Not sure what Sattva, Tamas and Rajas are ? Check out this blog post first.
The below tips will absolutely support you, short term and long term. The first ones are "substractive" strategies, which aim at removing the cause of your state. The other ones will guide you back to balance.
If you experience the intensity of Rajas:
- Limit/ avoid alcohol, caffeine and smoking
- Limit/ avoid foods that are stimulating, heating in nature, as well as food that are too spicy, sour and salty
- Reduce the amount of time you spend working (too much), traveling (too much) and running around from one place to the other, at least temporarily
- Limit/ stop multitasking
- Increase/ favor foods that are sweet (grains, root veggies, etc), fresh and soothing
- Spend more time in nature
- Slow down and pare down. Slow down your speech. Take things off your do to list. Cancel things. Say less. Do less. Be with the discomfort of this surrender
- Supportive activities: swimming, gentle yoga, leisure walks, spending time in good company, non productive and non competitive activities
If you experience the inertia of Tamas:
- Limit/ avoid sleeping during the day, overeating or eating when not hungry, watching TV or scrolling mindlessly for hours
- Limit/ avoid foods that are old leftovers, heavily processed and microwaved as well as foods that are heavy, greasy and overcooked
- Reduce the amount of meat, nightshades and mushrooms you eat
- Reduce the amount of time you spend sitting without moving
- Assess the company you keep and whether you want to continue interacting with people who complain constantly, are always negative and pessimistic, or drain your energy
- Avoid judging yourself and beating yourself up for your mental state, approach yourself with the love and kindness you would someone you care about
- Increase/ favor foods that fresh, seasonal, local and vegetarian and use a bit more pungent, energizing spices (ginger, black pepper, mustard seeds, cumin…)
- Surround yourself with more uplifting people
- Spend more time in nature
- Try something new. Change one of your routine. Do something differently. Challenge yourself to be spontaneous
- Supportive activities: dancing, moving your body, singing, chanting, reading and seeing inspiring materials
Sattva is our home base, a place that is always available to us and can be maintained by consciously choosing what sustains it. Here are some practices to support a Sattvic Mind:
- Diet: adopt a fresh, plant based diet of well cooked, well spiced, juicy foods. Remove foods that are digestive and emotional triggers. Eat mindfully, and in quantities that you can actually digest
- Surround yourself with people and activities that serve you, lift you up, and are aligned with your values and aspirations. It might be time to let go of some relationships or practices, even if you have attachement to them
- Be radically honest and examine all parts of your life: what brings you into balance ? what brings you out of balance. Where are there discrepancies between what you want and what you do ? Take action from there
- Seek and hire support. It can be hard to change intellectual and emotional patterns. Having someone who has your best interest in mind and keeps you on track is key
- Prioritize time alone every day. Learn to be with yourself in quiet. Learn to embrace discomfort
- Be in nature as often as you can
These states fluctuate, and we experience them all, but let’s remember we don’t have to be stuck and powerless when we do.
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