“We are not merely statues of clay, but vessels of vibrating light. The chakras are the potter’s wheels, and the Gunas are the hands that shape the clay—sometimes pressing too hard, sometimes not enough. The master potter knows how to apply just the right touch to create a perfect vessel for the divine.” — Aroonji
Beloved travelers,
We have walked the path from the root to the crown, exploring the seven sacred energy centers that map our human experience. Yet, these chakras do not exist in a static vacuum. They are dynamic, constantly influenced by the three fundamental forces of nature known in Vedic philosophy as the Gunas.
Imagine your body is a grand instrument, like a sitar. The chakras are the strings. The Gunas are the way those strings are played.
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Tamas is inertia, darkness, and heaviness. It is the string played with a dull, muted thumb, creating a sluggish vibration.
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Rajas is activity, passion, and turbulence. It is the string plucked frantically, creating a loud, chaotic, and sometimes jarring sound.
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Sattva is harmony, balance, and light. It is the string tuned perfectly and plucked with precision, creating a clear, resonant, and beautiful melody.
Our goal in yoga is to move from Tamas and Rajas toward Sattva—to tune every string of our being so that we may play the divine music we were meant to sing. Let us look at the complete map of how these forces manifest in your subtle body.
Muladhara Chakra
The Foundation of Survival
This is our anchor in the physical world, governing our sense of safety, survival, and belonging. It is the earth element within us.
How the Gunas Manifest:
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Tamasic (Inertia): Feels stuck, heavy, fearful of change, hoarding possessions, prone to lethargy or depression. The roots are rotted.
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Rajasic (Turbulence): Anxious, restless, workaholic, driven by greed or insecurity, unable to sit still. The roots are shallow and jittery.
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Sattvic (Balance): Grounded, secure, stable, practical, feeling safe in one’s body and the world. The roots are deep and strong.
The Tuning Fork:
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Color: Red
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Frequency: ~396 Hz (Liberating Guilt and Fear)
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Bija Mantra: LAM
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Affirmation: “I am safe. I am rooted. I have everything I need.”
Svadishthana Chakra
The Sacral Chakra
The Flow of Creation
Located in the pelvic bowl, this is the center of emotion, pleasure, creativity, and sexuality. It is the water element within us.
How the Gunas Manifest:
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Tamasic (Inertia): Emotionally numb, sexually repressed, lacking creativity, feeling guilt or shame, rigid. The water is frozen stagnant.
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Rajasic (Turbulence): Overly emotional, dramatic, addicted to pleasure or sensation, manipulative in relationships. The water is a turbulent flood.
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Sattvic (Balance): Graceful, adaptable, creatively flowing, enjoying healthy pleasure without attachment. The water is a clear, flowing river.
The Tuning Fork:
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Color: Orange
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Frequency: ~417 Hz (Undoing Situations and Facilitating Change)
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Bija Mantra: VAM
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Affirmation: “I feel. I flow with the rhythms of life. My creativity is sacred.”
Manipura Chakra
The Solar Plexus Chakra
The Fire of Will
The center of personal power, identity, willpower, and digestion. This is the fire element that fuels our actions.
How the Gunas Manifest:
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Tamasic (Inertia): Low self-esteem, passive, victim mentality, poor digestion, lack of motivation. The fire is barely smoldering ash.
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Rajasic (Turbulence): Aggressive, domineering, angry, competitive, needing to control others, burned out. The fire is a raging, destructive wildfire.
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Sattvic (Balance): Confident, disciplined, purposeful, courageous, possessing inner strength without needing to dominate. The fire is a steady, warming hearth.
The Tuning Fork:
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Color: Yellow
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Frequency: ~528 Hz (Transformation and Miracles / DNA Repair)
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Bija Mantra: RAM
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Affirmation: “I do. I am powerful. I direct my will toward the good.”
Anahata Chakra
The Heart Chakra
The Bridge of Compassion
The central balance point connecting the lower (physical) and upper (spiritual) chakras. It is the center of love, compassion, and connection—the air element.
How the Gunas Manifest:
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Tamasic (Inertia): Guarded heart, holding onto grief and resentment, inability to forgive, lonely, withdrawn. The air is stale and heavy.
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Rajasic (Turbulence): Possessive love, jealousy, conditional giving (“I love you if…”), emotionally demanding. The air is a hurricane.
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Sattvic (Balance): Unconditional love, compassion for self and others, forgiveness, peaceful openness. The air is a gentle, fresh breeze.
The Tuning Fork:
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Color: Green
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Frequency: ~639 Hz (Connecting/Relationships)
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Bija Mantra: YAM
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Affirmation: “I love. I am open to giving and receiving love. I forgive freely.”
Vishudha Chakra
The Throat Chakra
The Resonance of Truth
The center of communication, expression, and authenticity. It is through the throat that we manifest our inner reality into the outer world through sound (ether).
How the Gunas Manifest:
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Tamasic (Inertia): Fear of speaking up, swallowing truths, inability to articulate thoughts, secretive, shy. The instrument is muted.
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Rajasic (Turbulence): Excessive talking, gossiping, interrupting, shouting, speaking without listening. The instrument is played harshly and out of tune.
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Sattvic (Balance): Speaking truth with kindness, deep listening, articulate expression, resonant voice. The instrument plays a clear, pure note.
The Tuning Fork:
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Color: Light Blue/Turquoise
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Frequency: ~741 Hz (Expression/Solutions)
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Bija Mantra: HAM
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Affirmation: “I speak. My voice is the vehicle of my truth. I listen with my heart.”
Ajna Chakra
The Third Eye Chakra
The Light of Insight
Located between the brows, this is the seat of intuition, inner wisdom, and the ability to see beyond duality.
How the Gunas Manifest:
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Tamasic (Inertia): Foggy mind, cynical, unimaginative, rigid reliance only on logic, denial of intuition. The inner mirror is covered in thick dust.
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Rajasic (Turbulence): Scattered focus, over-intellectualizing, hallucinations, anxious worrying about the future (“what if”). The inner mirror is cracked and distorted.
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Sattvic (Balance): Clear vision, intuitive knowing, wisdom, ability to see the big picture without judgment. The inner mirror is polished and pristine.
The Tuning Fork:
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Color: Indigo
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Frequency: ~852 Hz (Returning to Spiritual Order)
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Bija Mantra: OM (or KSHAM)
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Affirmation: “I see. I trust my inner knowing. I see clearly.”
Sahasrara Chakra
The Crown Chakra
The Gateway to Oneness
The thousand-petaled lotus at the crown, our connection to the divine, universal consciousness, and transcendence.
How the Gunas Manifest:
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Tamasic (Inertia): Spiritual cynicism, feeling completely separate and alone, deep materialism, hopelessness. The lotus bud is tightly closed and withered.
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Rajasic (Turbulence): “Spiritual bypassing” (using spirituality to avoid real life), ego-driven desire for enlightenment, intellectual arrogance about spiritual concepts. The lotus is forced open prematurely.
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Sattvic (Balance): A sense of oneness, deep peace, transcendence, living in the present moment as connected awareness. The lotus blooms naturally in full glory.
The Tuning Fork:
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Color: Violet or Pure White
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Frequency: ~963 Hz (Frequency of the Gods/Oneness) and beyond.
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Bija Mantra: Silent OM
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Affirmation: “I am. I am one with the Universe. I am light.”
Sahasrara:the thousand petals
In Sanskrit, Sahasrara means “thousand-petaled.” Imagine a magnificent lotus blooming on your crown, its petals white and effulgent, radiating light that connects you to the cosmos. It is the seat of enlightenment, the place where the illusion of separation finally dissolves, and we remember our inherent oneness with all that is.
Anahata: The Unstruck Melody of the Heart
In Sanskrit, Anahata translates to “unstruck” or “unhurt.” This name carries a profound mystery: it refers to the celestial sound (the Om) that creates itself without two objects striking together.
Ajna: The Silent Command of Intuition
While the lower chakras connect us to the earth and our emotions, and the heart connects us to others, Ajna connects us to insight. It is the realm of Indigo, a deep, midnight blue that bridges the finite mind with the infinite cosmos. It is here that we move from thinking to knowing.
manipura: The 3rd chakra
Your intentions, dreams, and desires are the raw, cold iron. To turn that cold iron into a sword of truth or a shield of resilience, you need heat. If the fire in the forge is weak or flickering (a blocked chakra), the iron remains heavy and immovable; you feel lethargic, stuck, and victim to circumstance.
Swadhisthana Chakra: Complete Guide to Sacral Chakra Healing, Creativity, Sensuality & Pleasure
Swadhisthana, the sacral chakra, is the center of creativity, pleasure, and sensuality in your body and spirit. When this chakra flows freely, you experience joy in life, embrace your sexuality with confidence, and access your creative potential. Through sound, movement, and mindful practices, you can awaken and balance this vibrant orange energy center.
Muladhara Chakra: Complete Guide to Root Chakra Healing, Sounds, Asanas & Daily Practices
Muladhara, the root chakra, is the energetic foundation of the whole chakra system and relates to safety, stability, and your basic trust in life. When you support this chakra with sound, movement, breath, and simple daily rituals, you create a grounded base for spiritual growth and everyday wellbeing.
“Your body is the harp of your soul, and it is yours to bring forth sweet music from it or confused sounds.” — Khalil Gibran
The Great Tuning
The journey of yoga is not about destroying Tamas or Rajas—they are necessary forces of rest and movement. It is about harmonizing them under the guidance of Sattva. By using the tools of sound (mantra), color, and awareness, we can retune our instrument daily.
Listen closely to the song of your own being. Where there is discord, bring gentle attention. Where there is harmony, bring gratitude.
Reflective Question:
Scan your body from root to crown. Which chakra currently feels most ‘Rajasic’ (turbulent, hurried, aggressive) and which feels most ‘Tamasic’ (stuck, heavy, fearful)? What simple act can you do today to bring a little Sattvic balance to just one of them?
An Invitation to Harmony
Balancing the chakras and navigating the gunas is a delicate art, one that is much easier with an experienced guide to help you hear the subtleties of your own energy.
I am Aroonji, a lifelong student and teacher of these ancient Vedic wisdom traditions. Having navigated these waters in both the East and the West, I offer a grounded, compassionate approach to your spiritual tuning.
I invite you to explore this sacred anatomy with me. I offer private sessions tailored to your unique energetic signature, and a warm, welcoming community awaits you at Yoga Sole in Fiesole.
Let us tune your instrument together.
WhatsApp: +39-3510278911
Email: yogafiesole@gmail.com