3 Qualities

Growing with the gunas.

One of the greatest things about this practice is that it gives us the chance to reimagine ourselves. Through yoga, we get to develop certain qualities while diminishing others. In yogic terminology, these qualities are represented by the gunas.

There are three gunas - rajas, tamas, and satva.

Rajas is associated with passionate action. This is the fiery guna that cannot stop moving. By comparison, tamas feels dull and heavy. This is the guna associated with ignorance and inertia. Generally speaking, yoga practices aim to bridle rajasic and tamasic qualities.

That’s not to say rajas and tamas are all bad. In fact, we need both to function. Without rajas we wouldn’t be able move, or experience the depths of human emotion. Without tamas we wouldn’t be able to sleep, or ground ourselves at all. The problem is not with these qualities per se, but in getting overrun by them. Without our realizing it, the passion of rajas can metastasize into frustration or anger. Similarly, the weight of tamas may devolve into laziness or complacency. So how do we manage these qualities effectively?

Enter satva. A yogi’s best friend, this guna is associated with balance and clarity. Through discerning self-awareness, satva allows for thoughtful synthesis of our rajasic and tamasic qualities. Generally speaking, all yoga practices aim to cultivate satva.

There are many ways we can generate satva in yoga. In any pose, for example, we can pay attention to body sensations. Is there any part that’s overexerting (ie; rajasic)? Is it because there’s some other part that isn’t working like it should (ie; tamasic)? Can I recalibrate my efforts to get more out of the pose, and what are my motivations for wanting to do so?

There are endless opportunities for satvic self-inquiry like this in asana practice. Off the mat, that same discerning awareness may be applied to any aspect of the human experience. Of course, this can give rise to difficult questions sometimes. Very often however, it produces a sense of lucidity and harmony. Either way, we can use the concept of the gunas to orientate our self-inquiry, and navigate our own personal development. By embracing gunasic interplay, the yogi can learn to grow skilfully.