Cultivating a Sattvic State of Mind
An Ayurvedic approach to clearing the clutter and calming the chaos
Imagine your mind as a pool of water. What does it look like? Is it a raging, over-active sea, with powerful currents that threaten to overwhelm you when all you're trying to do is navigate your thoughts? This is the quality of rajas. Alternatively, is your mind murky and stagnant, and does it feel a bit like you’re walking through quicksand when trying to connect thoughts and ideas? This is the quality of tamas. Finally, is your mind like a clear, clean pond, easily reflecting back to you what you need to see, and letting you navigate and connect with ease? This is the quality of sattva.
Rajas, tamas, and sattva are qualities of the mind according to the ancient science of Ayurveda, often considered yoga’s sister science. Ayurveda back over two thousand years. Its essential philosophies have remained unchanged for all this time while its healing potential has been proven across time and space. Ayurveda is a holistic, natural, and all-encompassing system of healing that recognizes the mind as the root of all imbalances; therefore working to heal the mind is of primary consideration. A healthy mind is defined as having clarity regarding your life purpose, a strong connection to the Divine, and a reservoir of inner peace and joy within you.
Ayurvedic psychology recognizes three basic states of mind that we all experience throughout our lifetime. These qualities are rajas, tamas and sattva.
Rajas, made of wind (air), manifests in the mind as turbulence, activity, restlessness, agitation, and lack of clear purpose. Like a constantly moving, unpredictable lake on a windy day, when rajas prevails it drives you to do more and more. But without a sense of purpose behind our actions, we eventually become exhausted, burned-out, and overwhelmed.
The second quality, called tamas, is made of earth and water, manifesting in the mind as dullness, lethargy, heaviness, and lack of motivation, like a dirty, stagnant pond. You can’t see the beauty in and around you, and you become disconnected from your inner truth. You don’t have faith or trust in a higher purpose in your life. With tamas in the mind, you withdraw from life-giving activities and people.
When either rajas or tamas dominates in the mind, there is little clarity or peace, your connection to the Divine is frayed, and imbalances begin to take root.
Finally, there is the quality called sattva. Sattva is like a clean, still pond into which you can see into the depths of your mind with ease. When this quality permeates the mind, you have clarity, inner peace, and stillness. This is the starting point for correcting imbalances, re-establishing your connection to the Divine, and receiving clarity for your life purpose and mission. In this place, you tap into your inner reservoir of healing, joy, peace, and inner-knowing. To cultivate sattva in the mind is the highest goal of Ayurvedic healing.
