The Gunas in Practice
The Dance of the Three Qualities
The three gunas - sattva, rajas, and tamas - are the fundamental qualities of Prakriti that pervade all manifestation. Understanding them theoretically is useful; recognizing and working with them in daily life is transformative.
Recognizing the Gunas
In the Body
Sattvic body states:
- Light, comfortable
- Balanced energy
- Clear senses
- Healthy digestion
- Restful sleep
Rajasic body states:
- Agitated, restless
- Excess heat
- Tension, inflammation
- Erratic energy (highs and crashes)
- Light, interrupted sleep
Tamasic body states:
- Heavy, dull
- Low energy, lethargy
- Congestion
- Poor digestion
- Excessive sleep
In the Mind
Sattvic mental states:
- Clarity, lucidity
- Peace, contentment
- Compassion, understanding
- Focused attention
- Objective perception
Rajasic mental states:
- Desire, craving
- Restlessness, agitation
- Anger, irritation
- Scattered attention
- Ambition, competition
Tamasic mental states:
- Dullness, confusion
- Depression, apathy
- Fear, delusion
- Clouded perception
- Resistance, avoidance
In Behavior
Sattvic behavior:
- Measured, appropriate action
- Service without selfish motive
- Truthfulness
- Consideration for others
- Moderation
Rajasic behavior:
- Driven, compulsive action
- Self-centered pursuit
- Manipulation
- Excessive consumption
- Extreme effort
Tamasic behavior:
- Inaction, procrastination
- Negligence
- Deception
- Destruction
- Escapism
The Gunas in Daily Life
Food
Diet powerfully influences the gunas:
Sattvic food:
- Fresh, pure, natural
- Easily digested
- Mildly sweet, cooling
- Prepared with love
- Seasonal, local
Examples: Fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, milk, ghee, nuts, honey
Rajasic food:
- Stimulating, heating
- Very spicy, salty, sour
- Prepared hastily
- Addictive quality
- Artificial stimulants
Examples: Coffee, alcohol, hot spices, heavily salted foods, very sour foods
Tamasic food:
- Stale, processed
- Heavy, hard to digest
- Denatured, lifeless
- Fermented, rotting
- Intoxicating
Examples: Old or reheated food, heavily processed food, meat, mushrooms, excessive alcohol
Sleep
Sattvic sleep:
- Moderate (6-8 hours)
- Restful, refreshing
- Natural rhythm (early to bed, early to rise)
- Easy falling asleep and waking
Rajasic sleep:
- Irregular patterns
- Restless, dream-filled
- Difficulty falling asleep
- Waking anxious or with racing mind
Tamasic sleep:
- Excessive (more than 9 hours)
- Doesn’t refresh
- Difficult to wake
- Drowsy upon waking
Work
Sattvic work:
- Purposeful, meaningful
- Done with attention and care
- Benefits others
- Non-attached to results
- Sustainable effort
Rajasic work:
- Driven by ambition
- Competitive, aggressive
- Focused solely on personal gain
- Burnout-prone
- Attached to outcomes
Tamasic work:
- Careless, negligent
- Avoiding responsibility
- Destructive or harmful
- Minimal effort
- No purpose or meaning
Relationships
Sattvic relating:
- Genuine care for others’ wellbeing
- Clear communication
- Healthy boundaries
- Mutual support
- Truth and kindness balanced
Rajasic relating:
- Driven by desire
- Controlling, manipulative
- Competitive comparison
- Possessiveness
- Drama and intensity
Tamasic relating:
- Neglect, abandonment
- Deception, betrayal
- Codependence
- Avoidance of connection
- Destructive patterns
The Gunas in Yoga Practice
Asana
Sattvic approach:
- Steady, comfortable practice
- Balanced effort and ease
- Present awareness
- Adapting to body’s needs
- Non-competitive
Rajasic approach:
- Pushing for achievement
- Competitive with self or others
- Hot, intense styles
- Ignoring body’s signals
- Focused on external appearance
Tamasic approach:
- Dull, mechanical practice
- Lack of attention
- Avoiding challenge
- Excessive resting
- No dedication or consistency
Pranayama
Sattvic pranayama:
- Smooth, balanced breath
- Nadi shodhana (alternate nostril)
- Calm, focused practice
- Subtle awareness
Rajasic pranayama:
- Intense, heating practices
- Bhastrika, kapalabhati (when overdone)
- Forced, straining
- Achievement-oriented
Tamasic pranayama:
- Shallow, unconscious breathing
- Avoiding practice
- No awareness
- Sleeping during practice
Meditation
Sattvic meditation:
- Clear, focused
- Peaceful absorption
- Awareness of awareness
- Consistent practice
Rajasic meditation:
- Restless, distracted
- Striving for experiences
- Constantly changing techniques
- Frustrated with results
Tamasic meditation:
- Dull, sleepy
- Fantasy and delusion
- Avoiding the practice
- No effort or engagement
Working with the Gunas
Moving from Tamas to Rajas
When tamas dominates, don’t try to leap to sattva. First, activate rajas:
- Physical movement (even vigorous)
- Cold water
- Stimulating pranayama
- Engaging environment
- Social interaction
- Breaking routine
Some rajas is necessary to overcome tamas.
Moving from Rajas to Sattva
Once tamas is overcome, calm the excess rajas:
- Slow, deliberate practice
- Cooling pranayama
- Nature time
- Reducing stimulation
- Regular routine
- Sattvic diet
- Calming company
Cultivating Sattva
Active practices to increase sattva:
Diet: Emphasize sattvic foods; reduce rajasic and tamasic Sleep: Regular patterns, moderate duration Company: Time with sattvic people; reduce agitated or dull influences Environment: Clean, ordered, peaceful spaces Practice: Regular, consistent yoga and meditation Study: Uplifting, illuminating teachings Service: Selfless action for others Nature: Time in natural environments
Transcending the Gunas
While sattva is preferable to rajas and tamas, even sattva is a quality of Prakriti - not the goal.
“gunatitam” - beyond the gunas
The aim of yoga is to recognize oneself as Purusha - the witness that observes all three gunas. This witness is touched by neither sattva’s pleasure, rajas’s activity, nor tamas’s inertia.
Sattva, however, is the gateway. Only in a sattvic state can discrimination arise that reveals the difference between seer and seen.
Practical Guidelines
Daily Assessment
Notice which guna dominates:
- Upon waking - how do you feel?
- After meals - energized, agitated, or dull?
- During work - focused, driven, or avoiding?
- In practice - present, striving, or sleepy?
Moment-to-Moment Awareness
The gunas shift constantly. Notice:
- What am I feeling now?
- What guna is this?
- What is causing this state?
- What would support more sattva?
Long-Term Observation
Over time, patterns emerge:
- Which guna tends to dominate?
- What triggers rajasic or tamasic states?
- What reliably increases sattva?
- How has the balance shifted with practice?
Non-Judgment
All three gunas are natural. The work is:
- Recognition, not condemnation
- Skillful adjustment, not violent control
- Gradual cultivation, not forced change
- Understanding, not judgment
The Play of the Gunas
Ultimately, the gunas are the dance of Prakriti - the play of nature. Watch them move through body and mind like weather through sky. The sky remains untouched.
This watching - this knowing of the gunas without being lost in them - is the beginning of liberation. From the sattvic vantage point of clarity, one can observe even sattva itself, and in that observation, stand free.