Volume III · Part I · Chapter 8
Sattva, Rajas, Tamas — Food and the Mind
Foundations of Ayurvedic Living
About 1 min read
Beside the three doshas of the body, Ayurveda and yoga describe three qualities of the mind (maha gunas). Sattva is clarity, balance and peace; rajas is activity, passion and restlessness; tamas is inertia, heaviness and dullness. Food influences all three — which is why a guesthouse devoted to sadhana serves a sattvic kitchen. The Bhagavad Gita (chapter 17) classifies food in exactly these terms.
| Quality | Nature | Foods | Preparation and eating | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sattvic | Pure, fresh, light, nourishing | Fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, moong, milk, ghee, honey, nuts, mild spices | Freshly cooked with love, eaten calmly at regular times, in moderation | Clarity, contentment, steady energy, compassion |
| Rajasic | Stimulating, spicy, sharp | Onion, garlic, chilli, excess salt and sour, coffee, strong tea, fried snacks | Eaten in a hurry, while working or arguing; too much variety | Restlessness, irritability, desire, poor sleep |
| Tamasic | Stale, heavy, dull | Leftovers, reheated many times, meat, eggs, alcohol, processed and deep-fried foods, overripe food | Overeating, eating late at night, eating without hunger | Lethargy, dullness, heaviness, confusion |