Counting Stars Yoga
Join me as we explore yoga philosophy, the eight limbs of yoga, the wisdom of Ayurveda, and the many styles of yoga practice that guide us back home to ourselves.
Counting Stars Yoga
Santosha - The Practice of Contentment
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In this episode, we’re exploring the second of the Niyamas: Santosha.
Santosha is often translated as contentment.
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Thank you for joining me here. Lisa x
Welcome to Caniscars Yoga. Hi, I'm Lisa, a lifelong student of yoga and diaveta, and the love of travel and discovering the sacred. Welcome to everyday life. Thank you for joining me as we use for yoga philosophy. The egg lines of yoga. For the humanity of yoga, I've been working with art for many years. This hot card is here, just for that work. A gentleman before we begin, this podcast is often for educational and inspirational at the design. It is not medical or psychological advice. Please always listen to your body and seek professional care. So take some time for yourself. Take a slow, steady breath in. And it sounds simple enough, right? To be content, to be satisfied, and to appreciate what we have. But looking a little deeper, Sentosha reveals itself to be a profound practice. We are in a world that's constantly encouraging us to want more. And we're often taught that happiness exists somewhere in the future. When we reach a goal, when we buy the house, when we lose the weight, when life finally looks the way that we think it should. And while there's nothing wrong with having dreams and aspirations, Santosha gently asks us a different question. Can I find peace here too? Not someday, not when everything's perfect, but here in this moment. Because if we're always waiting for the next thing, we can miss the life that is unfolding right in front of us. And Santosha isn't about giving up on growth. It isn't about settling. And it certainly isn't about pretending everything is wonderful when it's not. Instead, it's about cultivating an attitude of appreciation for what already exists. It's the ability to hold both gratitude and desire at the same time. To honour your dreams while also appreciating where you are. And this can be really difficult in today's world. We're constantly exposed to images of how life could be. Through social media and advertising and comparison, we're often shown carefully curated versions of other people's lives. And before we know it, we're measuring ourselves against an impossible standard. And we begin to feel behind. As though everyone else has figured something out that we haven't. But comparison is often the thief of contentment. It pulls us out of our own lives and places our attention elsewhere. And Santosha gently calls us back, back to this breath, to this moment, to life that's already here. And contentment is found in the simplest things. A warm cup of tea, the morning sunlight through a window, a conversation with someone you love, the feeling of the earth beneath your feet, the sound of birds. These moments are easy to overlook, and they're often where life is truly happening. And Satoshi teaches us to pay attention, to notice the ordinary beauty that surrounds us every day. And perhaps one of the most powerful aspects of this practice is learning to accept ourselves as we are, realizing our worth isn't dependent on becoming someone else. And so many of us spend years believing we finally will be enough when we achieve something, when we look different, if we accomplish more, when we become a better version of ourselves. And Sintosha gently reminds us that you are already enough, not because you've done everything or you've reached every goal, or because your worth does because your worth has never depended on those things. And there's freedom that comes when we stop constantly striving to prove our value. When we allow ourselves to simply be unlike all the nyamas and toshus of practice, some days it will be easier, other days it will feel really challenging. There's moments of disappointment, there'll be moments of longing, moments when contentment just feels far away, and that's okay. The practice is not about forcing gratitude, but about gently returning, returning to what is present, what feels good. Returning to understanding that even in imperfect circumstances, there can still be moments of peace. And so as you move through your day you might carry this reflection with you. What if nothing needed to change right now for this moment to be enough? What if contentment wasn't something you had to earn? And what if it was already available? Just waiting quietly beneath the noise of striving and comparison. Perhaps it's about learning to fully inhabit the life that is already here. And discovering the quiet joy that's always been present here with you all along. Big love. As we close today's podcast, thank you so much for spending your time with me. If you'd like to stay connected, you can find more yoga, meditation, and Ayurvedic wisdom at countingstars.com.au. And you can also practice with me in studio or online. You can find me on Instagram and Facebook at Counting Stars Yoga and subscribe to the Counting Stars Yoga YouTube channel as we explore sacred places. Until next time, take a breath. Move gently through your day, sending you lots of love.