Riding the Rollercoaster of May

Balancing the 3 Gunas

Tamas, Rajas and Sattva 

I swear my May brain is as busy as my December brain!  But if you think about it, it makes sense.  Like December, May is a crossroad of beginnings and endings.  It’s a bit of an energetic rollercoaster! 

Being aware of the shifting energies of May can help us feel more at ease, and be able to ride the ups and downs of this month.  One powerful way to be aware, is to name the energies.  And yoga provides some helpful vocabulary for us:  Tamas energy and Rajas energy.      

When May brings us beginnings, the energy of Rajas kicks up.  Restarting the garden, the cleaning, the projects can bring us feelings of motivation and drive and a sense of accomplishment.  But it can also bring us a steady list of to-do’s, needs and wants.  It can make us feel jumpy, or even quick to anger.  

If you are in a life season that is centered around the school calendar, May brings endings, which also brings Tamas energy.  We might feel nostalgic.  Or it might bring a longing for simpler times.  Or we may look back and feel a sense of guilt as the woulda/shouldas creep in.  Tamas energy brings the gift of reflection.  But it can also tempt us into snow-globing, seeing only the highlights and forgetting the complexities. Tamas energy can also put on blinders that only see the mistakes and not the attempts and intentions.  

That feeling of ease and feeling able to ride the ups and downs of May also has a name:  Sattva.  

Sure, May is a rollercoaster of energy.  But that’s life.  So climb on in!  But let’s stay aware, so we can ride with a little more ease.   

Until next time,

Laura