woven with three strands
Some days I step onto the mat heavy, as if gravity is stronger than usual, every movement slow and weighted. Other days I feel restless—my breath short, my mind racing ahead, my body eager to move in every direction at once. And then there are those moments when everything feels balanced—my breath steady, movements fluid, awareness spacious.
The yoga teachings describe this shifting inner landscape through the lens of the gunas. They tell us that prakriti—the material world, all we can perceive—is woven of three strands, or gunas, that are constantly shifting in relation and proportion to one another.
The Three Gunas
Tamas — the pull of stillness. In practice, tamas can show up as heaviness, inertia, the call to rest or sink deep into the floor. It grounds and restores, but can also tip into stagnation or fog.
Rajas — the spark of movement. Rajas is energy, the restless drive to move and push. In practice, it may show up as urgency in the breath, force in the body, or the impulse to do more.
Sattva — the glow of clarity. Sattva arises in moments of harmony, when breath and movement align, when awareness feels bright and steady. It brings clarity and ease, though like the others, it too shifts.
Why They Matter
The activities of the gunas either conceal or reveal the presence of purusha—the steady witness, the awareness that simply observes.
When tamas is heavy, the witness feels hidden beneath the weight. When rajas is turbulent, the witness is swept away in motion. When sattva is present, the witness shines clearly—but none of these states stay forever.
The invitation of yoga is not to cling to one guna or reject the others, but to notice their movements. To recognize which is present in a given moment, and to meet it with curiosity and compassion.
A Reflection for You
As you move through your practice—or even through your day—pause and ask:
Which guna feels most alive in me right now?
How is it shaping the way I move, breathe, and respond?
Can I allow it to be here without judgment?
This act of recognition is yoga in action. It is a practice of presence—meeting the strands as they weave, moment by moment.
