Balancing Practices for Your Energy Levels

Photo by Matt Nelson on Unsplash

---

To go beyond is as wrong as to fall short.
- Confucius

---

In yogic philosophy, there are three gunas or qualities that combine to form everything that exists.  Tamas is characterized by inertia and heaviness.  Rajas is characterized by activity and movement.  And Sattva is characterized by lightness and harmony.

All three of these qualities have a part to play.  Tamas is the fertile soil for change and creates the conditions needed for life.  Rajas invigorates life, excitement, and passion.  And Sattva allows us to achieve balance between Tamas and Rajas and develops clarity and peace.

Sattva can be described like a spinning top.  Outwardly, the top may seem like it's not moving but actually, it spins so quickly it balances itself on a thin spindle.  When Sattva is balanced, Rajas and Tamas are balanced as well.  When Tamas and Rajas are out of balance, we have trouble feeling Sattvic.

An imbalance of Tamas manifests as dullness, apathy, delusion, and/or depression.  A person who has given up on themselves and the world has too much of the tamasic quality.

An imbalance of Rajas manifests as anxiety, attachment or addiction, agitation, and a sense of egoism.  A person who is constantly jumping from one thing to another or desperately hanging onto patterns that do not serve them has too much of the rajasic quality.

Yoga creates balance between Rajas and Tamas to develop a pervading sense of Sattva.  This is why experienced yoga practitioners feel uncomfortable explaining yoga as simply relaxing.  Yoga creates balance between activity and inertia.  A yogi experiences relaxation and vitality at the same time.

Summer is in full swing now and energy is high.  We may find ourselves slightly rajasic - accepting all the invitations, making too many plans, doing more than what’s within our capacity.

Perhaps in winter, or even now after so many months living with the uncertainty of the pandemic, we find ourselves tamasic, hibernating at home and not prioritizing things that create feelings of peace and well-being within ourselves.

This is where the gift of yoga comes in, as it is chock full of practices that help balance our energy levels.  As you know, yoga is not only practicing yoga poses but is about the unity we create within our lives.  In service of this, I offer these balancing practices for your energy levels.

FIVE BALANCING PRACTICES FOR YOUR ENERGY LEVELS

1. Wake Up with the Sun - The sun is at its zenith this month in the northern hemisphere and to wake up with it, you will have to rise early.  In yogic philosophy, it’s said that the time just before dawn is especially auspicious for the practices of yoga and meditation.  If you’ve ever been up then, it’s easy to see why.  Everything is quiet as the world is just waking up, including our mind.
2. Go Outside During the Day - There is nothing so grounding and uplifting as nature.  Make a date to go to your favorite park, beach, or nature reserve and get in touch with your senses.  Breathe in the fresh air.  Feel the ground under your bare feet and the sun kissing your skin.  Revel in the textures and vivid colors of the leaves and green grass around you.  Enjoy the sweet sound of birds singing and the soft whisper of the wind.
3. Practice Nadi Suddhi - Also called Nadi Shodhana or Anulom Vilom, Nadi Suddhi means “the nerve purifier” because it is said to balance the autonomic nervous system, creating harmony between the sympathetic (stress response) and parasympathetic (relaxation response) systems.  Any pranayama (breathing techniques) can regulate the nervous system but Nadi Suddhi is especially powerful at bringing about balance.  Go here for more tips on practicing pranayama.
4. Devote Yourself to Siva and Shakti - Siva and Shakti are Hindu representations of the divine masculine and divine feminine energies.  When they combine, they create balance.  The sacred mantra Om Hrim Namah Sivaya combines these two forces.  Chanting it creates balance in the body and mind of the practitioner.
5. Develop a Sundown Routine - The bookending practice to waking up with the sun, developing an evening or sundown routine, can help us release the day and settle in for a restorative sleep.  This is also an auspicious time to practice yoga and meditation; when the day and the night meet.  Or perhaps you can create a routine by practicing yoga nidra, preparing a healthy meal, enjoying some self-care rituals, or spending time with loved ones.

Being in the period of the year with the longest days, we can harness our higher energy levels to create balance within our routines.  This both balances our more rajasic energy during the summer months and serves us as the days shorten and our energy levels naturally become more tamasic.  That way, we can experience sattva throughout the year.