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The second Niyama of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra is defined as
santosa or contentment. It can also be thought of as being at peace with
oneself, with others, as well as with our situation or environment. On the
surface, one could ask, how do we grow if we are always content? Does contentment
preclude growth like being locked into an Indian caste system where if you
are born an untouchable you will die an untouchable? I believe we must look
deeper into the meaning of contentment since the niyamas themselves are practices
for sincere spiritual seekers (and also, everyday spiritual seekers) who
wish to prepare the groundwork for Self-realization.
Contentment is our ability to live in the present moment since
the mind by its nature desires to run away to the past with its regrets or
to the future with its constant needs and wants. Patanjali gives us a clear
message that peace of mind can never be achieved through external circumstances
and events. The Reverend Jaganath Carrera says in his book, Inside the Yoga
Sutras, “The moment is precious because it reflects the infinite possibilities
that exist outside the confines of time. Every moment holds the information,
guidance, and support we need to succeed and grow spiritually. It has been
said that God is either now, here or nowhere. When our thoughts and actions
are rooted in the moment, we come closer to the experience of the Absolute.”
(p139) This doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t achieve or gain material possessions
or wealth. What it means is that our attachments to them will not bring us
any lasting peace or contentment.
Krishnamacharya, the father of modern day yoga was quoted
as saying, “Ultimately, the idea of and attachment to svajana – my people,
my relatives, my sons – must totally disappear. In yoga, there is nothing
(such) as svajana and parajana (others); all are in bhagavadasmbandha (communion
with God). So, the state of vairagya (nonattachment) practiced by a person
is the gauge of his yogic level.” (Krishnamacharya, His Life and Teachings
by A. G. Mohan)
How many of us can practice as Patanjali or Krishnamacharya
did? Probably not many. So where do we start? Two years ago when my mother
passed away, it seemed to set in motion a chain of events that would change
the course of my entire worldly life. At that same time, the economic situation
in the United States crumbled; retirements were lost along with thousands
of jobs. Home foreclosures were higher then ever seen in this country. Banks
went broke and large amounts of money were lost by not only the wealthy but
by many others. Greed and untruthfulness began to take their toll. It was
a very dark time being compared to the depression of the 1930’s.
I had always considered myself immune to financial problems
being married to a successful CPA. My life was in order investing in real
estate rather than the stock market. My present and future were secure. However,
within weeks of my mother’s passing, I began to understand that we too were
being swept into the financial whirlpool. I don’t know if I have every felt
such fear and aloneness in my entire life. All of the places that brought
me my security – mom, marriage, finances, (I even lost three of my beloved
cats within 3 months!) – were being taken away or at least challenged to
the point of breaking. At the same time, I was teaching yoga as well as yogic
philosophy but my outer world was like living in an earthquake that wouldn’t
stop shaking.
In desperation, I turned to the only thing I had which was
my belief in the principles of yoga and faith in my higher power, my guru.
Bhakti became my life’s work. I began to practice what I taught since it
meant my very survival emotionally, physically, and spiritually. I looked
for contentment, not in the big picture, but in the fact that at one moment
I was sitting with my cat, drinking a cup of tea while reading a spiritual
text. If my mind jumped to fear, I could feel my whole body begin to shake
and contract. Sitting quietly, I would let the fear move through and then
return to my cat and pray to my guru. This attitude supported me through
the first year and a half after my mom’s death.
However, it wasn’t enough. I knew I needed to go deeper in
order to find a new sense of contentment and joy since the old belief system
was based mostly on my outer environment which was not so slowly being taken
away. I needed to find a way to move into a new chapter in my life. During
that time, my prayers were to take the pain away, return our finances to
a stable situation, change my husband’s attitude toward our marriage, etc.,
etc.. Then something changed inside me and my prayer went something like
this, “Dear Master, please grant me the courage to accept whatever is in
your Will. Please keep me to be humble and help me to release the fear that
is gripping my heart. Help me to trust and please don’t ever let go of my
hand.” Once my prayer changed, I began to find santosa in my life. The outer
circumstance hadn’t changed but I began to feel different. As I took the
seat of the teacher in yoga class, I felt more grounded and calm and sometimes
joyful, which was a feeling I hadn’t felt in a long, long time.
In an article by Judith Lasater (Yoga Journal, Cultivate Your
Connections) she says, “We can easily practice santosa in the beautiful
moments and joyous experiences of our lives. But Patanjali asks us to be
equally willing to embrace the difficult moments. Only when we can be content
in the midst of difficulty can we be truly free. Only when we can remain
open in the midst of pain do we understand what true openness is. In our
relationships, when we accept those around us as they truly are, not as we
want them to be, we are practicing santosa.”
I am learning a lot about santosa moving through this period
in my life. Hopefully, your experience with santosa will be a bit kinder
to you. However, if an earthquake happens, hold on, stay with it and let
it shape you into a deeper, kinder, more contented human being. My guru used
to say that God is a like a potter and we are His clay. While creating a
beautiful vase, the potter holds the clay on the inside but pounds it on
the outside to create something beautiful. Santosa is God’s hand holding
us on the inside!
How do we incorporate santosa into our asana practice? Use
your breath! Remember when you were little and would go to a playground to
play and there would be a teeter totter? I always hoped that a larger child
would get on the other end so I could fly up into the air like a bird while
the other child’s feet would be dug into the ground. Well, our breath is
like that teeter totter. On one end there is our physical body and at the
other end is our mind. The fulcrum in the middle is our breath. If we are
too heavy in our body, we will weight ourselves into the earth and our asanas
will become overly muscular and rigid. If we are too heavy in our mind, our
asanas will never feel right because our mind will constantly be analyzing,
judging, and never become satisfied. However, if we rest in our breath there
will be balance between the two opposites; not much fun on a real teeter
totter but perfect for our yoga practice. Once we find that balance, santosa
can spring forth.
It’s much easier to write about sanotsa than it is to really
experience it. I know that so well. I suppose that in my own life, I no longer
look for the goal but do my best to experience the process. In those tiny
moments when I feel santosa bubbling up from my within, I know I’m on the
correct path and then that knowledge carries me to the next little moment.
That’s really all I expect anymore and am ok with that realization. I trust
that you also experience those tiny moments and that you too find santosa
in your own life process of growth and discovery.
Shanti, Shanti, Shanti, Om
NOTE: Francesca is offering a series of lesson
plans on the digestive system, including the entire digestive system and
its organs in relation to yoga and asana. These are available for purchase
at www.shreeyoga4u.com
As a lifelong advocate of both physical fitness and spiritual
growth, Francesca finds the practice of yoga a natural. She began studying
yoga seriously 6 years ago when first introduced to the philosophy and alignment
principals of Anusara Yoga. She is now a registered SOYA yoga instructor
with a RYT 500 designation with the Yoga Alliance and is a faculty member
of the South Okanagan Yoga Academy in B.C. Canada. She says, “Taking the
seat of the yoga teacher is a gift and a responsibility given to me by my
teachers. I take this position seriously since I now function as both student
and teacher. My desire is to share my love of yoga and the philosophy that
enlivens it with all my students.” She encourages people of all ages, shapes,
and sizes to come to class and enjoy the many benefits of a yoga practice.
You can email Francesca at francesca.shree@me.com
or visit her website for more information at www.shreeyoga4u.com
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