16/06/2021
✨Santosha~ Contentment✨
Santosha is the second Niyamas in Patanjali's Eight Limbs of Yoga✨How often does the phrase ‘I’ll be happy when….’ Cross your mind?’✨Whether its losing weight, getting a new job, meeting someone new, or being able to get ourselves into a yoga posture-there’s probably something you feel could make you happier or more content? ✨Having the urge to want to grow, expand our minds and push ourselves towards a goal isn’t a bad thing - it just becomes bad when we base our entire sense of peace and happiness upon this.✨It is in our nature to want more, to not let ourselves rest until we’ve satisfied some urge – this is really what has helped us survive as the human race….✨But we do have to consider what goals are REALLY important to our life. Getting that promotion, buying the car, the house or even meeting someone and falling in love are all things that we seek outside of ourselves in order to make us happy – and sooner or later those things could leave - or at least the initial joy of those things leaves - and we are left wanting something else✨Santosha or ‘contentment’ doesn’t mean idly sitting back and relinquishing the need to do anything. It simply means 𝒶𝒸𝒸𝑒𝓅𝓉𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒶𝓅𝓅𝓇𝑒𝒸𝒾𝒶𝓉𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓌𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝓌𝑒 𝒽𝒶𝓋𝑒 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓌𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝓌𝑒 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝒶𝓁𝓇𝑒𝒶𝒹𝓎 ✨The Bhagavad Gita teaches us not to look outside of ourselves for happiness, but to realise that peace and happiness lies within. When we rely on things which are external to us to bring us happiness, we inevitably bind ourselves to unhappiness even more✨In your next yoga class appreciate yourself for what you are, how far you’ve come and all that you have to look forward to. Your body will thank you for letting go of the ‘need’ to be more flexible, stronger, balanced or powerful✨The Niyamas lead us towards a more positive relationship with ourselves- we cannot form authentic and sustainable relationships with others until we are content with ourselves✨
