The Three Gunas

The three fundamental forces of nature

The three Gunas are qualities or energies that make up everything in nature, including our minds and bodies.

You can find those three qualities in everything in nature, including us.

They come from Sankhya philosophy, which yoga draws from.

The first of the three Gunas is

Sattva “Balance and Clarity”

Will tend to make us light, in peace, having more wisdom and purity.

When we are calm, happy, and clear-minded, we are in Sattva.

It is the quality that we aim to increase through yoga practice and meditation.

The second of the three Gunas is

Rajas “Activity and Passion”

Leads to movements, desire, energy, and restlessness

When you are driven, busy, or emotional, then Rajas is on.

It is good to have rajas, but too much of it can lead to burnout or stress.

The third one is

Tamas “Inertia and Darkness”

Tamas leads to stillness, heaviness, laziness, and confusion.

When Tamas is leading, we are tired, unmotivated, or unclear.

Too much Tamas leads you to stagnation in your life.

As we went through the three gunas, we noticed that Sattva is the one we want to be in, but in our daily life, a good balance of the three is good, as we want to have some Rajas to keep us motivated to achieve some movement, like a yoga session, for example, or get our stuff done.

Then it will also be good and necessary to have some Tamas to get some rest and allow our body and mind to recharge from our activities.

Through yoga practice and meditation, the influence of Sattva will automatically lead, and then we will be more aware of those qualities influencing our lifestyle.