Most of us agree that a clear, peaceful mind is desirable. There are few of us who wish for an internal state that is characterized by turbulence and discord. Of course, cultivating and maintaining inner clarity is often easier said than done. However, we can take steps to create conditions for greater clarity and harmony within our own mental and emotional landscape. This post will explore foods and herbs for supporting a clear, or sattvic, mind.
What is Sattva?
First of all, what is sattva and why does it matter? According to yoga and ayurvedic philosophy, all of nature is characterized by three gunas, or qualities: sattva, rajas, and tamas.
Sattva is the quality of illumination, purity, and lightness. It leads to clarity, harmony, and serenity. Rajas is the quality of mobility and activity. Someone who is predominantly rajasic will be restless, tense, agitated, and even aggressive. Tamas is the quality of darkness and inertia. Without tamas, we would not fall asleep at night. However, a predominance of tamas in a person may be reflected as delusion, sloth, dullness, and even deceit and cruelty (Iyengar, 1979).
…So, which herbs and foods support a sattvic mind? Read the full post on the Herbal Academy blog HERE.
