we allow our strong emotions and passions to run high, new problems are sure to arise.
Tamas
Lastly, the quality of Tamas is connected with slowness and a state of inactivity. If this quality were to be compared to Rajas, it would be on the opposite side of the spectrum with Rajas focusing on action and Tamas focusing on inaction. This quality can be helpful considering that it can provide a sense of stability when things around us start to feel chaotic and overwhelming. It also allows us to stay calm and focused in stressful situations or when we feel tensions starting to run high. Despite these positive qualities, there are some negative effects involved in allowing Tamas to have too much influence over your life and your perceptions of yourself and the world around you. Perhaps you feel that it is quite difficult to move on from something that happened in the past, or you might feel as if you are stuck in place, unable to decide where to go from your current position in life. In other cases, you might find it difficult to start your day and feel your best if you find that you struggle to get out of bed in the morning or feel more tired than usual. Tamas can make us stuck in situations that even we know are not good for us.
We are all a combination of the three gunas. Increasing Sattva is moving towards balance. Sattva is the balance of Rajas and Tamas, combining the energy of Rajas with the stability of Tamas. To increase Sattva is to move towards greater harmony within ourselves and nature. Sattva is lasting freedom, contentment, and happiness. It is a smooth sense of stability with right action. When Sattva is dominant in our consciousness, we discover our eternal Self. Sattva guna is a walk back home to God, realizing that we are all souls in different bodies, each evolving with different lessons. It is the highest form of health and healing.