This blog series is my offering to you, a chance to see how Ayurveda is weaved into my life & how you can apply these principles to your own life.

SATTVA

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Sattva is the subtle energy of peace and harmony. For me Sattva is my daily guiding principle.

There are 3 subtle energies, Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. A spectrum if you will that stretches from lightness and peace to darkness and inertia via Rajas with is seen through activity and stimulation. Our life and our world is dynamic and there are constantly changing inputs and outcomes. The mind, body and soul must process all that is it exposed to every day. Every day. No days off for good behaviour or a holiday.

This is the reason why it is important that we have the capacity and ability to process and transform these daily inputs. This relates to the food and drink that we consume. And it relates to everything our senses consume. Each input big or small has an impact. A key Ayurvedic principle is cause and effect. It is ultimately a natural law, a principle of our reality.

But while it is simple enough principle I appreciate that simple is not always easy.

So where does this show up in my daily life and where does it show up in the less predictable parts of life?

By understanding cause and effect I can make better decisions. My choices, each and every one of them, creates an outcome.

It is not always easy or obvious to notice the effects immediately. Mostly good and bad habits take a little time to accumulate but accumulate they do.

As humans we like to think we make sound decisions and we are not so good at recognising, least of all admitting when have taken a wrong turn. This isn’t about blame, simply recognising the chain of events and where we find ourSelf now. Going back is impossible, accepting what is, learning and moving forward is something we can all do.

With Love

Claire

Take this situation as an example. Ever since I began drinking alcohol I would get red faced, often a flushed chest too. My body was sending me all the messages I needed. But I continued to drink for many years. Not because I needed it but because I wanted to fit in. Years later when I met my husband our thing was champagne. Not because we were flashy or well off, in fact we were neither of these things. Our thing began as fish and chips with champagne. Then comes attachment. I associated my fun and carefree life with drinking. Out with friends (sometimes in with friends), great times with my husband, music and sporting events, holidays, restaurants. It all came with alcohol. These days alcohol holds no meaning or pleasure for me. I would struggle to tell you the last glass I had. The point is I ignored the signs, I ignored the early warnings (the flushing), I ignored the hangovers, I ignored the extra dress size that came as I got a bit older.

I have similar attachment to chocolate, my thoughts are that this relates to childhood comfort. It was a genuine ‘treat’ back then. And as the effects are less obvious it is taking a little longer to work through, but work on it continues. As I write I haven’t reached for a bar or square for a little while but like alcohol it is occasional and at the moment I can live with that. Both are reducing in regularity. And each time I challenge my attachment to them. Some Self inquiry is still required.

These habits equally relate to behaviour. Often repeating patterns and getting the same results. For years I would lie in bed for longer at the weekend, thinking I needed the rest, assuming I would have extra energy. Turns out we prefer consistency so I wake up at the same time each day. My energy remains even all day.

(Staying in bed if you are recovering from illness or are completely exhausted is clearly ok)

My environment is as Sattvic as possible. And yes, that does mean limiting some of my old activities (late night parties, trips to London, over committing and attempting to say yes to every social offering!) I have written about my home environment too, it has grown into a sanctuary for peace and serenity. That is not to say we don’t have busy family gatherings and lots of visitors, it just means they happen a little less often. When I am not entertaining my home returns to a place of rest and study and nourishment. I have found that it is possible to have both, they just feature in a more balanced way these days.

My relationship with myself and others has shifted, I judge less. We all walk a path that is right us, our Dharma, our life’s purpose, will show us the way. I have learnt to trust in myself and to allow others do the same for themselves too.

For me, Sattva is as much a mindset and perspective shift as it is an action or behaviour. During those family gatherings now I can take a moment to sit, listen and observe rather than needing to constantly perform as a host. I can take a quiet moment to feel enormous gratitude for the life I have.

Snacking was another thing that kept me in a cycle of feeling hungry. The reason I did this was fear. Fear of being hungry, having no food and then feeling unwell. My desk at work was known for having a good selection of snacks (just in case).

Behaviours can run fairly deep too. How we react and respond to certain people and certain situations becomes a pattern often without being conscious of it.

I shan’t get into behaviours with people as that is somewhat personal but it is fair to say that the same principles of cause and effect apply here too. Think about your own relationships. Not just close ones, think about how you interact with a stranger. A smile or polite response versus a grunt and dismissive attitude has an immediate effect on the recipient. You are also on the receiving end of this transaction too. Kindness is free, we should all do better to share more of it.

Lets begin with something small. What I choose to consume first thing in the morning. This small act almost feels neglible but warm water is the first thing I have every day. All year round I choose this. It wakes up my digestion, providing a gentle hydrating flush of body. No decisions to make, giving me space to prepare a nourishing breakfast. In Winter it is a comforting mug or warmth and in summer an opportunity to absorb some sun rays in the garden (early morning light is proven to support your circadian rhythm).

My morning routine (sadhana) begins before my warm water. This involves some yoga asana, pranayama, energy practice and meditation, sometimes an oracle card. The time I have for this can vary depending on the dog’s activity and who else is at home. Regardless of timing, my warm water is a no brainer for me. And could be something you can adopt for yourself.

How could this work in your morning routine? I am either tucked up in a blanket with both hands around a mug or relaxing in the sunlight. My body fully woken up before 7am arrives.

I embody Sattva and strive to understand myself better each day. Each day is an opportunity to practice Sattva for myself and towards others. These gunas (loosely translated as subtle energies) are seen in nature and ourSelf. We need Tamas for sleep and we need Rajas for activity and development. As with all things in life we need balance.

Our often noisy, chaotic and over stimulating world needs a conscious effort to bring in Sattva. So I move towards peace and harmony daily. Taking this not a discipline but as an opportunity to bring balance to my life and to increase the harmony of my experiences. Too much Rajas leads towards Tamas. I now recognise that the champagne was Rajasic, overstimulating and leading to excess. I see that lying in bed was Tamasic, heaviness dressed up a rest.

In practice that means alcohol, coffee and cake barely feature. I choose good quality chocolate when I feel that I would like to have some. But I also don’t beat myself up if I deviate, I enjoy the moment and move on. There is nothing less Ayurvedic than feeling guilt about an occasional coffee and cake. I just choose not to make it a habit.

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