Santosa

The Yamas, or moral restraints, and the Niyamas, or observances, are two limbs of the Eight Limb (or Ashtanga) Path of Yoga. Rather than a set of Ten Commandments, the five yamas and the five niyamas are a set of guidelines in the practice of yoga meant to open the mind and heart and provide the inner peace necessary for eventual samadhi, or union with the divine. Whether or not this is your ultimate goal, the yamas and niyamas are chock full of common sense that, in my opinion, if everyone attempted to practice would make a world of difference.

The niyama santosa, or contentment, teaches us to be okay with whatever ups and downs might come our way, to be in love with the present moment. I might be disappointed that I had a low turnout for a class, but instead of fretting about it, I could use the time to work one-on-one with the people who did come in. It might be a more rewarding experience for both me and my students. Having positive energy about a challenging time can reap rewards in other arenas, too. People want to be around positivity. It tends to build on itself. I had a student tell me that I am a pleasant person to be around and that she feels happy being around me. That's the best compliment I can receive, I think!

When you are an open and warm person, people tend to gravitate towards you. Just today a young lady who works in my neighborhood coffee shop offered me some extra smoothie that she made... it ended up being a full size, for free! If I were a gloomy or "too cool for school" kind of person I don't think she would have felt comfortable extending that kindness. It's true for me too... so even when that positive person that I encounter has a down day, if I have had a comfortable, easygoing history with them, I am more willing to talk to them and hopefully brighten their day too. So contentment and openness are a two-way street.

The idea of "every man for himself" doesn't fly with me. I think our attitudes and their resulting choices influence not only our own lives and those in our immediate circles, but also everyone with whom we come into contact. Her extending that kindness to me no doubt will be repeated somehow and "paid forward" to another person in my own life. Perhaps even just reading this will motivate you to act with kindness toward the rest of the people with whom you interact today.

In these uncertain times, we are challenged to find ways to feel safer and fulfilled in ways that might not be in line with what have come to be our cultural norms of doing, buying, and having more. Sometimes "having more" is simply being content with what we do have: our health, our happiness, the love of the people around us, and the love that we are capable of extending to others.

I saw a bumper sticker today on the way to class: "Life is the School. Love is the Lesson."

I couldn't agree more.

Namaste!