Energy vibrating at different frequencies makes up all the diverse things and beings in the world. Our own minds and bodies hold a unique energetic frequency we often call our “vibes.”
The higher the frequency we hold, the more positive, peaceful and happy we feel.
You may have read or heard of many ways to raise your body and mind’s vibration such as eating fresh, natural, nutrient-rich fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains and seeds, drinking pure water, and practising yoga, Tai Chi or other holistic modalities. You can take a walk in nature, engage in doing some creative activity such as painting, practise gratitude, and repeat affirmations.
All these are valid and useful.
Although it’s true that we must do certain things to raise our vibration, so long as we see them as practices, there is a danger of not being able to keep them up.
The real way to raise our vibration is to permanently raise the frequency of the mind. This can be done when we understand the inner workings of the mind and what it is influenced by.
The three moods of the mind
According to Vedanta, the spiritual science of life, the mind operates under the influence of three different moods called sattva, rajas and tamas. Collectively they are called gunas in Sanskrit. Guna means “property” or “quality.”
All three gunas are always present in the mind, but the proportion of each mood at any given time varies. When one mood predominates, the influence of the other two moods diminishes correspondingly.
Collectively, sattva, rajas and tamas determine the type of thoughts we maintain and thereby, the quality of the mind.
Sattva is the highest guna and to consistently maintain this mood will raise and hold our vibration at a high level.
What are the qualities associated with the three gunas?
Sattva stands for goodness, truth, purity, serenity and nobility. It expresses in the mind as thoughts of love, kindness, compassion, concern, sympathy, empathy, dispassion, and a desire to give, grow and learn. There is mindfulness, clarity, creativity, concentration, ability for discernment and understanding subtle matters.
Rajas prompts mental activity. It gives rise to diverse desires to achieve self-centred goals. If the desires are not fulfilled, there’s anger, if they are fulfilled, there’s greed for more. If someone has more, then jealousy arises. Passion, ambition, dynamism, stress, worry, impatience, haste and a tendency to jump to conclusions are all marks of rajas.
Tamas is the lowest mood of the mind. It is characterised by mental lethargy. The symptoms of tamas are laziness, apathy, sleepiness, boredom, carelessness, forgetfulness, habitual procrastination, resistance to thinking and learning new things, narrow mindedness, fanaticism, violence and depression.
Sure steps to permanently raise your vibration
Once you understand the three gunas, how they influence your mind, and are alert to catch the mood you are in, you can take the steps to permanently raise your vibration.
- Raise tamas to rajas
Whenever you recognise that you are feeling, lazy, bored, or down, whip yourself up with some rajas activity to shake off the tamasic low mood.
You could go for a brisk walk or jog around the block, take a refreshing shower with cool water, and do those tasks that you need to get done at home or in the office.
Tamas is transcended by prompt action. As you start to practice this over and over again, you will find that you will gradually get out of your habitual laziness, lack of motivation and boredom.
- Raise rajas to sattva
Rajasic activity is generally motivated by selfishness. It gives rise to more and more desires, which greatly agitate the mind. The breathing becomes short and shallow, the words and body movements become abrupt, and there is a tendency to make mistakes. These only add more agitations to the mind.
If you notice that you are running to accomplish a long list of things and are feeling anxious and unfocused because of them, it’s time to slow down, breathe and recalibrate. This is consciously bringing in the peaceful mood of sattva into your mind.
Revisit your list and separate the must-do list from the like-to-do list. Do what needs to be done and check your outgoing tendencies by channelling your energy into higher pursuits such as listening or reading something inspirational, prayer or meditation. Since rajas is characterised by selfish activity, directing your need to be active in helping others will elevate rajas to sattva. When you serve others, you reduce your selfishness; thereby reducing your desire-prompted agitations.
Rajas can be transcended when selfish actions are imbued with the nobility and goodness of sattva.
- Maintain sattva
To check the lower rajasic and tamasic tendencies, bring in sattvic qualities in the mind.
In all situations, pause to think, assess carefully and take the sattvic course of action. It could express as being kind, honest, patient, giving, understanding, or being helpful to others. It would mean making higher lifestyle choices which would be in alignment with the qualities of sattva. In my article, 10 Keys to Self-Transformation, I share a list of different aspects of life that can be brought to sattva.
Always maintain sattva
The real way to raise your vibration is to strive to maintain a primarily sattvic state of mind.
This involves being mindful of your own thoughts, speech and actions. Like watching the dials on your car’s dashboard and adjusting your driving and speed accordingly, you can control your mind. You can adjust your “mental dials” and convert the gunas from tamas to rajas, and then from rajas to sattva.
A sattvic mind brings enduring peace and happiness—true signs of high energetic vibes.
To learn more about the mind and its moods, read How to master your moods and How to hasten your spiritual growth
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Thanks for sharing these concepts. I will put them into work in my life immediately. It’s helpful to have a ‘road guide’. God bless.
So glad to read that you will start to implement these ideas in your life! Being aware of the mind and its moods, raising them (from tamas to rajas) and maintaining sattva is a constant spiritual discipline. Wishing you all success!