Santosha is the second NIYAMA ("Niyamas" are the second of the eight limbs of traditional yoga) and is translated as "contentment" or "to be happy with what is."
The practice of Santosha is a personal inquiry that is best accompanied with an open mind and a compassionate heart. When taking time to dive deep beneath the surface of our everyday lives, it is likely we discover wonderful things about ourselves, our choices, and our current circumstances. You might recognize that you have more patience than you thought, by the way you were able to walk away from a stressful situation at work earlier this week, rather than getting defensive and losing your cool.
On the other hand, we could also uncover some not-so-wonderful aspects of our lives. You might realize that although you had patience with your co-worker, you actually took your frustration out on your spouse once arriving home to see unwashed dishes in the sink (again...), and proceeded to lecture him or her for 20-minutes about keeping the kitchen clean.
*Take a deep breath in & out* You are not alone! And most importantly, this does not mean you are no longer wonderful! That is the beauty of the practice of Santosha -- it enables us to accept what is, and be content with a situation exactly the way it is. So, you lose your temper on occasion... who doesn't? This is not meant to suggest that you lose your temper more often, due to your new practice of contentment. What this post is meant to advise is for you to offer yourself permission to have slip-ups from time to time, and being okay with the way things go down, even if a tiny part of you wishes things were different.
For some of us, the concept of Santosha might be a bit challenging. Some of us have lived with the idea that there are certain things that we "should" and "shouldn't" be doing, saying, or thinking, and if we do anything on the "shouldn't" list then that means we are bad, impure, or less than perfect. In essence, yoga suggests that we release previously held expectations of ourselves, to allow our True Self, our true nature, to guide us through life. As we begin to incorporate this openness, acceptance, and contentment in the ebb and flow of each day, there is a much higher feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment. The more we are able to accept and find satisfaction in our own life, the more likely we are to accept and be satisfied by the actions, words, and thoughts of those around us -- reducing the likelihood of arguments, tension, and judgement.
YOUR MINDFULNESS PRACTICE:
I recommend first trying to practice Santosha in a situation that you are by yourself; for example, the next time you are sitting in traffic. Consciously choose to shift your reaction to the scenario, to one of contentment. Yes, traffic is irritating, can raise your blood pressure, anxiety, and maybe even make you late for an important appointment. But thinking of those negative aspects will not do a single thing to change your current situation. Rather than focusing on everything that the traffic is preventing from going "right," take a deep breath and try to find a positive twist on why, on this particular day, traffic is not that bad. Maybe sitting in traffic allows you to listen to a podcast you've been dying to finish, or hear your favorite song on the radio that you might have missed if you made it to work on time. Trust that there is a reason for things to happen the way they do, regardless of your preference. Choose to focus your energy in a way that will keep your day heading in a pleasant direction.
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