Practicing Santosa

Classical yoga follows an eight-limb path. The first limb is composed of the yamas which describe how we should act towards others. The second limb, the niyamas, is more geared towards how we should treat ourselves. One of the niyamas is santosa, or practicing contentment. It's the idea that we can be content with what we have rather than being unhappy about what we don't have.

I've noticed this has been difficult for me lately as I get ready to move. Right now I live in a really nice apartment with hardwood floors, stainless steel appliances, and cherry cabinetry. When I move I'll be giving up some of these luxuries, but I'll still be living in a really nice apartment. I don't know when I became so attached to this idea that I needed to have all stainless steel appliances, immaculate hardwood floors, and cherry cabinetry, but my attachment and my unhappiness with what I won't have, is making my move all the more difficult.

As I write this, I realize the idea of non-attachment or non-grasping, vairagya, as discussed in Patanjali's Yoga Sutras is the first step in achieving santosa. Once we can release our grasp on material things, we can find happiness in the moment, even in life's more difficult moments. The challenge is to accept that all of life's circumstances and experiences are valid teachers and vehicles for expressing our highest nature.

According to Rolf Gates, "Santosa is...an alternative way to move through the world. It is a shift of focus. Instead of seeking contentment from the outside in, we find contentment from the inside out. The paradigm shift comes when we view all events as opportunities to grow, to encounter our own magnificence. When we view things in this light, there are no good events or bad events, only moments in which to shine."