THE 3 GUNAS OF NATURE (SATTVA, RAJAS

AND TAMAS)
By Timothy Burgin | September 12th, 2019

In the philosophy of Yoga, all matter in the universe arises from the fundamental substrate
called Prakriti. From this ethereal Prakriti the three primary gunas (qualities of energy) emerge
creating the essential aspects of all nature—energy, matter, and consciousness. These three
gunas are tamas (darkness & chaos), rajas (activity & passion), and sattva (beingness &
harmony). The awareness and conscious manipulation of the three gunas are a powerful way to
reduce stress, increase inner peace and lead one towards enlightenment.

What is a guna?
Guna is a Sanskrit word which translates as “quality, peculiarity, attribute, or
tendency.” In yoga and Ayurveda, a guna is a tattva or element of reality that can affect our
psychological, emotional and energetic states. The three gunas were created as an essential
component of Sankhya philosophy but the gunas are now a major concept in most schools of
Indian philosophy. The three gunas are described as being constantly influx and interacting with
one another, in a playful state referred to as maya or illusion. The patterns of the interplay of the
gunas can define the essential qualities of someone or something, and these patterns can highly
influence the path and progress of life. For yoga practitioners, awareness of the gunas provides a
GPS to allow us to make choices to be more balanced, peaceful and harmonious both on and off
our mat. Cultivating the ability to identify and understand the nature of the gunas brings us
closer to seeing the universal truth of oneness.

The three gunas: Tamas, Rajas, and Sattva

All three gunas are always present in all beings and objects surrounding us but vary in their
relative amounts. We humans have the unique ability to consciously alter the levels of the gunas
in our bodies and minds. The gunas cannot be separated or removed in oneself but can be
consciously acted upon to encourage their increase or decrease. A guna can be increased or
decreased through the interaction and influence of external objects, lifestyle practices and
thoughts.

Qualities of the three gunas

Tamas is a state of darkness, inertia, inactivity, and materiality. Tamas manifests from
ignorance and deludes all beings from their spiritual truths. Other tamasic qualities are laziness,
disgust, attachment, depression, helplessness, doubt, guilt, shame, boredom, addiction, hurt,
sadness, apathy, confusion, grief, dependency, ignorance.

Rajas is a state of energy, action, change, and movement. The nature of rajas is of attraction,
longing and attachment and rajas strongly bind us to the fruits of our work. Other rajasic
qualities are anger, euphoria, anxiety, fear, irritation, worry, restlessness, stress, courage,
rumination, determination, chaos.
Sattva is a state of harmony, balance, joy, and intelligence. Sattva is the guna that yogis achieve
towards as it reduces rajas and tamas and thus makes liberation possible. Other sattvic qualities
are delight, happiness, peace, wellness, freedom, love, compassion, equanimity, empathy,
friendliness, focus, self-control, satisfaction, trust, fulfillment, calmness, bliss, cheerfulness,
gratitude, fearlessness, selflessness.

Rajas Sattva Tamas

Activity Truth / Goodness Inertia & inactivity

Passion, desire & attachment Light, harmony & balance Darkness, delusion & ignorance

Energy Spiritual Essence Mass / matter / heaviness

Expansion Upward flow Downward flow

Movement Intelligence & consciousness Sloth & dullness

Binds by means of passion and Binds by means of attachment to Binds by means of ignorance and
craving. knowledge and joy. obstruction.

Working With the Gunas

The mind’s psychological qualities are highly unstable and can quickly fluctuate between the
different gunas. The predominant guna of the mind acts as a lens that affects our perceptions and
perspective of the world around us. Thus, if the mind is in rajas it will experience world events
as chaotic, confusing and demanding and it will then have a strong tendency to continue to react
to events in a rajasic way. Therefore, for yogis to make progress along the path we must practice
self-observation and discernment to witness and not react to the activities of the gunas. We must
also have the inner-strength and willpower to consciously shift our thoughts and actions away
from tamas and rajas towards sattvic balance and purpose.

To reduce tamas avoid tamasic foods, oversleeping, overeating, inactivity, passivity and fearful
situations. Tamasic foods include heavy meats and foods that are spoiled, chemically treated,
processed or refined. For more info read A Yogi’s Practical Guide to Balancing Tamas Guna.

To reduce rajas avoid rajasic foods, over-exercising, overwork, loud music, excessive thinking
and consuming excessive material goods. Rajasic foods include fried foods, spicy foods, and
stimulants. For more info read Reducing Rajas Guna: A Yogi’s How-To Guide.

To increase sattva reduce both rajas and tamas, eat sattvic foods and enjoy activities and
environments that produce joy and positive thoughts. Sattvic foods include whole grains and
legumes and fresh fruits and vegetables that grow above the ground. All of the yogic practices
were developed to create sattva in the mind and body. Thus, practicing yoga and leading a yogic
lifestyle strongly cultivates sattva.

All gunas create attachment and thus bind one’s self to the ego. “When one rises above the
three gunas that originate in the body; one is freed from birth, old age, disease, and death; and
attains enlightenment” (Bhagavad Gita 14.20). While the yogi’s goal is to cultivate sattva, his or
her ultimate goal is to transcend their misidentification of the self with the gunas and to be
unattached to both the good and the bad, the positive and negative qualities of all life.