Balancing Energies

Almost everyone who does yoga says that their "energy" feels different after they've practiced. This is no doubt one of the main reasons why we practice: to change our experience of how energy moves in the body. We want more energy; smoother, more even energy; or energy that is quieter and less agitated.

There are 3 gunas, or forces of movement:
• Rajas (energy/passion)
• Tamas (lethargy/ignorance)
• Sattva (balance)

Rajas is associated with creation, sun up, and our inhalation.

Tamas is associated with destruction, sun down, and our exhalation.

Sattva is associated with preservation, sleep time, and the retention of our breath.

All three gunas are essential.

We are all made up of different combinations of each of these gunas and these combinations are not always the same. At one point in your life or week or day, one guna may be dominant but it will not always be so.

The ability to recognize which guna is dominant and understand how to balance out that guna can bring about harmony in your life.

One avenue to balancing out our gunas is our Yoga practices.

If you’re feeling tired or run down, Tamas is dominant. Try a more active Yoga practice, encouraging Rajas to flare.

If you’re really high strung and on edge, Rajas is dominant. Try a gentler Yoga practice that day, bringing Tamas into play.


Namaste