Hello lovely people,
Today is a new day!
Each morning that we are blessed enough to wake up here on planet earth we are given a fresh start. This gives us a chance to focus on not only what we want to do with the day but also how we want to be in this day.
The to-do list can be easily written. Think about everything you really desire and then find ways to take steps however big or small towards those changes.
The to-be list is all to often forgotten.
While you are doing what you are doing, are you doing it with grace and ease...or with pressure and stress?
Are you enjoying the journey... or are you missing the juicy-ness hidden in each moment?
Are you practising contentment - or are you hoping it will arrive after you have accomplished all the things you want? (....This never happens by the way!)
Santosha is a Sanskrit word that roughly translates as contentment. It is the second of the Niyamas - (A system of spiritual suggestions outlined by the sage Patanjali in The Yoga Sutras)
It is very human to look to the next thing- to be constantly looking for ways to improve, evolve and expand. Even our neuroanatomy gears us constantly towards endlessly searching. Did you know that our levels of Dopamine (a neurotransmitter associated with experiencing happiness) are at their highest just before we get something that we want, and then drop immediately upon receiving the thing we want! Leading us on a chemical trail of always wanting to move on to the next thing- the next high.
Santosha is the practice of contentment. It is learning to train the mind to feel satisfied with what is. It is a habit we can cultivate and an attitude we can bring to each and every day, by simply choosing to accept the moment as it is and feel satisfied with what it. It is the practice of relaxing in to the present moment and allowing happiness to arise, rather than waiting for this or that milestone before we allow ourselves a few brief moments before the next desire inevitably arises.
Santosha is the practice of taking a good look around and wanting what you have- rather than seeking to find ways to have what you want.
For me, gratitude is a huge part of Santosha, but it has a slightly different flavour. Gratitude lists can be a wonderful way to pass the time, but in a sense, they still are an external practice- a doing, a finding of reasons to feel happy and content. Santosha, on the other hand, is an attitude. It is a decision to allow the warm feeling of contentment into your heart and to approach every activity you do with this feeling.
I hope you enjoy today's free yoga class: A gentle Yin Yoga Session for Relaxation and that you are able to feel the beauty of practising a little contentment today.
Namaste,
:) s
#yinyoga #freeyoga #relaxingyoga #contentment #santosha
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