Yoga Philosophy

What’s Your Guna?

A choose-your-own-adventure guide to the qualities of nature.

We all have all three gunas, but usually one is driving the bus while the others hang out in the back seat. Let’s find out who’s behind the wheel right now.

7 quick questions · About 2 minutes

Question 1 of 7

1. Your alarm goes off at 6:00 AM. You…

A. Slowly open your eyes, take a deep breath, and feel grateful for a new day. B. Smash the snooze button like it’s your enemy. Then do it again. And again. C. Spring out of bed before the alarm even finishes its first beep. You’ve already checked your emails.

2. You’re stuck in a massive traffic jam on the way to the studio. Your vibe is:

A. Chanting Om or listening to an inspiring podcast. It is what it is. B. Total road rage. You’re changing lanes every 30 seconds and checking your watch every 5. C. You’ve basically given up on life. You’re slumped in the seat, staring blankly at the bumper in front of you.

3. Your “yoga diet” lately has mostly consisted of:

A. Fresh salads, steamed veggies, and herbal tea. You feel light and “glowy.” B. Coffee, spicy tacos, and maybe some dark chocolate (or a lot of it) for “energy.” C. Leftover pizza, heavy pasta, and whatever was in the back of the freezer.

4. During a challenging Chaturanga hold, you:

A. Maintain a steady breath and a soft gaze, lowering with control. B. Hold your breath, turn bright red, and try to “win” at yoga by staying up longer than the person next to you. C. Your knees hit the floor immediately. “I’ll just wait for Savasana,” you think.

5. Your closet looks like…

A. Organized, clean, and color-coded. You can find exactly what you need. B. A chaotic explosion of colors and “I forgot I owned this!” items. C. A mountain of laundry you haven’t folded in three weeks.

6. When someone gives you constructive feedback on your teaching:

A. You listen thoughtfully, thank them, and see it as a chance to grow. B. You get defensive and start explaining why they’re actually wrong. C. You feel terrible, want to quit yoga, and go take a 3-hour nap.

7. It’s Friday night! You are:

A. Reading a spiritual book and heading to bed early for morning sadhana. B. Out on the town, dancing, or working on your side-hustle. C. Deep in a Netflix binge-watch, surrounded by snack wrappers.

Reflect

Which guna shows up for you when you’re under pressure? How can you use your yoga practice to shift back toward center?