Understanding the nature of things - The 3 Gunas
“Gunas” describe the three attributes of nature, of which we are an inextricable part.
At any one time, one guna will be the prevailing “essence” with the other two in lesser degrees of influence.
Sattva= intelligence, balance, harmony *energy= inward and upward motion
Rajas= energy, heat, change *energy = outward motion
Tamas= darkness, stability, inertia *energy= downward motion
We may find fluctuations occurring often throughout the day as our energy shifts with the cycles of the sun and the moon. Sattva is associated with the dawn and the dusk, the stillness as light turns to dark, and the darkness to light. Rajas prevails during the daylight hours when we often tend to bustle about getting things done. Tamas is associated with the night time, the quietude and darkness promoting sleep and rest.
We may have a tendency or imbalance shifting us away from our ultimate state of Sattva, or balance. It may be influenced by movement, diet and whether we are in sync with the gunas of the naural world around us.
To know ourselves - our innate natures, to become aware of the fluctuations in mood and energy, be they minute to minute, day to day, or over a lifetime, affords us the insight to create positive change, to be fully present in harmony.
We firstly learn to understand then recognise what constitutes our own balance in mood, energy and action, and the two opposites to that balance. We can then make more informed choices – taking accountability
Sattva- is light and luminous, the force of love that unites all things together. Balance, dynamic stillness, goodness, bliss, bouyancy, lightness. Resides within the realm of the mind or consciousness. Combines the energy of rajas with the stability of tamas
Rajas- Change, activity and over activity, turbulence. Action from motivation. Becoming absorbed in the fast pace of the modern world, desire, pain, restlessness, excessive hard work. The state of rajas embodies , leads us to seek enjoyment in the external world and lose track of our inner peace. Rajas predominates the sensory seeking aspect of the mind, the ever seeking pleasure seeking self. Rajas can provide the motivation for personal development and drive the energy for moving from tamas to sattva.
Tamas- inactivity, withdrawal, difficulty focussing and acting, inertia. Inability to make decisions, immobilisation through fear or fatigue. Promotes deep restful sleep. apathy, darkness, passivity. Loss of awareness. Is a dullness that veils our true nature, building a sense of separateness and isolation. Prevails in the physical body- the muscles, bones and ligaments. During yoga practice it grounds your feet and keeps you balanced. Tamas keeps people grounded and living within limits.
When we are in sync with the flow of nature and the cyclical natures of shifting gunas, we experience balance, or sattva. When the gunas within us are in opposition to that of our natural world, we experience disharmony. For example, recall a night of little sleep, when the natural world is shifting to the tamasic state of darkness and quietude but our mind is in a rajasic state of activity-thinking and worrying we are unable to find deep restful sleep, the disharmony follows the next day as our delayed tamasic state weaves into our daylight hours and we feel fatigued, lethargic and subdued.
Understanding the gunas is important because while the challenges of our everyday lives can disturb their delicate balance, these energies, entwined in an intricate dance, create all that we are, all that we see, and all that remains unseen.
Tamas provides our foundation; rajas gives it vitality and breath; sattva imbues it with consciousness and compassion.
It is helpful to remember when we take self reflection, we aim to do so with kindness and self compassion. We all experience states of tamas and rajas- this does not make us less deserving of self care and love. This is how we learn and grow.
Over the coming months we will delve more deeply into the ways we can influence our energetic, mental and emotional states. Here you may like to contemplate the following:
Do you feel the differing states of sattva, rajas and tamas?
Are there patterns to the fluctuations?
What do you wish to cultivate?
What are the habitual ways you respond to any situation that arises?
With love always,
Mell