Every decision, every burst of creativity, and every moment of clarity is powered by unseen energies. Ancient wisdom tells us that these energies—known as the gunas—shape not only our inner world but also how we interact with the world around us.
This year, we’re diving into the ancient wisdom of these 3 fundamental forces that govern all of existence. They’re not just philosophical concepts; they influence how we think, act, and experience life every single day.
What Are the Gunas? The 3 Mental States You Didn’t Know About
In yoga philosophy, there are three powerful forces that shape your thoughts, actions, and emotions—called gunas. The Gunas represent the three forces of ‘Shakti’, or energy that make up the physical world—everything we can see, touch, taste, smell, and hear. These universal elements are present within all things.
Each Guna1 represents a unique thread that weaves the fabric of one’s way of living. All three qualities are necessary for the universe to exist and function.
- Tamas – the quality of inertia, darkness, and stagnation. It manifests as resistance to change, ignorance, and lethargy. In nature, tamas is seen in the stillness of the night, decay, and dormancy.
- Rajas – the quality of movement, desire, and dynamism. It drives ambition, action, and transformation. In nature, rajas is seen in the force of the wind, the constant movement of the waves, and the restless energy of fire.
- Sattva – the quality of clarity, wisdom, and equilibrium. It represents harmony, knowledge, and inner peace. In nature, sattva is reflected in the serene glow of the moon, the calmness of a still lake, and the balance of a flourishing ecosystem.
These energies constantly shift and blend within us. Some days, you wake up full of fire (rajas). Other days, you feel stuck and sluggish (tamas). And sometimes, you find yourself in flow, making decisions with ease and purpose (sattva).
The key? Not to escape them, but to understand how they shape your actions—so you can work with them, not against them.
How the Gunas Shape Our Daily Experience
We experience the gunas in every aspect of our daily lives—our moods, decisions, and energy levels all fluctuate depending on which force is most dominant at any given time.
Sattva feels like clarity, calm motivation, and deep understanding. It’s when you’re in flow, making decisions with confidence, and feeling aligned with your purpose. This state brings balance, but it’s also fleeting—it requires conscious effort to cultivate.
Tamas feels like procrastination, sluggishness, or emotional heaviness. It’s the urge to hit snooze, the mental fog that makes it hard to focus, or the resistance to stepping outside your comfort zone. When balanced, it gives us the ability to rest and recharge. When excessive, it can trap us in avoidance, complacency, or apathy.
Rajas feels like drive, excitement, and restlessness. It’s the fire that fuels productivity, pushes us to chase goals, and keeps us moving forward. However, too much rajas can also manifest as stress, impulsiveness, or burnout—always chasing the next thing without feeling fulfilled.
Mapping the Gunas: How Energy Shapes Emotion
The gunas are not a hierarchy. You don’t move from being a “tamasic” person to a “rajasic” one and then graduate to “sattvic.” We all experience all three, every single day.
One way to map the gunas to our emotional experiences is through the lens of valence (how pleasant or unpleasant an emotion feels) and arousal (how intense or passive it is). Think of it as a four-quadrant framework:
(Source: Adapted from the book on “How emotions are made: The Secret Life of the Brain” )
So based on the diagram above, we can see that:
- Sattva has high valence (positive emotions) and low arousal (calm, peaceful).
- Tamas has low valence (negative emotions) and low arousal (lethargy, inaction).
- Rajas has high arousal (energy, activity), with valence varying: Sattvic Rajas (positive, constructive energy) has high valence, while Tamasic Rajas (chaotic or destructive energy) has low valence.
The gunas are the blueprint of our daily experiences. Mapping them helps us recognize our patterns, avoid energy imbalances, and create a rhythm that aligns with our goals. If we’re stuck in tamas, we may need movement. If we’re overwhelmed by rajas, we might need stillness. If we experience glimpses of sattva, we can cultivate practices to sustain that state longer.
But ultimately? The deepest purpose of understanding the gunas is to move beyond them—to reach a state of self-awareness where energy no longer controls you, but instead, you harness it consciously.
Afterthought
Energy is everything. Whether you’re leading a team, launching a campaign, or mapping out your career, success isn’t just about skills or strategy—it’s about understanding how we show up, where our energy is directed, and what is driving our decisions.
At Karma Marketing, this philosophy guides everything we do. It’s not just about productivity or strategy—it’s about sustainable, conscious impact. By tuning into the gunas, we become more than just reactive participants in our work and lives. We start leading with clarity, creating with intention, and navigating challenges with greater awareness.
This year, let’s move beyond autopilot. Let’s learn to see our energy, shape it, and ultimately, transcend the patterns that hold us back.
Karma Wisdom | Curated research written by Anya Junor