Sattvic Living— Ayurveda’s Key to Clarity and Well-Being
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“Nature is not a place to visit. It is home.” Gary Snyder
Have you ever felt a deep sense of peace while surrounded by nature? Whether walking through a quiet forest, sitting beside a flowing stream, or simply being in a serene garden, there’s a harmony that touches something within. This feeling reflects what unfolds when our bodies, minds, communities, and the Earth are nourished and cared for. Our awareness expands. We feel light, clear, and connected. In Ayurveda, this is known as a sattvic state of mind—a state of clarity, calm, and alignment with the rhythms of nature.
Understanding Mental States Through Ayurveda and Yoga
According to Ayurveda and Yoga, the mind is influenced by the three gunas—sattva (purity, clarity), rajas (activity, restlessness), and tamas (inertia, ignorance). These qualities are always in flux—nothing is permanent, but a mind established in sattva supports our true nature, our prakriti— clarity, love, inner joy.
Simple self-care practices—being in natural surroundings, meditation, breathwork, mindful awareness, balanced nourishing meals, sound sleep, rising with the sun, and a grounded routine—help cultivate sattva, bringing clarity, calm, and balance to our whole being.
When the qualities of rajas and tamas overpower our sattva, we can lose touch with our inner guidance—a state known in Ayurveda as pragyaparadh, or “mistake of the intellect.” This disconnection may show up in subtle ways, like ignoring our body’s need for rest, or in more serious patterns that can escalate into harmful or even life-threatening outcomes, such as addiction.
Reading the Signs
The three doshas—vata, pitta, and kapha—serve as gentle messengers, offering early signs when something in the body or mind is beginning to shift. These subtle changes, called vikruti, can often be brought back into balance with supportive, sattvic lifestyle choices—long before they develop into deeper imbalances. Ayurveda and Yoga remind us that living in a more sattvic way—through meaningful connection to ourselves and others, taking care of the body with nourishing food, restful sleep, and daily rhythm can restore body-mind balance, guiding us toward lasting vitality and wellbeing. In today’s world, many common conditions such as chronic fatigue, digestive disorders, obesity, heart disease, diabetes, anxiety, depression are linked to how we live day to day.
The Foundation of a Sattvic Way of Life
At the heart of a sattvic life are three foundational supports, known in Ayurveda as the Three Sub-Pillars of Life:
Ahara – Right food
Nidra – Proper sleep
Brahmacharya – Living in alignment with natural laws
The main pillar of life itself is prana—the vital life energy. As recognized by the Shaka Vansiya Ayurveda lineage, prana has three main components- soma (vibrational energy from the moon), agni (vibrational energy from the sun), and marut (the vibrational energy that allows for soma and agni to flow).
In Ayurveda, certain foods are recommended daily to maintain balance and vitality. When properly prepared (samskar) and thoughtfully combined (samyog), they nourish us on every level. These include wholesome staples such as whole grains, legumes, vegetables, leafy greens, fruits, nuts, and seeds—along with clean animal sources like milk or yogurt. For those who are not vegetarian, light meats such as fish or poultry may also be suitable. A natural, prana-rich diet not only supports physical strength and immunity but also fosters mental clarity and emotional balance.
Equally essential is rest. Ayurveda emphasizes going to bed by 10 p.m., allowing the body—especially the liver—to process and renew. Rising with the sun helps align our inner rhythms with nature’s cycles.
By honouring these timeless principles—nourishing food, deep rest, and a lifestyle attuned to natural laws—we begin to return to our prakriti, our state of balance and well-being, the unique blueprint we were born with.
In reconnecting with our prakriti, we move away from habits that create pragyaparadh—disconnection, confusion, or dis-ease, and instead cultivate saatva—clarity, vitality, and inner peace because the choice is always there as nothing is permanent. When we live in this way, sattva naturally becomes our foundation, and our lives begin to reflect the beauty of nature’s intelligence. In this state of balance, we are better able to respond to life’s challenges with grace and awareness. We no longer seek wellness as something outside of ourselves—it becomes a state we embody and share. And in doing so, we help to restore a greater harmony in the world.
References
Vaidya R. K. Mishra- Notes, Lectures from Shaka Vansiya Ayurveda Courses, Practicum, Conferences and Lectures 2003-2015
Art of Living Ashram- Notes, Lectures from Yoga Teacher Training, Quebec, 2004
Art of Living Ashram- Notes, Lectures from Yoga Teacher Training, India (Online), 2021
