The Gunas - sattva
Sattva is one of the three Gunas: Tamas, Rajas, and Sattva. Sattva represents qualities such as clarity, peace, purity, and ease. While it's a significant aspect of our spiritual journey, it's important to understand that it's not the final destination.
All three Gunas—whether it's the heaviness of Tamas, the dynamism of Rajas, or the purity of Sattva—have their own way of entwining our consciousness within the dance of material existence, the physical world, and duality. They all keep us bound to the belief that this reality is the one and only reality.
In the practice of Yoga and Ayurveda, we find the best means to make wise life choices and restore a harmonious balance among the Gunas. For instance, if we're feeling sluggish and stuck in a routine, we should introduce more Rajas or spiciness into our life. This can be achieved through dynamic practices, like Sun Salutations, deep backbends, and breath retention, which help alleviate the binding effects of Tamas, such as lethargy and heaviness.
On the other hand, if we find ourselves on the brink of exhaustion, experiencing overstimulation, anxiety, ungroundedness, sleep disturbances, or emotional instability, we need to embrace practices that bring more spaciousness and ease. This includes calming and cooling techniques, like forward folds, twists, and extended exhalations, which help us regain balance.
Once we've achieved a state of balance, we can start nurturing Sattva—cultivating more clarity and purity. From this balanced state, we get the opportunity to explore the aspect of ourselves and life that transcends the Gunas.
Balancing these peripheral energies is the initial step, and while Sattva is beautiful and brings light and joy, it's still a quality. Our ultimate goal is to use the qualities of Sattva to transcend it and connect with our absolute, true nature beyond the Gunas