The Three Gunas:- How They Affect Your Life Today

The entire universe may be classified into two major categories or elements according to the philosophy of yoga. These two categories are; Prakriti (Maya or Illusion) and Purusha (Reality). All the things that can change are attributed to Maya, where Purusha is the reality and the other unchangeable part of the universe: the Self, the soul. Sattva rajas tamas are the three natural qualities that influence human behavior and thinking.

The final aim of yoga is to have the eyes of the beholder open and the real truth to be known, which opens the path to Samadhi, or Enlightenment. A step to be closer to the actual self is to know the three guna of Prakriti namely Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas. These are all fundamental building blocks of the world and everything including us. The three gunas explain why people think, act, and feel differently in life.

Keep reading to know what the three gunas are, how they affect us and much about the foodstuff needed to balance and purify these three and the foundations of nature. What is sattva refers to purity, balance, wisdom, and a calm mind.

What are The Three Gunas?

The word gunas is literally translated as qualities. The 3 gunas form the fundamental attributes of nature found in everything and every being in yoga philosophy and Ayurveda. The gunas have a characteristic attached to each of them:

• Sattva = purity and knowledge
• Rajas = activity and desire
• Tamas = destruction and darkness.

These are the forces that we always have and they are reflected in our responses to some situations and experiences. One of the gunas however is always more predominant over the other two. Rajas meaning is activity, passion, ambition, and constant movement.

How Do the Gunas Influence Us?

We are strongly influenced by the three gunas. They shape up all that surrounds us, be it our thoughts and actions, be it our habits and activities that define who we are. It implies that, the more one of the gunas is found in you, the more it will influence your views about the world.

What are the 3 gunas is a question about sattva, rajas, and tamas in nature. An example is that a person with a mostly tamasic temperament will perceive all things to be negative and destructive. An individual that is more sattvic will, on the contrary, have a good attitude and delight and be happy with whatever happens.

Sattva, Rajas and Tamas Explicated

1. Sattva

Sattva is shown in the form of purity, understanding and peace. It is the trait of goodness, happiness, contentment, nobility and content. The Sattva guna does not contain fear, violence, wrath and malice. We may conceive it as the most innocent and para-forgiving of the forces in us. To achieve Samadhi, we should uplift our Sattva guna.

The accumulation of Sattva can be achieved through a decrease of Rajas and Tamas within your mind and within your body. This can be done by eating sattvic food, through meditation, devotion (Bhakti Yoga), and a non-violent lifestyle among a few others. Working with those who make you feel good or engaging in things that make you and others happy would also be ideal in increasing the Sattva guna. Gunas meaning is the basic qualities or energies present in everything.

2. Rajas

Rajas is manifested in passion, action, energy and movement. It is defined by attachment feeling and yearning towards satisfaction and desire. A rajasic teacher in the yoga context prefers to have followers worship him/ her and employs material and theatrical means to impress the listeners. Too-much Rajas students are unable to comprehend inner spiritual lessons, because they are not yet in the Seven Stages of Knowndowns. In case you are wishing to reduce Rajas, you need not eat rajasic foods such as fried and spicy food or eat stimulants such as caffeine.

3. Tamas

Tamas shows up as dirtiness, indolence, and obscurity. It is the by-product of ignorance and it does not allow all beings to see the truth. A tamasic teacher engages in immorality and adapts doctrines and values according to his agenda and wants, students are not disciplined and are caught by the ego.

To reduce Tamas guna in the mind and the body, eat the Tamasic type food less or indulge in excess whether in food or sleep.

Weaving The Gunas Into Daily Life

It is not a matter of preference, choosing this or that guna but following them at their beats. A balanced day might include:

• Morning Sattva: Begin by exposing yourself to the sunshine, a brief pure meditation or a warm lemon water practice.
• Midnoon Rajas: Actually, high-focus tasks are best done during your energy peak, in which case you can take advantage of the energy that rajas provides.
• Evening Tamas: Shut off, and have a tech-free hour, herbal tea or leafy yoga to get into bed.

A practitioner of Ayurveda can provide some specific advice on how to adjust your eating habits or practices depending on the type of predominant guna. An example is that a person who has surplus rajas may need to eat more sattvic food and a tamasic person can use stimulating spices.

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Wind Up

Knowing about the three gunas, Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas enable us to define our disposition and take care to live a happier, healthier and positive balanced life. When we accept the consciousness of sattva, rajas, and tamas, it will be possible to improve our inner peace, clarity, and productivity.

To get a deeper understanding of these gunas, visit an Ayurvedic medical practitioner and receive an individual and tailored recommendation regarding what to eat, how to live, and what to practice in order to stay healthy. These gunas in our day-to-day life can make us get what we desire. We do get to mature and live our life to the fullest.