April 27, 2026 - Stirring the Pot
Our practice this week made the leap from a focus on the guna of tamas to the guna of rajas. My teacher often translates this as “volatility,” implying change and variation of an almost explosive nature. Rajas, like any good Sanskrit word, contains multitudes of connotations that suggest agitation, heat, motion, activation, restlessness and more. Classically, rajas is thought to be a necessary step in the progression from tamas, inertia and stolidity, to sattva, the guna of poise, of clarity, of ease and purity. Rajas is what brings an individual (or anything, really) out of the deep, dark, ignorant muck that is tamas, infusing it with the activation necessary to transform into something else.
An image I’ve always enjoyed, as a baker, is the process of making meringue. You put a bunch of slippery, squelching egg whites into a mixing bowl (tamas). Then you turn on your electric beaters you whip those egg whites into oblivion, slowly transforming them by mixing introducing friction, air, and sugar (rajas) until you’re left with a beautiful, pure, cloud-like meringue (sattva).
But while rajas provides the necessary energy to effect transformation, it also acts as a destabilizing force. Minds dominated by rajas, the yogis of old believed, were restless, reactive, and unable to concentrate. Rajasic individuals or natural occurrences might be more likely to break, to rupture, or destabilize the environment. As contemporary yogis, we’re charged with the task of discrimination between necessary and harmful rajas. Agitation and volatility are all around us (read the news), but whether that force is used to transform things in the service of sattvic pursuits or merely to sow chaos is and “burn it all down,” is a choice we all have to make.
To that end, we explored gentler forms of rajasic practice, introducing movements, breaths, and contemplations to set the pot to simmer, as it were.
We began with a seated breath practice with a tightened strap around our rib cage, creating a bit of resistance for our inhale to push against while maintaining an equal count between inhale and exhale. From there, we:
Opened wih stretches and warm ups in side bending, rotation, and several variations of cat/cow and child’s pose to practice spinal flexion and extension.
Transitioned between a variety of postures including tadasana (mountain), uttanasana (forward fold), utkatasana (chair), adho mukha svanasana (down dog), bhujangasana, (cobra), and plank variations.
Played with some balancing postures. Balancing is a very rajasic physical activity. Balance creates a volatile state. The body and mind are forced to navigate a shifting center of gravity by making constant micro (or macro!) adjustments.
Moved through a heating series of poses: down dog, down dog with one leg lifted up and behind, into a kneeling side series - modifications of the following poses: parsvakonasana (side angle) and ardha chandrasana (half moon). This kind of work is a great way to train the mind to concentration under a bit of stress (rajas), which indeed is the benefit of rajas itself. Stress can be wonderfully focusing, clearing the self of hold, stuck habits and making room for new possibilities.
Afterwards, we engaged in bhastrika pranayama, or bellow breath. This is an energizing, heating breath, traditionally thought to increase circulation and digestion and strengthen the lungs. This can be a stressful practice, so we began with a modest variation. Abandoning ujjayi breath, bhastrika is a short inhale and exhale through the nose, a quick pull of air in and a short, strong puff of air out. We practiced this for three rounds of 10 repetitions.
Following this, we transitioned into supine work. We began with setu bandha sarvangasana (bridge) and transitioned to lower body mobilizations with a bolster under the hips. We specifically targeted deeper muscle groups connected to the pelvis. While more passive work like this may not appear rajasic, it often can be. Accessing muscles we’re not accustomed to feeling - whether that’s release or engagement - can create a lot of ripples in our system. It’s not uncommon for people to have nervous system reactions when sinking into these areas: goose bumps, little tremors, tears, temperature changes, etc.
After all this, you guessed it. Savasana and a gentle close.
Thank to all who came and those who read. I love this little voyage we’re on together.
Saprema <3