Funny name aside, the Gunas play an important role both in yoga and in our everyday life but, while we might be vaguely aware of them, it's not until we get a better understanding of them that we realise how much they affect us. So what exactly are the Gunas?
Ancient scriptures describe them as three strands or threads of energy which are interwined in all natural things in the Universe. The three Gunas are present within everyone and everything but we all possess different levels of each one and these levels fluctuate with our circumstances and lifestyles.
Understanding these energy fluctuations can be helpful in our day-to-day lives as we start to notice how they play out in our moods and emotions. By noticing and adjusting these energies we can bring ourselves towards balance and harmony.
So let's explore each one of the Gunas now. Have you noticed that some days you feel agitated, busy, with the heart racing and the mind whirring? This is rajas. Rajas is associated with activity, passion, ambition and accomplishment. When rajas is in balance it is a positive energy, but if it becomes too dominant it can lean towards hyperactivity, agitation, anger, and aggression.
Some days you might feel heavy and lethargic and can't be bothered to do much - this is tamas. Tamas, when balanced and in it's positive form is stability, loyalty, patience and ease. However, too much tamas presents itself as inertia, laziness, heaviness, apathy and depression.
The final Guna is Sattva. You might recognise it on those days when you feel that life just flows, everything is aligned and you are peaceful, content and fulfilled. We can reach a sattvic state through the practice of yoga - it is that deep and quiet peace that follows a good yoga class, a deep meditation and a long Savasana.
Even your food can possess these energies, for example, spicy food is fiery and rajassic, red meats are heavy and tamassic and sattvic foods are light and easy to digest like fresh vegetables. As always, balance is the key thing.
See if you can spot the different energies around you - in rush hour traffic rajas is most likely to be dominant, after an evening watching telly on the sofa you are likely to feel tamassic and on a sunny spring morning a quiet walk in the countryside will hopefully leave you feeling sattvic.
Notice the Gunas when you're on your yoga mat too - if you're feeling lethargic some Sun Salutations will bring a little more rajas to your practice to balance you, if you're wired after a busy day of coffee and meetings you'll need some quiet seated forward bends and restorative postures to bring you back to the present moment, and your Savasana will surely leave you feeling sattvic and more at peace with the world.
The simple act of just noticing which Guna is most dominant in a situation is usually enough to diffuse it and bring you back towards a more balanced state. It probably won't change the situation you're in but it will change your reaction to it - the awareness is the important part. This is spiritual growth and, just by doing your regular yoga and mindfulness practice, you're already on the path and enjoying the journey towards it.
A Quick Refreshing Break For Tired Eyes
Here's a simple energy boost for your eyes, especially good if you've been sitting at a computer for a long time: Rub your hands vigorously together until they feel hot. Gently close your eyes and place your palms lightly over them. Feel the warmth generating from your hands and visualise it soaking into your eyes bringing fresh energy to them. Breath slowly and deeply for a few breaths, then slowly move your hands away from your face and down to rest on your lap. Pause a moment more to notice how you feel. Try it - it works.
How to Do Warrior 1 Pose - Virabhadrasana 1
This pose strengthens the legs, stretches the hip flexors of the back leg, lifts the chest and stretches the sides of the body and the arms.
Here's how to do it (the Iyengar way):
1. From Tadasana (Mountain Pose), step the feet wide apart and place your hands on your hips.
2. Turn the right foot out 90 degrees, externally rotating the whole leg, and turn the left foot in at about a 45 degree angle.
3. Extend your arms out to the sides.
4. On an inhalation raise your arms above your head.
5. On an exhalation turn your torso to the right.
6. On an inhalation stretch up even more, lifting up through the legs, pelvic floor, tummy muscles, sides of the body and arms.
7. On an exhalation bend the right knee deeply - be sure to keep the knee directly over the ankle.
8. Draw the abdominal muscles in again so that the front of the pelvis lifts a little and the back of the pelvis and the tailbone lengthen towards the ground. This will help keep the lumbar spine long, which will keep your back safe.
9. Press strongly into the back foot and leg and breathe into the stretch there.
10. Stay for 3-5 breaths. To come out of the pose, press strongly into the feet and straighten the front leg, turn back to the centre, lower the arms, and step the feet back together to Mountain Pose.
11. Repeat on the left side.
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| Warrior 1 |
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| The muscles that are used in Warrior 1 pose (illustration from Leslie Kaminoff's book "Yoga Anatomy") |
Some wise words for you...
Finally, a video for you to smile at. Often when we practice binds in class (usually wrapping an arm around a bent knee and catching hold of the other hand behind the back) I hear mumbles of "my arms are too short", and sometimes in other poses its "my legs are too short". This video shows that shortness of limb, whilst sometimes can be challenging, needn't stop you having fun.
p.s have you noticed I can now embed a video onto the page instead of just giving you the link? Me and technology... we're getting on fine ...at the moment :-)
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