Santosha

The second limb of the eight faceted path of yoga consists of the five Niyamas which are reflections that take us more toward internal observances, an interior resting place. The second of these Niyamas is called Santosha and is often translated as contentment.

What makes you happy?

I know that if I have things to look forward to, my mood seems to elevate, like upcoming travel plans, a long weekend, or special event. Happiness also shows itself when I find a screaming deal or when I find myself in deep conversation with a friend over a cup of tea. A quiet morning ride with the sun just beginning to shine on our local mountains, spectacular cloud formations at sunset and birds tweeting their love notes to each other also make me happy.

But what is it that makes us content? What's the difference between being content and being happy?

In my experience, happiness seems to be something that is more often found outside of ourselves and often transient. Contentment is an inner state of being which resides within us no matter what might be happening around us. I can honestly say that I'm content with my life and I feel that way because I love being able to do what I'm passionate about. With that being said, for most of my working life, I have enjoyed what I do...I guess I'm lucky that way, but even with that, I used to find myself getting dragged around by the emotions and events of my life. It was as though whatever was going on would influence how I felt. My moods would pendulum back and forth, often leaning toward the slant of feeling down. So how do we find contentment? Is it by accident?

We need to find something that works for us on a regular basis, some form of connecting to the bigger picture of our lives, to the "why am I here?" type of question. In our culture we are taught to look outside of ourselves for answers. We look toward our parents when we're young, to our teachers as we gain education, to our government to keep us safe and provide services. We continue this outward search looking for that perfect partner to "make us happy", to that perfect job to keep us financially secure or to our families and friends for moral support. What we aren't taught is how to look inside of our own hearts to see what we need on a soulful level. 

What connects me to a sense of meaning? Heading into nature, walking barefoot at the edge of the ocean and listening to moving music are ways in which I walk through the doorway to my own inner realm. Stepping onto my yoga mat, teaching others and sitting in silent meditation are the tools that also take me into that space.

When the magic of my yoga practice started to reveal itself, things shifted. It took time and more importantly, consistency of being in the practice. This shift was as though I remembered my commitment and connection to my inner divine nature. I needed to listen to what my inner Self was asking of me and it was through my practice that I began to hear it. Over time, discovering my purpose, that of teaching, I began to realize that I was living a contented life and that made me happy.

So no matter what life situation we may find ourselves in, when we are able to connect into the still space of our inner being, we connect with the contented part of our lives. When we aren't blown around by the winds of emotion, we begin to reside in a natural state of joy. As Nischala Joy Devi translates Santosha in her book, The Secret Power of Yoga:

"When at peace and content with oneself and others (Santosha), supreme joy is celebrated."

She goes on to say that in Southern India, instead of saying "thank you" to show appreciation, people say Santosha (I am content). 

As I conclude this weeks thought, I would like to say to all of you, Santosha!

Saucha

The second limb of the eight faceted path of yoga consists of the five Niyamas which are reflections that take us more toward internal observances, an interior resting place. The first of these Niyamas is called Saucha and is often translated as cleanliness, purity or simplicity. It's about cleaning up our act on all levels of our being. 

We live in a time where we are exposed to, and live in, a toxic environment. Think about the chemicals that we come across each day---household cleaners, skin and self care products, additives, preservatives, noise, water and air pollution. And that's just our physical exposure. Yet the toxic relationships we are involved with can pack a stronger, although sometimes more subtle punch. Then there's the toxic self-imposed negative self-talk and inner critic that likes to hang around and offer their (delusional) input and comments.

If we live in ignorance of what is toxic in our lives it starts to slowly take hold of us, like a slow growing mold. We often can't even detect it until it has altered some part of us, perhaps reflected in a physical symptom (ulcer, migraine, back ache, skin rash) or on an emotional level where we find ourselves angry or easily agitated, as though we are in a constant state of grumbling about the world and all of its evils. Our own personal web of toxicity might also be contagious, feeding into the pool of other people's negativity which seems to only encourage the growth of this damaging state of being. An example of this is gossiping-the act of latching onto the woes in our and other people's lives, perpetuating and possibly embellishing the story. If you've ever known someone who loves to gossip, it's as though they are on the hunt for the scoop, to find a juicy nugget to share with someone else regardless of whether or not it's their story to tell.

Saucha is where we interrupt the cycle and begin damage control. We raise our own level of consciousness about our own footprint of what we are sending out into the world. We begin to take action from a place of purer intention. It's as though we awaken to what we eat, say, act and do to having an effect on ourselves and all of the energy around us. We  do this by raising our awareness of the foods we choose, selecting foods closest to its clean source (organic) and by choosing self-care products that aren't laden with chemicals. 

Our yoga practice is a way to clear and cleanse our energy. The simple act of conscious breathing is like clearing our own dusty screen, intentionally letting go of what no longer serves us. Our bodies have natural in-built cleansers through elimination of body excrement, sweat, exhaling CO2 and menstruation. By physically moving our body, staying well-hydrated and looking after our gut health we bring our natural processes of elimination into better balance. In the tradition of Ayurveda (the sister science to yoga) undertaking Panchakarma is a method of cleansing and cleaning the body through such modalities as breathwork, nasal irrigation (neti pot) and body work. We can enhance our own purification by living simply, reducing drama in our lives, creating supportive rituals and finding quiet space each and every day.

We can all do just a little something to bring ourselves into a calmer balance and better health. And it can begin by noticing what seems to be stopping the flow of your natural energy. A beautiful saying in yoga is, "prana flows where attention goes". Now is the perfect time to give yourself a good spring cleaning by seeing of what you can let go. You will likely feel a bit unburdened through the process!

Aparigraha

We have spent the past few weeks exploring the Yamas, the external observances which are part of the eight faceted path of yoga. This week, we conclude the journey with the final Yama-Aparigraha -often translated as non-greediness or non-possessiveness. As placing a "non" in front of a word doesn't often lend itself to the full meaning of the translation, Nischala Joy Devi's in her book, "The Secret Power of Yoga"  translates it as follows:

"Acknowledging abundance (Aparigraha), we recognize the blessings in everything and gain insights into the purpose of our worldly existence".

I love this translation as it shifts our focus from feeling the drive to amass more, get more, be more, to appreciating what we already have. It brings us into the present moment through the lens of gratitude.

A couple of years ago, a study was published that basically looked at the concept that once a person's basic needs were met (that is, they are living above the poverty line) and up to around $50,000-$60,000 annual income, the quality of their life greatly improved. What was interesting about this study is that people who earned more than that weren't necessarily happier. If someone earned twice as much, they weren't twice as happy as someone earning less. We have this unspoken belief that the more we have, the happier we'll be...which this study, at least, proved not to be the case.

When we walk the path of striving, particularly when it's directed to an external goal, we often miss the deeper internal experience of our everyday lives. This past week in classes we have repeated a practice that can have great impact. The practice of gratitude for all that is currently in our lives. Abundance can take many forms beyond financial and material wealth. Reflect on what it's like to have a safe place that we can call home; to have quality relationships with ourselves and with others; to have a variety of food to choose from in any season of the year; and to have good health despite aches and pains and where we can be out in the world participating in our lives and activities. We can take this a step further by reflecting on a time when our health was compromised through injury or illness and we were unable to do what we had been doing. In moments like those, we look back and realize that we were actually in quite good shape, but missed the moment as we tend to focus on the greedier aspect of doing more or getting stronger taking us out of the abundance of the present moment toward a greedier future.

So as you read this, take a moment to close your eyes and repeat the following statement:

In this moment, I am grateful for _____________.

If we spend moments every day repeating this statement, we begin to realize that we have all that we need. It connects us to the simple beauty of our lives and the richness of the simple things that are always present.

I hope you have enjoyed this journey through the Yamas, have become more curious about how to practice them and are able to start implementing them into the everyday settings of your life.

Compassion and reverence for all.

Truthfulness

Generosity

Moderation

Abundance

These sound easy but we know they take practice. Happy exploring and may you share the merits of your efforts with all!

Brahmacharya

Following a slight diversion in last week's blog about passion, we are back to exploring the Yamas, the external observances which are part of the eight faceted path of yoga. We have recently taken a look at three of the five Yamas and move onto the fourth, known as Brahmacharya. All of the Yamas relate to each other: compassion and reverence for all (Ahimsa); truthfulness (Satya); generosity (Asteya) and Brahmacharya translated as "moderation" continues to illustrate how they're connected, particularly back to Ahimsa.

In many translations of the Sutras, Brahmacharya is translated as celibacy and a wonderful explanation as to why can be found in Nischala Joy Devi's book, "The Secret Power of Yoga" (pages 196-197). Her translation of Brahmacharya relates to living a moderate and balanced life and this relates to all aspects of our lives. One way to look at this practice is by focusing on what is in excess. Too much of anything can throw us off-balance. We know that if we eat too much, we can gain weight. That if we work too much, we miss out on time with our friends and family. Sitting at the computer for too long can put physical strain on our eyes and posture. Shopping online, at the closest outlet store or on Black Friday can not only overstuff our closets but stretch our financial budget. You get the idea...moderation in all things. 

One great question to ask ourselves as we reflect on Brahmacharya is, "Where am I directing my energy?". If we think about the energy we have throughout each and every day, we know that it is limited. Take a moment to review how you spent your energy over the past 24 hours. Was it in balance? Did it serve a deeper part of yourself? Did it take you away from other things you were wanting to do? Was it focused on one thing (family, work, relaxation)?

As I've asked students to reflect on this question throughout the week, it dawned on me that to recognize when we've overspent our energy budget, we actually have to know what our energy budget looks like. At what point do you draw the line and cross over into excess? Can you recognize when you're in a state of excess? How does it feel in your body, mind, soul? And when we do cross the line of excess, we can throw ourselves so much out of balance that we are no longer in the practice of Ahimsa as we might be causing harm to ourselves on a variety of levels.

I know when I've gone too long in teaching without taking a break (as I do when are in our high season and run teacher training) I notice myself being more short tempered or trying to get pumped up about teaching another class. Over my 34 years of teaching, this has always happened. To bring myself back into balance I know that I need to take a break from teaching. When I step off the mat or out of the gym and allow myself time to do things with my significant other or for myself and simply not think about teaching, it's as though a new and creative life is blown back into me. I remember to connect to the bigger picture and all that is important in life. To stay fresh and inspired I need to recognize when I'm not that...fresh or inspired, and take a break to reignite the flame.

To maintain the residue of the breaks taken, having a regular schedule and daily routine of rituals, supports a longer term ability to stay motivated and driven by the work I do. Time has taught me to keep myself moderated every day and to avoid overdrawing on my energy bank account. Ultimately, when we begin to understand our own needs and understand what feeds us on all levels of our being, we begin to glide more easily along the path of the mission of our life. To quote Nischala Joy Devi:

"Devoted to living a balanced and moderate life (Brahmacharya), the scope of one's life force become boundless".

So let this day be one in which you free yourself from excess...do you know where to start?