More thoughts on Santosha - Contentment

Santosha: thoughts based on The Yamas and Niyamas by Deborah Adele

Santosha is the observance of contentment . I read from Deborah Adele's book again today. Contentment is a state of being that requires attention as well as in-attention – one of those cosmic balance things. I must be mindful – but not grasping to experience it.

In my reading and my musings I have found the following.

We are encouraged into a state of longing by advertisers – offering us constantly new things or new and improved versions of what we already have – this sense of longing being magnified by their efforts.

To counter these feelings of longing – look around and contemplate gratitude Be grateful for that which you are, have and know.

Also consider that possessions possess and often things can become a burden – golden handcuffs which bind us to things or situations.

Be content in the moment. Often times we are more involved in and invested in getting ready – getting ready to live, to be, to experience, to EXHALE, to be who we are. Envy and expectation can rob the current moment from its due – again gratitude.

When we look outside ourselves and expect others to meet our needs we are looking to others for sustenance and completion . That can only disappoint. We become discontent and loose contact with ourselves. Our true selves. Look in and find strength, look in and find gratitude.

Often we spend our time grasping pleasure and avoiding pain. We create discontent in ourselves by searching for something that is other than it is. To find balance find gratitude.

Finally emotional disturbance can pull us out of contentment. Finding the root and finding compassion in dealing with the root cause will move us closer to contentment. It can take the tick of the clock to give our own emotional state to another – in fear, resentment, anger or hurt. Taking responsibility for the resolution to this out of balance feeling can start with gratitude. Gratitude for taking action when one should and for NOT taking action when one shouldn’t can be the start. Often the emotional states are of our own device and taking the time to look inside can be the key- to reclaiming your contentment and abiding in that grace.

Namaste

Finding contentment today

Being enough, having enough, living in gratitude for what is and for who I am; what a blissful feeling. Unfortunately I can loose this feeling so often. It slips through my fingers in a trice. I can begin the day with contentment, living in the moment and finding the abundance, the sufficiency in the NOW, then, like a breeze from nowhere dissatisfaction arises. When speaking with someone I hear a tone of voice, I see an expression and (because my ego mind is so strong and self absorbed) I react. I react to a perceived response to ME (because it is all about me). I find that belly gripping, shortness of breath, the constriction of the heart and chest and ...
STOP this foolishness and
release the shoulders
soften the face
bring the breath into the belly
take inventory - physical and emotional
Am I ok physically? Yes - relax
Am I ok emotionally - why not?
What is the source of discomfort - illusion? grasping? avoidance? Find out what is going on and attend to it. Self soothe - make a list of doing doing and get it out of the head, let go of holding and expectation, ask for help if needed and then notice that I am OK.
What happens when I pull gratitude back into my heart? Ease.
I am complete in the moment. 
And after the frantic searching and a dance with dis-ease I am, once again, content.

Kyczy Hawk E-RYT200, RTY500 is the author of "Yoga and the Twelve Step Path", a leader of Y12SR classes, and the creator of SOAR(tm) (Success Over Addiction and Relapse) a teacher certification training. 
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