Cultivating a Sattvik Mind!

We spoke about the Gunas of the mind in our previous posts and also elaborated in detail the three Gunas – Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. We also mentioned that it is possible for all human beings to increase or decrease a certain quality of the mind based on their eating habits and lifestyle.

Ayurveda says that one can attain the state of Sattva through 1) Aahara, or the food we take in – this includes all the sensory perceptions also that we take in through our sense organs, and 2) Vihara, or our actions and behavior. Hence, in order to progress towards Sattva from Rajas and Tamas, Ayurveda encourages us to make some simple dietary and lifestyle changes.

Sattvik people are gentle, very compassionate and pure in their intentions. They think right, do good and are not at all lazy. Now Ayurveda has this concept called Aachara Rasayana. It is all about the ideal code of conduct for a person - how should one live and what to do and what not to do. The aim of this is to cultivate a healthy mind that one has control over. After all, it is the mind that is the cause for most of the psychosomatic disorders, and having control over the mind can ensure that such disorders do not happen.

So Aachara Rasayana aims at a stress-free mind which is far from worry and tension. One can easily implement this in their lives if they have a Sattvik bent of mind. So how does one live a Sattvik life? Here are some pointers that can help!

• Waking up during the Brahma Muhurta, which is an hour or two before the Sun rises.
• Doing exercise like Yoga after waking up.
• Meditating for a while every day.
• Eating all three meals at the same time every day.
• Eating while really concentrating on the food without any distractions.
• Retiring for the night at a reasonable hour.
• Ensuring to get proper rest and not be lazy or lethargic.
• Being content and satisfied with what you have in life.
• Engaging in hard work that is for the greater good and not just for personal gains.
• Being truthful or Satyavaadi.
• Being calm and not letting anger get the better of us.
• Speaking pleasantly to others, in a way that does not hurt them.
• Respecting aged people and elders.
• Not having an ego that can interfere in every aspect of life.
• Maintaining proper hygiene.
• Having very good self-control.

So imbibe these simple steps of Aachara Rasayana in your life to ensure that you get closer and closer to the Sattvik way of living - which is considered to be the ideal way to live.