01/16/2026
Matthew Tiff is a local yoga instructor. I enjoy reading his newsletters. He's very tr ansparent about the challenges of being a human in these times
Matthew Tift, PhD, RYT-500
Practicing Contentment on Hard Days
Meditation bench in a room filled with windows overlooking a marsh in the winter
I try and live the yamas and niyamas, yoga’s ethical principles. It’s not the only framework I turn to, but it’s often the place I start.
Lately, my attention keeps circling back to santosha, typically translated as “contentment.”
But contentment has felt hard to come by in recent weeks. My mom went into the hospital on Christmas Day with a serious blood infection after foot surgery. She was there for 13 days and experienced a lot of pain. It was difficult for me to feel “content” when my mom was in pain, and there was little I could do to help other than to sit with her and listen.
Then, on the day my mom moved out of the hospital to transitional care, Renee Nicole Good was killed by Jonathan Ross less than two miles from my childhood home.
So there have been many days recently that I’ve found it challenging to feel “content” living in Minnesota. Lots of people I know, including many of the folks in my yoga classes, have shared that they are feeling unsettled.
What Contentment Does Not Promise
We all live messy, complex lives that can’t easily be smoothed out by “practicing santosha.” Yoga encourages us to embrace the truth of change. Contentment is not about getting our external lives just the way we want them. All things are subject to change. Sickness, aging, and death are unavoidable.
Instead, contentment invites us to take an honest look inside and ask, where does the unrest come from in this moment?
Finding the Root
Part of my discontent comes from fear, especially fear of death (abhinivesha). I don’t want to get shot by ICE. Fear leads to stories about safety and danger. Those stories have been loud for many of us.
Perhaps the stronger feeling for me has been hatred (krodha). Faking kindness around other people while hatred simmers underneath helps no one. Wisdom traditions like yoga ask us to look closely at our lives and maintain a willingness to choose different words or actions when we act unskillfully.
This process involves looking at our actions, not judging ourselves. There is a degree of wisdom in simply recognizing the foolishness of our unskillful actions. But there is more.
Practicing the Opposite
Yoga offers a practical tool for confronting feelings like fear or anger: practice the opposite (pratipakṣa-bhāvanam). We do not have to simply “accept” these feelings. This path calls for action, not just watching thoughts drift by. Observation alone leaves the fire burning. When we ignore or suppress these feelings, they can show up elsewhere, through poor sleep, increased pain, tension in the body, and strain in our relationships.
Fear
For many people, yoga practices cultivate courage, inner peace, and resilience, the opposite of fear. Deep breathing techniques (pranayama) calm the nervous system, helping to manage anxiety and promote a sense of security. Physical postures, such as Warrior poses, help build a sense of strength and confidence.
One easy method I have found to counter feelings of fear is to simply look around me. Yesterday, for example, before I started my meditation practice at The Marsh, I marveled at the beauty around me, both in the meditation tower and the nature that surrounded me. In that moment, nobody was coming for me.
Hatred
Hatred does not dissolve through force. One of the most common methods to overcome hatred is to cultivate goodwill. The practice of loving-kindness (maitri) meditation invites wishes for well-being, both for ourselves and others. The practice is to wish others to be well, happy, skillful, and peaceful. Goodwill is a pleasant state. Loving-kindness training is a research-backed practice associated with many benefits, including reduced stress and stronger social connection. (Incidentally, it also works for law enforcement officers.)
Goodwill does not mean cheering on harmful policies or actions. Wishing well does not equal approval. Unskillful actions hurt everyone involved. Nearly every wisdom tradition’s ethical framework starts with nonviolence. Yoga does too through ahimsa, the commitment to non-harming.
If you want to practice right now, these are some loving-kindness meditations from Pretty Good Meditation: 72, 67, 52, 41, 25, 19, 4.
Carrying What Cannot Change
Practice requires participation. For these practices to “work,” I have to actually get on the mat and move. I have to sit down on the meditation cushion. I have to slow down and feel the heat of anger without feeding it. Reading about these practices, or writing a blog post about them, at least for me, isn’t the same as doing the practices and integrating them into my daily life.
We all have to find our own path, and yours might look much different from mine. As Megan Devine wrote in It’s OK That You’re Not OK, “Some things cannot be fixed, they can only be carried.” Santosha does not erase pain. It offers a way to carry it with less harm.
Do you have thoughts or questions? Leave a comment or just reply to this message.
Want to share this message? Forward it to a someone who might like to hear it.
Schedule
Weekly Yoga Classes
Sundays, 9:00 - 9:50am: Vinyasa Flow at The Marsh
Wednesdays, 6:30 - 7:30 pm: Kripalu Gentle Yoga at The Marsh
Upcoming Events
Sun, Jan 18, 10:30am - 12pm : Practicing Embodied Resistance: Sacred Dissent in Our Bodies (program), Lake Fellowship
Sun, Jan 25 - Fri, Feb 6 : 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training, Kripalu
*All times are Central time zone
--
This email was sent to blaineyoga@gmail.com You are subscribed to my Newsletter on matthewtift.com. I maintain this email list using open source and free software. I respect your privacy and I will not share your email address or other personal information with others. Click here to unsubscribe. 525 Kellogg Ave #803, Ames, IA 50010.
You might know matthew tiff from the kirtan group? I love his.newsletters. I also like to.go to his classes at the marsh. He's father to two "bi," neurodivergent young adults and i.know the.world is feeling.like not a safe.place for them so he's become quite an advocate. Hope today's sunshine was helpful for you, Petit pois
please text or call 612 850-0071 for a quicker response (such as for a same day massage appt).
Namaste, Hiyala Indiga
owner, BodyMindCircle.com
2020-01-31.png
All yoga /pilates classes and Thai yoga therapy held at Peace Church in Shoreview.
as well as Private Yoga/Pilates, Thai Yoga therapy, Aerial Yoga & Reiki.
Swedish Massage at Revitalife Chiropractic Center in Spring Lake Park or in your home.
Hide quoted text
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Matthew Tift
Date: Mon, Jan 12, 2026, 12:40 PM
Subject: Practicing Contentment on Hard Days
To:
Matthew Tift, PhD, RYT-500
Practicing Contentment on Hard Days
Meditation bench in a room filled with windows overlooking a marsh in the winter
I try and live the yamas and niyamas, yoga’s ethical principles. It’s not the only framework I turn to, but it’s often the place I start.
Lately, my attention keeps circling back to santosha, typically translated as “contentment.”
But contentment has felt hard to come by in recent weeks. My mom went into the hospital on Christmas Day with a serious blood infection after foot surgery. She was there for 13 days and experienced a lot of pain. It was difficult for me to feel “content” when my mom was in pain, and there was little I could do to help other than to sit with her and listen.
Then, on the day my mom moved out of the hospital to transitional care, Renee Nicole Good was killed by Jonathan Ross less than two miles from my childhood home.
So there have been many days recently that I’ve found it challenging to feel “content” living in Minnesota. Lots of people I know, including many of the folks in my yoga classes, have shared that they are feeling unsettled.
What Contentment Does Not Promise
We all live messy, complex lives that can’t easily be smoothed out by “practicing santosha.” Yoga encourages us to embrace the truth of change. Contentment is not about getting our external lives just the way we want them. All things are subject to change. Sickness, aging, and death are unavoidable.
Instead, contentment invites us to take an honest look inside and ask, where does the unrest come from in this moment?
Finding the Root
Part of my discontent comes from fear, especially fear of death (abhinivesha). I don’t want to get shot by ICE. Fear leads to stories about safety and danger. Those stories have been loud for many of us.
Perhaps the stronger feeling for me has been hatred (krodha). Faking kindness around other people while hatred simmers underneath helps no one. Wisdom traditions like yoga ask us to look closely at our lives and maintain a willingness to choose different words or actions when we act unskillfully.
This process involves looking at our actions, not judging ourselves. There is a degree of wisdom in simply recognizing the foolishness of our unskillful actions. But there is more.
Practicing the Opposite
Yoga offers a practical tool for confronting feelings like fear or anger: practice the opposite (pratipakṣa-bhāvanam). We do not have to simply “accept” these feelings. This path calls for action, not just watching thoughts drift by. Observation alone leaves the fire burning. When we ignore or suppress these feelings, they can show up elsewhere, through poor sleep, increased pain, tension in the body, and strain in our relationships.
Fear
For many people, yoga practices cultivate courage, inner peace, and resilience, the opposite of fear. Deep breathing techniques (pranayama) calm the nervous system, helping to manage anxiety and promote a sense of security. Physical postures, such as Warrior poses, help build a sense of strength and confidence.
One easy method I have found to counter feelings of fear is to simply look around me. Yesterday, for example, before I started my meditation practice at The Marsh, I marveled at the beauty around me, both in the meditation tower and the nature that surrounded me. In that moment, nobody was coming for me.
Hatred
Hatred does not dissolve through force. One of the most common methods to overcome hatred is to cultivate goodwill. The practice of loving-kindness (maitri) meditation invites wishes for well-being, both for ourselves and others. The practice is to wish others to be well, happy, skillful, and peaceful. Goodwill is a pleasant state. Loving-kindness training is a research-backed practice associated with many benefits, including reduced stress and stronger social connection. (Incidentally, it also works for law enforcement officers.)
Goodwill does not mean cheering on harmful policies or actions. Wishing well does not equal approval. Unskillful actions hurt everyone involved. Nearly every wisdom tradition’s ethical framework starts with nonviolence. Yoga does too through ahimsa, the commitment to non-harming.
If you want to practice right now, these are some loving-kindness meditations from Pretty Good Meditation: 72, 67, 52, 41, 25, 19, 4.
Carrying What Cannot Change
Practice requires participation. For these practices to “work,” I have to actually get on the mat and move. I have to sit down on the meditation cushion. I have to slow down and feel the heat of anger without feeding it. Reading about these practices, or writing a blog post about them, at least for me, isn’t the same as doing the practices and integrating them into my daily life.
We all have to find our own path, and yours might look much different from mine. As Megan Devine wrote in It’s OK That You’re Not OK, “Some things cannot be fixed, they can only be carried.” Santosha does not erase pain. It offers a way to carry it with less harm.
Do you have thoughts or questions? Leave a comment or just reply to this message.
Want to share this message? Forward it to a someone who might like to hear it.
Schedule
Weekly Yoga Classes
Sundays, 9:00 - 9:50am: Vinyasa Flow at The Marsh
Wednesdays, 6:30 - 7:30 pm: Kripalu Gentle Yoga at The Marsh
Upcoming Events
Sun, Jan 18, 10:30am - 12pm : Practicing Embodied Resistance: Sacred Dissent in Our Bodies (program), Lake Fellowship
Sun, Jan 25 - Fri, Feb 6 : 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training, Kripalu
*All times are Central time zone
--
This email was sent to blaineyoga@gmail.com You are subscribed to my Newsletter on matthewtift.com. I maintain this email list using open source and free software. I respect your privacy and I will not share your email address or other personal information with others. Click here to unsubscribe. 525 Kellogg Ave #803, Ames, IA 50010.
Love what thislocal yoga I structor says in his newsletter..
Show quoted text
Show quoted text
You said you had shared Barbara's contact info in an email but I can't find it. Can you resend via text?
please text or call 612 850-0071 for a quicker response (such as for a same day massage appt).
Namaste, Hiyala Indiga
owner, BodyMindCircle.com
2020-01-31.png
All yoga /pilates classes and Thai yoga therapy held at Peace Church in Shoreview.
as well as Private Yoga/Pilates, Thai Yoga therapy, Aerial Yoga & Reiki.
Swedish Massage at Revitalife Chiropractic Center in Spring Lake Park or in your home.
Show quoted text
You both know matthew Tiff ? I love his newsletters. Hope you are both well. I sure hope neither of you have " social justice work" in your past bc apparently now it is incriminating evidence of malicious intent. Peace will prevail. Thank buddha for the peace marchers and those who are able balance the hate with love. Hiyala
Hide quoted text
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: hiyala indiga
Date: Fri, Jan 16, 2026, 9:22 AM
Subject: Re: Practicing Contentment on Hard Days
To: Susan Dayton-Larkin
You said you had shared Barbara's contact info in an email but I can't find it. Can you resend via text?
please text or call 612 850-0071 for a quicker response (such as for a same day massage appt).
Namaste, Hiyala Indiga
owner, BodyMindCircle.com
2020-01-31.png
All yoga /pilates classes and Thai yoga therapy held at Peace Church in Shoreview.
as well as Private Yoga/Pilates, Thai Yoga therapy, Aerial Yoga & Reiki.
Swedish Massage at Revitalife Chiropractic Center in Spring Lake Park or in your home.
On Fri, Jan 16, 2026, 8:54 AM Susan Dayton-Larkin wrote:
Thanks for sharing!
Sent from my iPhone
On Jan 12, 2026, at 1:28 PM, hiyala indiga wrote:
You might know matthew tiff from the kirtan group? I love his.newsletters. I also like to.go to his classes at the marsh. He's father to two "bi," neurodivergent young adults and i.know the.world is feeling.like not a safe.place for them so he's become quite an advocate. Hope today's sunshine was helpful for you, Petit pois
please text or call 612 850-0071 for a quicker response (such as for a same day massage appt).
Namaste, Hiyala Indiga
owner, BodyMindCircle.com
2020-01-31.png
All yoga /pilates classes and Thai yoga therapy held at Peace Church in Shoreview.
as well as Private Yoga/Pilates, Thai Yoga therapy, Aerial Yoga & Reiki.
Swedish Massage at Revitalife Chiropractic Center in Spring Lake Park or in your home.
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Matthew Tift
Date: Mon, Jan 12, 2026, 12:40 PM
Subject: Practicing Contentment on Hard Days
To:
Matthew Tift, PhD, RYT-500
Practicing Contentment on Hard Days
Meditation bench in a room filled with windows overlooking a marsh in the winter
I try and live the yamas and niyamas, yoga’s ethical principles. It’s not the only framework I turn to, but it’s often the place I start.
Lately, my attention keeps circling back to santosha, typically translated as “contentment.”
But contentment has felt hard to come by in recent weeks. My mom went into the hospital on Christmas Day with a serious blood infection after foot surgery. She was there for 13 days and experienced a lot of pain. It was difficult for me to feel “content” when my mom was in pain, and there was little I could do to help other than to sit with her and listen.
Then, on the day my mom moved out of the hospital to transitional care, Renee Nicole Good was killed by Jonathan Ross less than two miles from my childhood home.
So there have been many days recently that I’ve found it challenging to feel “content” living in Minnesota. Lots of people I know, including many of the folks in my yoga classes, have shared that they are feeling unsettled.
What Contentment Does Not Promise
We all live messy, complex lives that can’t easily be smoothed out by “practicing santosha.” Yoga encourages us to embrace the truth of change. Contentment is not about getting our external lives just the way we want them. All things are subject to change. Sickness, aging, and death are unavoidable.
Instead, contentment invites us to take an honest look inside and ask, where does the unrest come from in this moment?
Finding the Root
Part of my discontent comes from fear, especially fear of death (abhinivesha). I don’t want to get shot by ICE. Fear leads to stories about safety and danger. Those stories have been loud for many of us.
Perhaps the stronger feeling for me has been hatred (krodha). Faking kindness around other people while hatred simmers underneath helps no one. Wisdom traditions like yoga ask us to look closely at our lives and maintain a willingness to choose different words or actions when we act unskillfully.
This process involves looking at our actions, not judging ourselves. There is a degree of wisdom in simply recognizing the foolishness of our unskillful actions. But there is more.
Practicing the Opposite
Yoga offers a practical tool for confronting feelings like fear or anger: practice the opposite (pratipakṣa-bhāvanam). We do not have to simply “accept” these feelings. This path calls for action, not just watching thoughts drift by. Observation alone leaves the fire burning. When we ignore or suppress these feelings, they can show up elsewhere, through poor sleep, increased pain, tension in the body, and strain in our relationships.
Fear
For many people, yoga practices cultivate courage, inner peace, and resilience, the opposite of fear. Deep breathing techniques (pranayama) calm the nervous system, helping to manage anxiety and promote a sense of security. Physical postures, such as Warrior poses, help build a sense of strength and confidence.
One easy method I have found to counter feelings of fear is to simply look around me. Yesterday, for example, before I started my meditation practice at The Marsh, I marveled at the beauty around me, both in the meditation tower and the nature that surrounded me. In that moment, nobody was coming for me.
Hatred
Hatred does not dissolve through force. One of the most common methods to overcome hatred is to cultivate goodwill. The practice of loving-kindness (maitri) meditation invites wishes for well-being, both for ourselves and others. The practice is to wish others to be well, happy, skillful, and peaceful. Goodwill is a pleasant state. Loving-kindness training is a research-backed practice associated with many benefits, including reduced stress and stronger social connection. (Incidentally, it also works for law enforcement officers.)
Goodwill does not mean cheering on harmful policies or actions. Wishing well does not equal approval. Unskillful actions hurt everyone involved. Nearly every wisdom tradition’s ethical framework starts with nonviolence. Yoga does too through ahimsa, the commitment to non-harming.
If you want to practice right now, these are some loving-kindness meditations from Pretty Good Meditation: 72, 67, 52, 41, 25, 19, 4.
Carrying What Cannot Change
Practice requires participation. For these practices to “work,” I have to actually get on the mat and move. I have to sit down on the meditation cushion. I have to slow down and feel the heat of anger without feeding it. Reading about these practices, or writing a blog post about them, at least for me, isn’t the same as doing the practices and integrating them into my daily life.
We all have to find our own path, and yours might look much different from mine. As Megan Devine wrote in It’s OK That You’re Not OK, “Some things cannot be fixed, they can only be carried.” Santosha does not erase pain. It offers a way to carry it with less harm.
Do you have thoughts or questions? Leave a comment or just reply to this message.
Want to share this message? Forward it to a someone who might like to hear it.
Schedule
Weekly Yoga Classes
Sundays, 9:00 - 9:50am: Vinyasa Flow at The Marsh
Wednesdays, 6:30 - 7:30 pm: Kripalu Gentle Yoga at The Marsh
Upcoming Events
Sun, Jan 18, 10:30am - 12pm : Practicing Embodied Resistance: Sacred Dissent in Our Bodies (program), Lake Fellowship
Sun, Jan 25 - Fri, Feb 6 : 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training, Kripalu
*All times are Central time zone
--
subscribe to my Newsletter on matthewtift.com. I maintain this email list using open source and free software. I respect your privacy and I will not share your email address or other personal information with others.
Hi, I’m Matthew. I teach yoga that builds strength, mobility, and mindful awareness, so you can live a long and satisfying life. Recent Blog Posts Practicing Contentment on Hard Days January 12, 2026 Practice Needs Support January 5, 2026 Movember, Men’s Health, and What Yoga Has Been Teac...
