The 3 Gunas

What is Tarka?


Perhaps one of the most important parts of a strong spiritual practice is the practice of tarka or reflective journaling. Reflection upon your inner and outer life is essential if you wish to progress along the path. These reflections on your life can help you see your mind more clearly. Your relationship to yourself, the world, and others is revealed in each journal entry. We can sometimes be blinded by our own beliefs or trapped in a cycle of thinking that is unhealthy for us.

Tarka can help us to illumine the way before us, discard old beliefs, and change our attitudes and ways of thinking.

Tarka is designed to help you reflect upon your life and examine your mind so that you may travel the path of enlightenment with greater ease and harmony.

Today's Tarka

In yoga philosophy, there are 3 guanas or 3 states from which we live. There is a balanced, harmonious state called Sattva. There is a passionate and higher energy state called Rajas and there is a lower energy or dull state called Tamas. All 3 states exist within us and we experience these varying states of energy throughout the day. For example, in the morning, I tend to be in a high energy state. This is when my mind is busy and when I tend to do my work. Later in the day, I tend to feel sleepy or dull and I may take a nap in the afternoon sun. When I am meditating, I tend to feel as though I am in a more balanced state of awareness. There is not too much rajas or too much tamas.

In each moment of our day, we can do a self-check in to see where we are and then from that place add a little tamas or a little rajas to bring us back into a sattvic or balanced state. For example, when you do your check in, you might find that your mind is restless and you really feel like you just need to move. If you are feeling overly restless, you can take some calming breaths or slow down your breathing to bring yourself into a more balanced state. You could also sit down to read a book or just listen to some music. On the other hand, you might feel lazy, depressed or unable to get motivated. If this is the case, you could use the breath of fire technique to attempt to get yourself back into balance. You could also do a yoga practice that is intense for your level or go for a walk.

In your journal today, record how you are feeling right now and what state you feel you are in. Make a list of activities you can do that will fire you up a bit when you are feeling low and make a list of things that can bring you down when you are feeling more up. Refer to this list when you need to in order to help bring you back into a more balanced state.

Shanti,

Swami K