by Melody
Abella
“By contentment, supreme joy is
gained.” sutra
2.42
Santosha is the Sanskrit word for contentment. It’s first mentioned in The Yoga Sutras among the list
of five niyamas.
·
Side note: My take on the niyamas is they
guide our internal compass. They’re ethical principles (or observances)
that strengthen our character and guide us to live life in the best, most
purest way possible. As a result, they help us shine in a way that
inspires others to live richer lives. Richer meaning all the wealth we
truly need is deep within, and not found held in a bank account.
©Jeffrey Vock
Back to santosha/contentment:
In my yoga
studies, I’ve seen many deep definitions on contentment. From a simple
idea like contentment is being able to appreciate and live in the present
moment to a more thought-provoking description of “Contentment is perfected in
the absence of cravings. It is the experience that nothing is lacking,
that everything happens is an integral part of a Divine Plan.” (Inside the Yoga Sutras by Jaganath Carrera)
It’s often said
that we already have everything we need. Or as Sri Dharma Mittra says “all is within.”
Our culture
wants us to believe we need “things” or other people to make us happy.
The “things” list is long but a few examples: new toys (cars, bikes,
clothes, accessories), fancy restaurants, botox, a different
boyfriend/husband/family. You get the drift.
The path of yoga leads us in the opposite direction…let go of external desires and internal contentment will be discovered. The process of discovering contentment requires a huge mound of trust, courage and attention though.
©Jeffrey Vock
It takes a lot
of trust
to follow a notion, such as the niyama contentment, when no one is there to
hold your hand and lead you through the dark moments of life. It also
takes a lot of courage to fully step in and
feel life as it is happening – feeling the awesome, okay, bad, scary and all
the sensations in between that show up. It takes a lot of paying
attention to the present experience – being in it, as it is
and not mentally jumping ahead to what’s happening 5 hours later the day.
Total
confession here…I took a not so great yoga class recently in DC and it was
there that I experienced santosha in a new way.
So I signed up
for what was listed as a vinyasa yoga /intermediate level class. Let’s
just say after starting in a restorative pose for ten plus minutes and not
getting into my first Downward Facing Dog until twenty minutes into class, I
was not content…
Thanks to my
Grandmother’s constant words of wisdom, I reminded myself that there is always
something new to learn in every situation in life. Though I continued to
find myself way too often checking the clock, realizing I had no idea the end
time for the class and feeling I was stuck there. Then I thought “I’m stuck here for a reason”. That’s
when I settled in and tried to make the best of it.
I can’t say I
learned anything “new” from the teacher but I had a total realization that my
life could be way worse. Here I was on a Sunday morning surrounded by 40
or so others in a yoga class, bending and stretching in ways that many people
aren’t able to do. I have a healthy body and a great life. The sun
was coming out and I had a full day off ahead. Life could be so much
worse. It was there and then I reminded myself of santosha.
________________________________________________
Passionate about sharing the power of
yoga & its transformational benefits, Melody Abella founded a mobile yoga
business in 2006. abellaYoga travels
to corporate and private clients in Washington, D.C., Alexandria and Arlington,
VA to teach yoga in homes, offices, hotels, and conference centers. Grateful for experiences gained in
the telecom/tech corporate world, this ex-marketing yoga-chick is happy to
share all she knows about yoga. Believing through discipline and devotion
we have the power within to make positive changes in our bodies, lives and this
world, Melody teaches her students “anything is possible”. Or as Sri Dharma
Mittra says you must have “angry determination.” Melody received her 500-hour Dharma Yoga Teacher
certification in May 2012. She continues to hop the train from DC to NYC
monthly to practice with Sri Dharma Mittra at the Dharma Yoga New York Center.
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