03 Mar Influencing Gunas of the Physical Body
The entire material world and all the living species under the influence of material energy are naturally endowed with the three Gunas– sattvic, rajasic and tamasic. Depending upon the relative strengths and ratios of the 3 Gunas, they determine the nature of human beings, their actions, behavior, attitude, actions and attachments and their involvement with the world in which they live. While the predominating Guna affects how we perceive the world around us, the unstable mind can easily fluctuate from one predominant Guna to another.
We as human beings, are gifted with the ability to consciously change the levels of the Gunas in our body and mind. By altering the presence and influence of external objects, associations, lifestyle and thoughts, we can increase or decrease the Gunas.
Five Fundamentals for taking charge of the Gunas in the Physical Body
- Choose your food intake wisely: Remember – You are what you ate. If you want to remain agile and healthy till the end of your life, discover some interesting insights on Food. Understand more of the science behind how diet affects our body and mind and how Yogic Diet, helps in rise of Sattva Guna. If you are habituated to binging, then realize the power of your breathe to counter binge eating disorder and take charge of your vulnerabilities through wisdom!
- Eliminate stimulants: Quit drinking, smoking and drugs. The deadening grip these harmful chemicals have on the mind and body is simply NOT worth the momentary pleasure. Listen to Swami Mukundananda elucidating the science of habits and how to develop a good habit and break a bad one. Infact, also think about switching up your morning tea/coffee with lukewarm water with a twist of lemon and honey. Remember – we can never quench the longing of our senses through their fulfillment, but by practicing self-control!
- Move! Feeling very lazy or demotivated or emotionally low? It’s a reflection of excessive tamas. Jumping from Tamas to Sattva can be challenging. However, cultivating Rajas through some movements is relatively easier. Just go out for a stroll. Just breathing fresh air can do amazing magic! Once you get over with your inertia, start some work-out or just run. If the climatic conditions are not conducive for a walk outside, then unfold your yoga mat and do some basic Yogasanas. Follow up with Savasana and increase your feeling of being ‘alive and aware’. Moving the body shifts our whole energy and physiology, which in turn changes our thought and emotional patterns. Exercise is probably the quickest and most efficient way to manage tamasic states. The challenge is to initiate it, because Tamas is a tyrant ruler!
- Do Pranayama to consciously relax: If you feel overwhelmed with life, learn to consciously relax and calm down Rajas. Pranayama practice is super powerful in this. Also, instead of seeing everything in life as a desperate race to victory, start seeing life as a journey where the journey itself is the destination!
- Spend time in nature: Just sitting in a garden or a short trek in a forest or a stroll on the beach can harmonize the mind and body to balance out the Gunas. Earthing yourself by walking barefoot on grass is a great way to recharge your body! Nature is tremendously balancing and healing. Even spending 15 minutes in the sunlight is a popular training method for the human endocrinal system, controlling our hormones and moods.
No Comments