Sat Chit Ananda

Sat Chit Ananda is a reference to a trinity of Being, Consciousness and Bliss, and can be a useful guide for living. Too much Sat carried to extremes becomes saturnine contraction and the forces of gravity that drive toward a centre, it can be the road to hell; hence the well known saying, “Too much work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”. Excessive stress in the form of saturnine contraction impedes energy flow and restricts circulation, so that life giving energy is not carried around the body. Sat, Chit Ananda is also an established part of yoga terminology that rolls easily around the tongue, suggesting a harmonious relation between the words and its parts.

To the yogi a Being is a house of sentient power, ideally with all its parts in harmonious relationship, both physically and spiritually. Too much focus on material realism creates barriers through which subtle and developmental possibilities are unable to break through.

Consciousness is the key and is the level of awareness that holds the balance between being and non-being, so that right tone is maintained throughout the body. To whatever level we apply ourselves to the work we call yoga. Sat, Chit Ananda is a key phrase that helps maintain a right sense of perspective; Ananda being the harmonic rhythm that arises when there is mutual agreement between the forces of holding on and letting go, so that life flows easily and in perfect accord.

Yoga is living in the moment and recognising that we are spiritual beings enjoying an earthly experience and that without resistance we cannot develop a form, or spiritual identity, that will carry us from life to llfe. The face that we present to the world is a reflection of who we truly are and often reflects the stresses and strains of daily life. If you do not like what you see when looking in the mirror, do your best to change it and bring balance back into your life.