The Yogic Gunas, Attachment Styles and Pete Walker’s 4 F’s
In my work as a therapeutic coach , it is vital to hold space for the complexity of being human. No single model or theory ever feels enough because the human psyche just isn’t that tidy. I often reflect on the interplay between the frameworks I use professionally, and the philosophies that shape me personally. This piece brings some of those threads together, mapping the three gunas from yogic philosophy (a lens that shapes how I understand energy and states of being), alongside Bowlby’s attachment theory and Pete Walker’s 4 F trauma responses , which form key parts of my professional framework, particularly in terms of the therapeutic aspect. I have been exploring aspects of yogic philosophy with my friend, also a therapist. We have been away twice to immerse ourselves in yoga practice and discussion, using the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali as a guide. On our last trip, a few weeks ago, we leant into the concepts of Vairagya (non-attachment) and the G...