What Are The Gunas in Yoga - Types of Gunas and All About Three Gunas
While studying about Hinduism and Yoga Philosophy, you will come across three important Gunas. They are nothing but, the three qualities of matter, that exist on earth. It mainly denotes, how you live your daily lives. Now, let us dig in further, to avoid any sort of ambiguity on the same. Life is a tumultuous journey, in which you will find things and situations, that hold you back, and others which liberate. The ancient school of philosophy, Samkhya, divides this life into two parts. They are Purusha and Prakriti. To make it simpler, Purusha is all that is known and can be seen, or felt. On the other hand, Prakriti is all that, which you can find out on this explorative journey, called life. You will be able to unearth the secrets of the yogic realm, and the meaning of life in general, through the 200 hour yoga teacher training in rishikesh.
There are three fundamental forces or energies in Prakriti, and they are Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas. The universe is purely a manifestation of all these gunas. Prakriti also manifests itself through an interplay of these forces. If you are walking on the spiritual path, it makes sense for you to generate awareness of how these work in conjunction with one another. By utilizing the best practices, you can move or navigate towards Purusha.
All About The Gunas
The Gunas are best described as the strands of a rope. Each one is intertwined with the other, and in the process manifests itself as mind and matter. However, the same knowledge is more important for yoga practitioners, as it tells the incumbent, whether he or she is moving in the right direction or not. To be more precise, all the three gunas have their own characteristic.
⦁ Sattva is the most transparent of them all. You can see through it. It can also allow light to pass through it. In this case, you can visualize the light of conscious awareness passing through it. It promotes beauty, balance, life, as well as enlightenment. Your main aim in the realm of Yoga is to cultivate and nurture Sattva.
⦁ Now, we move onto to Rajas. It is basically the energy of change. Its movement may cause you to drift towards Sattva or Tamas. Thus, it will act, in the way, you make it act, either positively or negatively, as the case is. Rajas can bring in some happiness, by coupling the object of desire with the subject. You will be bound to sensory feelings, and to the fruits of your action. It mainly makes you earthly bound.
⦁ The third Guna is Tamas. It has the power to stop all consciousness. You may become dull and obsessed, if it takes over the other three gunas. It is also quite heavy in quality. If you eat too much of Tamasic foods, the brain stops working. You will not be able to differentiate between the good and the bad.
So, now that you know about the three gunas, you have a fair idea of which is the best and which is not. If you are already doing yoga, or are a yoga enthusiast, then these concepts are very important for you. If you understand the gunas, you will be able to bring in some amount of balance into your lives. That is absolutely important, if you are a yogi. Gunas are an important part of the lessons in the yoga teacher training in rishikesh.
Bring Stability With Sattva Guna
Sattva Guna is the one that brings stability in a person’s life. Moreover, it is quite illuminating, in the true sense of the word. You can improve the happiness quotient of your life, by increasing this, Guna. The term and concept have percolated down from Samkhya philosophy. It takes you on the correct path of dharma and righteousness.
Several changes occur in the human mind and body, when this Guna is at its strongest. If Sattva Guna is strong, one has the desire to be good and caring. The person also turns out to be cheerful and non-violent. Any person, whose has a dominating Sattva, is also filled with a lot of knowledge. This person can easily differentiate between needs and wants in life, as well. Such an individual will work with dignity and pride, throughout life. You will often find that such people have a religious bent of mind.
They often participate in religious and devotional programs. Purity is the ultimate result, in the life of such a person. Although these are the positive attributes of people, who have a dominant Sattva, it also tends to have some downsides. It can encase the person in the quest for happiness and wisdom. Now, you will know, that this Guna is further sub-divided into seven other types. They are Brahma, Arsa, Aindra, Yamya, Varuna, Kauvera, and Gandharva. Change your old habits, and renew life through new practices. That is the essence of Sattva Guna.
Propel Your Life Into Motion With Rajas Guna
Rajas Guna promotes movement. Among the three Gunas, this is the one, which is in the most hyper-active state. You will also tend to think excessively and get anxious over small things, if this Guna dominates. To be impartial, all the three Gunas exist in all persons. However, their content varies.
When Rajas Guna is dominant in any person, you will be able to observe various qualities, as listed underneath. The person tends to be very passionate and active. However, impulsiveness also comes along. Such persons seem to look for the negative in other people. So, you will find them to be very envious all the time. Rajasic people are never ever satisfied with what they have. They need the companionship of others, to feel happy. However, they also tend to get bored after a while. Such people are often very selfish and self-centred.
They are attention seekers as well. Moreover, you will find them performing functions, just for name and fame. They rarely think about the others. Such persons may also be angry and fearful. You will be amazed to know, that there are six types of Rajas Guna. You will learn about the various types in more detail in the 300 hour yoga teacher training in rishikesh. Hrishikesh Yoga School is among the most prominent schools, which can give you professional training in the above aspects.
Tamas Guna and Inertia
Tamas is just the opposite of Rajas. The persons, who are dominated by this Guna tend to be lethargic, and are always in inertia. The word ‘Tama’ means darkness. If you have a dominant Tamas, then the below mentioned qualities will be more evident in your personality. Such people are often unbalanced and careless. Moreover, the nature is unbalanced. It brings in a lot of rigidity and inertia as well. There is a deep desire in such persons to sleep and take rest all the time. You will also find them to be extremely moody. You will also find such people to be ignorant. The mind is often puzzled and directionless. The ego is quite big, with respect to such people. These people also seem to be disconnected from the others. It also promotes evil action. Furthermore, the diet is noteworthy as well. You will find such people gorging on eggs, alcohol, and red meat most of the time. If you think that Tamas, is all about negativity, you are wrong. All the Gunas have some positive traits and a few negative traits. Such people are relaxed, which aids in yoga practice. Such people are also quite grounded and stable.
There are three types of Tamas Guna.
Yoga Practices To Balance The Gunas
So, by now you know that each person has a combination of the above three Gunas. You need to embrace and love all the three Gunas, as they have different features that are necessary for livelihood.
⦁ You ought to choose your asanas extremely carefully. You can start with Hatha Yoga, as it can help you identify the needs of the body, soul, and the mind. They should be able to address your physical, mental, and spiritual needs. The Gunas can change position as you continue to practice the asanas. If you are attending any of the yoga classes, and feel disbalanced, then you must try to find out the root cause. The moment you find it out, you should change the pattern of yoga asanas. If you feel too tired, then probably asanas which increase Rajas is not for you. Your teacher will help you to find out the body constitution, so that you can function at the optimum level.
⦁ You should also take care of your food intake. There are three kinds of diet according to Ayurveda, Sattvic, Rajasic, and Tamasic. Sattvic food is considered light, fresh, and healthy. Moreover, it is also easily digestible. All the nutrients also tend to be present in proper proportion in such foods. If you are preparing to become a yogi, it is necessary that you follow a Sattvic diet. Furthermore, it also helps in promoting fresh Prana. Some of the foods in this category are fresh fruits, vegetables, salads, whole grains, millets, rice, and nuts. You can also include the above in boiled form.
Rajasic foods are the ones that are hot and spicy. They are also very stimulating in nature. However, they are not that much good for the body, as they can cause digestion issues. You will also tend to overeat and will feel restless most of the time. Most people tend to eat such foods, as they are tastier. So, it is not good in the long run. It also aggravates the Vata and Pitta qualities. Such foods include fried meats, like chicken skewers, coffee, tobacco, alcohol, and pickles.
The third category, as you already know, is Tamasic foods. These tend to be useless for the body and heavy in nature. They tend to weigh you down. These are also stale. Most stale food have stagnant energy in them, that makes them unsuitable for consumption. If you continue to eat such foods, you will face ignorance and confusion. All such food is stale, over-processed, and cold in nature. Jams and jellies also fall under this category.
⦁ Breath is the single most important function, that can keep you alive. Even if you are not engaged in yoga asanas, you can practice breath manipulation. It is extremely important that you understand about Kumbhaka, as well. It means retention of breath. The various types of Pranayama, which you will come across at the school in Rishikesh are Ujjayi Pranayama, Bhastrika Pranayama, Bhramari Pranayama, and so on. You should ensure that your exhalation is longer than inhalation. The breath, if manipulated properly can change the wellbeing quotient.
⦁ Meditation is another activity that you can adopt and embrace. It will help you to focus on the present moment. It can also reduce the effects of the Gunas, that are not in balance in your body. Walking meditation is of particular importance here, as it has been known to bring in lots of benefits.
⦁ Avoid sleeping too much all the time. Keep it for the night. Additionally, you must not stretch sleep beyond 7 am. Getting up in the wee hours of the morning can bring many positive changes within your body. You can of course add an afternoon nap to your daily routine. It will help you to feel rejuvenated and energized.
You must always ensure to live according to the needs of your body, mind, and soul. These are a few of the ways, in which you can bring the Gunas in balance. For more information, you must head to Hrishikesh Yoga School. Learn under proper guidance there.
