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🎙️Show Notes

Keywords 

Several listeners have reached out saying this podcast put words to something they’ve been feeling for a while.

If that’s you too, I’ve created a Stress Less Workshop with simple practices to help you feel more settled and supported day to day.

Episode Summary 

Several listeners have reached out saying this podcast put words to something they’ve been feeling for a while.If that’s you too, I’ve created a Stress Less Workshop with simple practices to help you feel more settled and supported day to day.

In this episode of Rooted in the Seasons, Katja Patel explores the Ayurvedic concept of the gunas — sattva, rajas, and tamas — and how these three qualities primarily shape the mind, influencing how we think, feel, and respond to daily life.

Katja shares how recognising the gunas gives us language for inner states we often sense but can’t quite name, and why awareness creates choice rather than pressure. She also explores how food influences the mind via the body, and why contemplative traditions favour sattvic food to support clarity and steadiness.

This episode offers a grounded, practical way to work with the gunas consciously — through gentle observation, small shifts, and rhythm rather than rules.

Takeaways

• We all experience different inner states — but often lack language for them.
• The gunas describe qualities that primarily shape the mind and perception.
• Sattva supports clarity and steadiness; rajas brings activity and stimulation.
• Tamas can offer grounding, but in excess may feel heavy or stagnant.
• Recognising the gunas helps us notice patterns without self-judgement.
• Food influences the mind through the gunas, not just the body.
• Sattvic food supports mental clarity because it neither agitates nor dulls the mind.
• Awareness creates choice — and choice creates steadiness.
• Small, consistent shifts matter more than force or intensity.
• You don’t have to figure this out alone — one small step is enough.

Sound Bites 

• “The gunas affect the mind.”
• “Awareness creates choice.”
• “One small step is enough.”
• “This isn’t about adding more — it’s about choosing what supports the mind.”

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Ayurvedic Wisdom
01:22 Understanding the Gunas: Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas
07:09 Why the Gunas Are Always in Motion
09:12 How Food Influences the Mind
13:46 Working with the Gunas Gently
15:43 Closing Reflections and Next Steps

Links:

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Sattvic Food Shopping List

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🎙️ Rooted in the Seasons is created by Katja Patel at Zest for Yoga & Ayurveda.
Explore more episodes at zestforyoga.com/podcast