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!