I remember driving up the San Luis Valley a number of years ago, up towards Salida when all the sudden my head swiveled. We quickly passed a sign that read: Joyful Journey Hot Springs. I knew immediately I had to get there at some point. It took a number of years to visit it but it ended up being the location of my retreat: “Say ‘YES!’ To Yourself.” I was drawn to it simply because of the word ‘Joyful’. Exploring joy has been part of my Yoga practice. Not just a moment of it but connecting with longer lasting joy.

THREE QUALTIES OF THE MIND

In the Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 18, many examples are given of a Sattvic mind, Rajasic mind, and Tamasic mind. These are the three Gunas which, according to Yoga philosophy, are the 3 qualities that everything in the material world is made of – just different combinations. 

• A mind that is more sattvic dominant is one that is more ‘pure’. 
• Minds that are more rajasic dominant are active.
• The mind that is more tamasic dominant is heavy and more towards inertia.

Since the mind itself is of the material world, it doesn’t just stay in one state. It is constantly changing. One moment the mind is happy and hopeful. Then you read something and it becomes sad and melancholy. Someone pulls out in front of you and the mind gets fired up, angry, and reactive. All day, these Gunas are at play in the state of our mind.

JOYFUL STATE OF MIND

Yoga is the process of refining the mind to reach a more steady, consistent sattvic state. In that balanced, harmonious state we are able to see reality more clearly, understand the True Nature of the world, and connect with lasting peace and joy.

How do you know if your mind has a moment of sattvic dominance? You might experience an aspect of these characteristics:

✨ Letting go of attachment to “the fruits” of action so that actions are done for the sake of the action, not for reward or outcome. (BG 18.6)

✨ A steady, clear mind with doubts “destroyed”. (BG 18.10)

✨ Equal outlook to an action that may be “disagreeable” or “agreeable.” This means no reaction of aversion or attachment to what must be done. (BG 18.10)

✨ Able to see in all beings That which is eternal. Practically, being able to see the similarities of all living things rather than focusing on the differences. (BG 18.20)

A person who has mastered their mind will be consistently in this state. This person experiences a lasting state of joy that isn’t based on what is happening in their life. Rather, it is the state of the mind.

NATURAL TENDENCIES OF THE MIND

Most of us are just working towards connecting more to joy and increasing that mind state. We are far from living in that state. But a consistent Yoga practice will refine the mind more towards lasting joy. 

Remember, the nature of the mind, since it is part of the material world, is that it will fluctuate. It takes self-awareness and practice to cultivate a mind that can more easily let go of negative patterns of thinking to see more of the Truth of the world. It’s not easy but it is possible.

Inner awareness of your personal reactions to the world is essential to develop. When we are aware of our reaction, we can change the mind from more negative and restless to a more joyful state. It’s hard to make this shift, especially in modern times where negativity, disconnection, and hate seem so loud. I truly believe that even though this negativity is louder a lot of the time, it is not the desired way most people want to live. Most people desire peace and joy.

As humans, we are wired to long for connection and community as mammals. As part of the animal kingdom, we are also wired for survival.  When that survival instinct becomes louder when fear takes over. This is why it is so important to cultivate joy! It helps to loosen the grip of fear.

CONFUSED MIND

Our mind gets very confused about peace and joy. Because we are wired for survival – to seek pleasure and avoid pain – the mind gravitates towards things that instantly feel more pleasurable. Many times, that which is immediately pleasurable will end up causing pain in the long term (BG 18.38). For example, tasting a delicious dish activates the pleasure center of the brain and the mind wants more. At the moment it tastes good…until you’ve eaten too much. Now your belly is in pain and the taste has diminished. This is an example of Rajasic joy.

Joy that is Tamasic comes from false perception, dislike of work, and laziness. Procrastination falls under this type of joy. Putting off what must be done because what you are currently doing is more pleasurable. Then the pain comes from the stress of leaving things to the last minute, anger at yourself for making that choice.

The thing about Sattvic joy is that it doesn’t always feel joyful right away. It may show up after doing hard work or struggling. This is why the mind gets confused. It mistakes instant gratification for joy. In Swami Satchidananda’s commentary on the Yoga Sutras, he talks about the joy of having a baby. Being pregnant brings discomfort, sickness. Giving birth is so painful. Yet when a mother holds her newborn child, all that is present is joy. For most mothers, the love she has for her child is unconditional and everlasting. It’s there even on days she’s annoyed or angry at the behavior of her child. This is an example of Sattvic joy.

EFFORT CAN LEAD TO A JOYFUL MIND

Another is consistent work. The student who puts in the time to learn a skill has the opportunity to be in the joy of that skill flowing with creation. Mastery allows creativity. But mastery takes time and effort. It’s easy to desire to play an instrument like a maestro but it’s another thing to put the effort into making it happen.

When I first started to support people as a mental health therapist, I had so much nervousness and doubt about my abilities. After several years of doing the work on a daily basis, I no longer had to think as hard about what to say or do. I was able to be present to what was shared with me and help guide that person with more ease and joy. For me, there’s nothing like being present to another human being, who I believe is amazing, but they don’t believe this about themselves…

Then all of the sudden a shift happens as they start connecting with and understanding themselves more. When I get to see the love for self-love bloom in another person, it’s magical. I am honored and grateful to be witness to this each time.

So, can we cultivate a more Sattvic-dominant mind? It’s easy to talk about it but it’s far more important to put in practical practice in our daily lives. Practice is the key. But not just any practice. It must be consistent over a long period of time.

THE AWARE MIND

Living in Thailand now for 5 weeks, I am struck by the friendliness of the Thai people. This was not necessarily the case in South Korea, where the tendency is to avert eye contact and hide smiles. Thais are the opposite. They smile, actively greet each other, and give eye contact. I have felt my nervous system feel more relaxed and even feel more at home over these last five weeks. When the nervous system is relaxed, it’s easier to connect with joy.

1. Be aware of how you interact with others.

• What happens if you smile and say hi to someone? How does it feel to you? How does it feel if you or the other person does the opposite and avoids eye contact or greeting you?

 

• Even when we are in a bad mood, just someone smiling and saying/ doing a kind act can shift that mood.

 

• I don’t mean you have to be inauthentic. But, rather play around with social gestures with others.

 

• Your mind state and other people’s mind states will fluctuate. Use this to explore yourself.

 

• No need to judge, just observe.

 

Most of us have minds that tend toward negativity. It’s a common survival tactic. The mind feels more in control if it thinks it can control the external world. Avoiding pain is a big part of what all living creatures are biologically wired towards – and for good reason! Pain is communication that something is wrong. If you want to live long, you want to stay clear of pain…only that’s impossible to do. Pain will happen.

USE THE NEGATIVE MIND STATE

Which is why, in Patanjali Yoga Sutras, one specific practice asks us to get curious about our negative reactions, explore them. Then cultivate the opposite reaction to see what happens. In our modern world, for most of us, there are very few, absolutely true life or death situations. Mostly what is going on in our life are situations that are uncomfortable and the mind interprets it as ‘urgent’ or it may feel ‘life or death.’ 

I think about myself when I was in sixth grade. I invited boys as well as girls to go bowling and then out to pizza for my birthday. At the pizza place, my mom and her friend started swing dancing out in the hallway of the strip mall.. I was horrified and completely consumed by embarrassment. I ran into the bathroom, so upset, sure that my life was over.

Of course there was nothing life or death actually going on. It was my preteen mind reacting.

The thing is, our adult mind reacts out of proportion as well. It creates stories about work, ‘to do’ lists, interactions with others that feel stressful and urgent. I know as I have refined my mind to the habit of curiosity instead of letting that reaction take over, I have found over and over that the story is just not true. It’s just the survival mind trying to control.

CULTIVATE THE OPPOSITE

2. The practice that is named in PYS 2.33 is called pratipaksha bhavana. When you are aware of a negative thought wave, work on cultivating the opposite.

🚨 A warning, this practice isn’t about avoiding negative thought waves or beating yourself up if you notice a negative thought wave.

👉🏼 When you notice a negative reaction in your mind and body: Pause.

👉🏽 Take some slower breaths.

👉🏿 Observe the situation and get curious about your reaction.

When Greg came to me in the beginning of 2022 to ask if I would want to move abroad again, my immediate reaction was shock. I had just started a successful private practice and was enjoying it. How could he ask me to change that already?! I told him ‘No.”

My response to myself was “Wow, Twyla. That was a strong reaction.” 

I went upstairs and sat with that reaction, just observing it. Within 30 minutes, I realized this could be an opportunity for me to try an online group coaching program I had been thinking about for several years. By noticing my negative thought wave, I was able to let it move through me and see a bigger picture. Organically, my mind cultivated the opposite to this reaction. 

I went downstairs and let him know, “Okay. Let’s do it.”

ADDRESS DOUBT

Pratipaksha Bhavana unfolds further in PYS 2.34 to quell any doubts about the importance of addressing negative thought waves as it states, “they (negative thought waves) are based on ignorance and bring certain pain.” Negative thought waves, if left unchecked, will lead you away from joy. But if we use them to guide us to their opposites, negative thought waves become part of the means to reach joyful states of mind. 

Remember above when I listed some characteristics of a sattvic-dominant mind? Listed is a mind that has an equal outlook to both good and bad. If we stay in the zone of survival, our minds will categorize everything as ‘good’ or ‘bad’. That’s part of survival thinking. The unfortunate result is that we end up losing more control doing this in the long run. Anything that is bad, we avoid. But the practice of pratipaksha bhavana asks us to do something incredibly different. It asks us to face the ‘bad’ head on.

A mind that understands the seemingly ‘bad’ things in life can be used to connect to more joy, there is no such thing as ‘good’ or ‘bad.’ Instead, there’s just opportunities to cultivate a more sattvic-dominant mind. This is the mind we need to find lasting peace and joy.

NO ‘GOOD’ OR ‘BAD’

3. The third practice is to see seemingly ‘good’ and ‘bad’ things as equal.

𖹭 The practice is to be curious of all reactions.

𖹭 When something ‘good’ happens, get curious about your reaction.

𖹭 When something ‘bad’ happens, get curious about your reaction.

𖹭 Notice what happens. Notice what discoveries are made.

One of the things that I am so grateful for about my partner, Greg, is his ability to be playful and not be so serious. My mind tends to make things more serious than they need to be. He’s been a catalyst many times to help me let go of my ‘serious story.’ Really, life is rather ridiculous.

THE SERIOUS STORY

When we can let go of the ‘serious story’ it’s amazing how quickly joy shows up…

🤩 I’m starting to learn Thai, a challenging language. In order to practice, I have had to let go of saying things ‘perfectly.’ By being willing to say a word of two, I’ve had so many positive interactions with people! Some have even given me some impromptu language lessons, which helps me learn even more.

💻 Technology issues have happened recently for me. Those who can help me are 11 hours behind my time zone, making any desire for a quick fix a figment of imagination. I try to do what I can, send out a message for help, and then let it go. The next day, I see what information I receive, do what I can and communicate back. I continue until the issue is resolved. This process goes completely against striving ‘efficiency’ and productivity. But my stress level is reduced and I am more relaxed about the problem. I accept what it is, do what I can, and know it will be resolved in the long run. It also shows all the holes in the argument that technology will save time. LOL

🌊 Doubt is one of the quickest ways to disconnect from joy. It’s kind of like a riptide current that quickly takes you away from the shore. When doubt shows up, I know that ignorance and pain are there with it. Facing and moving through doubt is important. But just like swimming against the current will deplete your energy, arguing with doubt will have you go around in circles.

ALWAYS CHOICES

Instead, remember there is no ‘good’ or ‘bad’, listen to the story of doubt with curiosity. This allows you to turn and swim though by seeing different perspectives and choices. Curiosity has been shown to activate the same pleasure centers in the brain as using mind-altering substances. When we see a wider view, it feels safe to the body. Choices mean we can move instead of feeling stuck. There are always choices.

I know when choices open up to me, my body relaxes and sometimes I even start to giggle. How did I ever think there weren’t choices in the first place?

4. Let go of taking life so seriously. Do this by practicing these mind belief shifts:

📌 There is no ‘good’ or ‘bad’.

📌 There are always choices.

📌 Instead of swimming against the current, turn and swim through it.

📌 Get curious. Let go of judgment, analyzing, and fixing.

Cultivating joy is not something that is dependent on where you are, who you are with, or what you are doing. It’s simply your mind state. Since your mind is always with you, the opportunity for joy is too. Keep using your life to connect with joy.

Shanti.