Santosha the 1st Limb of Yoga
Do We Understand Contentment?
The first of the Niyamas inside of the 8 limbs of the yogic path is Santosha. Santosha or contentment is often misunderstood by most of us.
Particularly if we are desiring to feel stress relief or to reduce anxiety. Many of us practice yoga with a mindset that “Other people are… more flexible, happy, fit, further along the path, living more happily…and it is out of reach for us.”
However, the truth is our thoughts are drawn to be analytical, comparative, and see the lens of lack in ourselves more often than not. It is our human nature driven by our ego to want more ease, joy and freedom in our lives. The unfortunate dilemma is our adaptive behavior is to seek that state from a perception that the solution is outside ourselves to get there. Or that it is by external means that we can solve most any problem. This conditioned tendency comes from a culture that is constantly bombarding our brains with distractions, lures, and shiny new objects to obtain the next best gadget that makes our lives more comfortable.
Isn’t this interesting that as humans we seek comfort in so many ways that don’t involve looking towards ourselves but rather away from our innate and natural wisdom that lives within us? The yoga practice over time lends itself to having the body achieve a state of calm. How many of us feel the best part of yoga is Savasana? That floating state of ease at the end in constructive rest?
Have you ever felt it when a friend or neighbor says to you “ Everything is good?”
When in your gut or intuitive felt sense, you sense it's not fine?
It happens all the time in our culture. This perpetuates a belief that we must overlay or superimpose to others that we are fine.
Unfortunately, when we take that to a greater frequency and repeat this behavior we have built a series of false notions to others that are superficial and distant from how we really feel. This overlay becomes at odds inside us. We lose our authentic selves, and get lost and lonely.
Santosha is a practice all on its own. It asks us as we go through life, to establish a place of contentment with whatever is arising.
Whether it is a small challenge of a lost password or a tragic loss, our practice asks us
To accept what is and be with what arises.
That acceptance can range from being highly challenging and difficult to a much quicker capacity to let go of small slights or knee jerk reactions.
There is a range of time it takes to process different triggers.
Pausing and feeling what arises, allows the space for practicing acceptance.
What is present for you right now?
Life is very complex and there is a lot going on for all of us at any given moment.
Can we start with allowing what is and let it be?
The cultivation of contentment over the course of time, requires repeatedly establishing a message “I am going to be with what is and accept.”
To master your ability to self regulate and pause in the moment, and allow things to unfold requires skill and discernment.
In some cases action is needed and in other cases sitting with emotions and feeling uncomfortable in those feelings is the way forward to overall peace. Whether it is accepting others, circumstances, or changes that we may not like or dealing with dire situations that require our action, there is a place to feel space and notice the peace that lies within. This practice is Santosha.
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Jennifer Degen
March 30, 2023