Santosha in Practice
Santosha means ‘contentment’ in Sanskrit, and is the second principle of the second limb of Patanjali’s Eight Limbs of Yoga. Patanjali is known to be an ancient Hindu sage, author, and philosopher from India that wrote the Yoga Sutras and other traditional yogic text in Sanskrit. I am not an expert on the history, but if you have attended a yoga teacher training, then you most likely have learned of his eight steps to self-realization. He was not the only one writing spiritual texts in India at the time, but his work has been quite impactful and a benchmark for the interpretation of the yogic tradition by Western culture. For a quick review, his eight limbs of spiritual advancement are as follows:
Yamas यम or external restraint - Ahimsa (non-violence), Satya (truth), Asteya (non-covetousness), Brahmacharya (self-control), Aparigraha (nonattachment)
Niyamas नियम or internal observances - Saucha (purity), Santosha (contentment), Tapasya (discipline), Swadhyaya (introspection), Ishwara pranidhana (worship of the supreme Self)
Asana - ability to sit with a straight spine
Pranayama - energy control using the breath
Pratyahara - withdrawing of the mind and senses
Dharana - concentration
Dhyana - meditation on the higher Self
Samadi - pure self-realized oneness
The Niyamas are the pathways forward to connect inward. Being in strong relationship with ourselves inspires our authentic relationship with the external world. Now to bring the focus on santosha, or contentment. How often do you feel content? Are you even aware if you are content? What does contentment mean to you? Contentment for me feels like a warm summer afternoon with no obligations, no worries, no responsibilities; the air is clear, the colors of nature are vibrant, and I am swinging in a hammock. This is the somatic sensation I feel when I am content. Not every day can be like a chill summer afternoon, but that doesn’t mean we do not have the accessibility to contentment in any moment. Every lesson has led me to believe contentment begins inside me.
There are many interpretations of santosha, but I teach it by reiterating that this does not mean ‘do nothing about your current circumstances.’ Santosha may imply a passive approach to life. I believe contentment requires action rather than complacency in situations that are not satisfying or potentially harmful. Contentment is within us to reach and root into when we remember to. There is a way to move in the direction that you want to go in life and still be content with the process. Santosha may open space to learn how to be content despite discomfort or challenge. Santosha does not mean to avoid negative feelings either. It is possible to find contentment within ourselves as we experience very natural dissatisfying feelings. When it is not a sunny afternoon, but a frigid somber day with an outpouring of emotion, it takes more out of us to be content. Asana helps us practice santosha so we can apply this lesson off our mat.
There is no end to yoga. I had this conversation with a student in the lobby of my studio about how we practice and continue to practice, but there is no all encompassing outcome or goal (if you have found one then let me know). There is always something new to discover about ourselves. We always evolve whether we choose to admit it or not. In the asana practice, there are poses we are working towards or experimenting with, but they come and go. Our bodies change and so do the stability of our joints, so different poses will land differently anatomically as we practice. Through asana movement, we can practice being content with the process.
Forcing ourselves into postures makes us rigid and attached to an outcome we may not be ready for. When we meet ourselves where we are at then we can learn spaciousness and contentment. The steps it takes to get to the posture or the seat to meditate is the place where we experience growth.
What does santosha feel like in your body? Is there a place you feel it? The next time you practice, invite the principle of santosha and feel where it lands. The more you practice this then the more you may be able to feel it when times are chaotic.
