A reflection on overwhelm
Most people who know me would likely describe me as a highly motivated person. I would tend to agree. I have a lot of drive that, when channelled appropriately, can propel me into action, and, when not, can stop me in my tracks.
At times, it can seemingly do both. I felt an incredible amount of overwhelm and underwhelm simultaneously this past week. The oscillation back and forth was debilitating; I found myself starting many projects, only to lose interest immediately, and ultimately making progress on none.
Overwhelm - (2.c.) to overpower in thought or feeling
Underwhelm - to fail to impress or stimulate
~ Merriam-Webster
In yoga philosophy, we learn of the gunas, the psycho-physical energetic threads or fibers that bind everything in nature, including Nature herself. These ever-present qualities, or characteristics, constantly change in proportion with one another. It is through self-awareness and discernment cultivated through our moving, breathing and being practices that we come to recognize the gunas as guideposts for us to understand where we are and where we’re inspired to be.
Oversimplified, the gunas can be thought of as:
Tamas—representing our past, driving our rest and recovery…as well as our sense of underwhelm, therefore inertia, asking the question, have we lost our way?
Rajas—representing our future, driving our self-motivation…as well as our sense of overwhelm, therefore activity, asking the question, are we running in place?
Sattva—representing our present, driving our illumination, asking the question, are we moving forward in life?
How might our moving practice educate us on the three gunas and our experience of each?
Let’s focus on the standing asanas. Standing postures serve as a gateway to experiencing each quality and the interconnection of the three. These postures require grounding (Tamas), extension (Rajas) and clarity (Sattva). And when balanced, we feel serene, quiet and calm. However, when we are overly Tamasic, we might feel lethargic and inattentive, and, when we are overly Rajasic, we might feel agitated and competitive. Our practice gives us an opportunity to tune in and listen to what our body, breath and mind are telling us. From there, we can learn to dial up or down as needed: to cultivate more Sattva, to soften our Rajas or to engage Tamas in service of stability and rest.
The study of asana is not about mastering the posture. It’s about using posture to understand and transform yourself.
~ B.K.S. Iyengar
I don’t know which is worse: drowning beneath the waves or dying from the thirst. I’d prefer another option—that of finding balance amongst our days, learning to read the waves, tuning into our sensations—so that it’s not an either/or but rather a neither.
