the gunas - The 3 fundamental forces of nature - sattva
Sattva is one of the three Gunas, Tamas, Rajas, and Sattva. Sattva is clarity, peace, purity, ease and it's a very important point on the path, but it's also good to recognize that it isn't the final point.
All of these principles whether we're talking about the heaviness of Tamas, the dynamism and constant movement of Rajas, or the purity of Sattva, in their own way they all bind consciousness in the dance of this material existence, matter, third dimension and duality.
All of the Gunas are less than the totality of what we really are, pure consciousness, pure soul, we are pristine and eternal.
Unless we understand these trappings and guna means that which binds us. The sound goo is exactly what a guna is. It's something that keeps us entrenched, stuck in thinking that this reality is the only reality.
The practice of Yoga and Ayurveda creates the best opportunity for us to make smart life choices and figure out how we can bring the Gunas back into balance. Maybe we’re a little lethargic and stuck in a rut, then we need to add a little bit more Rajas, chilli or spiciness.
In terms of practice, a little more dynamism, some Sun Salutations, bigger back bends and holding the breath in. This will help to alleviate the the binding effects of Tamas, lethargy and heaviness.
On the other side of the spectrum, on the edge of exhaustion and burnout, feeling overstimulated, anxious, ungrounded not sleeping well, reactionary or emotionally unstable, then we need to lean in to the opposite methodology. We need to find more spaciousness, ease, cucumbers, calming and cooling things which pacify and cool down the system. That includes forward folds, twits and long exhalations to bring us back into balance.
Once we're in balance, then we can start to cultivate more Sattva, more clarity, more purity and then from that place, we truly have an opportunity to see that part of ourself and that part of life which is beyond the Gunas.
We have to balance out these peripheral energies first, and embellish purity and clarity but not get stuck in that, even the light and the joy of Sattva is less than the ultimate truth. Sattva is a beautiful emanation out of oneness but it's still a quality. What we want to do is use the joy, light, clarity and peace to ultimately transcend it and touch in on the absolute part of ourself, our ultimate true nature.