Gunas and the Inner System, From Rajas or Tamas to Sattvic Leadership (Gita)

Introduction, The Energetic Texture of Parts

Every part in the IFS system carries not only a role, but an energy. The Bhagavad Gita names these energetic qualities as the gunas, the three forces that shape our inner and outer worlds:

• Rajas, agitation, restlessness, urgency

• Tamas, heaviness, numbness, collapse

• Sattva, clarity, balance, steady presence

IFS helps us relate to parts. The Gita helps us understand the quality those parts are operating from.

When we combine these teachings, we gain a gentle and powerful way to help our system shift toward clarity, without force or shame.

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Reading a Part’s Energy Through the Gunas

People often ask, how do I know what state a part is in? The Gita answers this beautifully through the gunas.

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Rajas (agitated energy)

A part in rajas feels:

• urgent

• reactive

• impatient

• anxious

• fiery

• pushing for immediate action

Examples: The part that wants to fix everything right now. The one that can’t sit still with discomfort. The one that catastrophizes in order to stay prepared.

Tamas (heavy energy)

A part in tamas feels:

• numb

• hopeless

• collapsed

• unmotivated

• foggy

• withdrawn

Examples: The part that wants to shut down after overwhelm. The one that gives up before trying. The one that drifts into distraction or sleep.

Sattva (clear energy)

A part in sattva feels:

• calm

• balanced

• steady

• spacious

• grounded

• clear seeing

This is the quality closest to Self energy, not identical, but harmonious with it.

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Why This Lens Matters in IFS Work

When we identify the guna a part is operating from, we automatically gain:

• compassion (this part isn’t bad, it’s overwhelmed or depleted)

• clarity (we know what kind of support it needs)

• options (instead of fighting the emotion, we shift the energy)

It becomes less about fixing the part and more about accompanying it toward lightness and balance.

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Gentle Shifts From Rajas or Tamas Into Sattva

These shifts stay safely in the realm of personal growth micro practices, not therapy protocols.

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When a Part Is in Rajas (Agitated)

The goal is not to silence it, but to cool and steady it.

Supportive shifts:

• slowing the breath

• grounding touch on the chest or belly

• stepping outside for fresh air

• reducing stimulation (screens, speed, noise)

• saying internally: I hear you, I’m not rushing you

What changes:Urgency softens.Space opens.The part feels accompanied.

When a Part Is in Tamas (Heavy)

The goal is not to push it, but to gently enliven it.

Supportive shifts:

• light movement

• warm tea

• sunlight

• a single achievable step

• saying internally: You don’t have to do everything. Just stay with me.

What changes:Fog thins.Hopelessness lifts slightly.The part feels held instead of abandoned.

These micro shifts don’t force a part to be sattvic. They invite it.

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Practical “Sattva Supports” for Parts

Think of these like environmental and emotional nutrients that help the system stabilize.

1. Clarity Supports

   • reduce noise

   • simplify the choice

   • name what matters most in the moment

2. Calm Supports

   • slow breath

   • warm hand on the heart

   • focusing on one sense (sound, texture, breath)

3. Spaciousness Supports

   • visualizing three inches of space around the body

   • relaxing the jaw

   • sitting back in a chair rather than forward

4. Compassion Supports

   • remembering this is a part, not the whole of you

   • soft inner tone

   • letting the part know you’re not leaving

Sattva is not perfection. It’s balance, harmony, steadiness.

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Guna Self Assessment for Parts (Non Clinical)

Readers can use this to notice what state a part is in before trying to work with it.

Ask inside:Is this part agitated?Is this part heavy?Is this part clear?

If agitated, lean toward cooling and slowing. If heavy, lean toward warming and enlivening.If clear, lean toward listening.

This assessment alone prevents overwhelm.

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Menu of Sattvic Micro Shifts for Anxious, Angry, or Numb Parts

For Anxious Parts (Rajas)

• hand over heart

• soften shoulders

• exhale slowly

• say, I’m here with you

For Angry Parts (Rajas)

• step back from the trigger

• feel the feet

• cool water on wrists

• acknowledge the boundary it’s trying to protect

For Numb Parts (Tamas)

• open a window

• stretch gently

• name one thing you see

• give permission for slowness

These are not spiritual commands. They are invitations. They help parts shift naturally toward clarity.

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Closing, Letting the System Return to Balance

In the Gita, the gunas are always moving, swirling, shaping our experience. IFS offers a way to meet them with presence instead of judgment.

You don’t need to force yourself into sattva. You simply create the conditions for it.

Parts settle.Clarity rises. Self begins to lead.