Find lightness without going to outerspace.

Sometimes we think ideas like Sattva or lightness as the place where we want to be. It seems so AMAZING! But it may not be in our path in life to...give up our material things and attachments and become a monk...right? Sattva is a natural state that we come to...just like Rajas -energeticness or Tamas -inertia. We all run through phases of life and environment that leads towards one guna more than the other but ultimately the world is made up of all 3 and its about finding the balance between them. There is a natural time and place for each one to dominate and when we're out of balance we can feel that the Rajas is making us anxious or manic...and too much Tamas can be excessively lazy or even depression. Many people think too much Sattva can't be bad! Its the goal we're trying to reach isn't it? No...too much Sattva is living in outer space, as I like to call it. Not connected to the ground and floating away from the earth. Its lovely to go up there but not a natural state for us to be there all the time. High on weed...ALL THE TIME. It maybe be a happy place but how does it fit in to the world around you? Don't get me wrong...there are plenty of people who this works for! But most of us...its just not the way to go. There

Its easy to think that the monk or whoever who has given up their attachments and lives in an ashram is experiencing this outer space like Sattva all the time...I don't think that's true. I think for them that is their path in life -their natural state of balance. And though in comparison to our regular lives it may look ultra Sattvic but I am sure to them its just every day normal and balanced.

I bounce between Rajas and Tamas in extremes sometimes...that I have to remind myself to seek a little Sattva. I find lightness in my rooftop yoga class at 200 Water Street. We're high up closer to the sky and we're only up there for an hour or so. :) If you're interested in class, we hold class on Wed and Fri mornings 8-9am $15.

200 Water Street roof top yoga!

Gunas

The 3 Gunas
Sattva -balance harmony, higher spiritual potential
Rajas -energy, action, change, movement
Tamas -darkness, inertia, form and materiality

These Gunas exist in nature. They are the 3 main components of the universe. And as our bodies are a microcosm of that universe, they exist within our body's physiology. We need all 3 of these things in order to find balance in our minds and body. This is the goal of Yoga, to be in balance. When we are in balance our bodies can be in balance, thus the physiological processes our bodies need to undergo are at its most optimal functioning.
 
The relationship between Tamas and Rajas is like having an anchor or tether. This is such an important part of Yoga. In our alignment we have to be grounded or anchored -Tamas, in order for the rest of the body to have movement or to be free -Rajas. When both of these things happen we can feel our minds start to let go and we go into meditation. This is our Sattva. If we don't have Tamas, our Rajas would be out of control and chaotic. If we have too much Tamas it will weigh us down and we'll feel depression, our Rajas will not be strong enough to lift us up and thus be chaotic. It will be difficult to achieve our Sattva. I find that the relationship between Rajas and Tamas are interdependant, one cannot exist without the other and also opposite. As they oppose each other. Together they help create or maintain the Sattva.