Santosha is the second of the five Niyamas. The Niyamas make up the second limb of yoga and represent internal disciplines aimed at improving your relationship with yourself and building strong character. Santosha, the second Niyama, means contentment. It is in our nature to want more. But that does not always mean that more is better. Yoga philosophy teaches the practice of contentment, or Santosha, which is ever relevant today: In an age where micro trends leave us wanting to buy new things constantly, because Social Media platforms like tiktok and Instagram tell us that your ‘hot girl summer’ is not complete without that cute new water bottle or hair clip. But even if micro trends are not your thing, the object of wanting doesn’t really matter; we’ve become accustomed to always reaching for one more thing. One more purchase. One more reel. One more bite. The need for excess is promoted everywhere. But, abundance in everything can easily become a shortage of happiness. In Yoga Sutra 2.42, Patanjali writes: santoṣād anuttamaḥ sukha-lābhaḥ, commonly translated along the lines of “From contentment, unsurpassed happiness is gained.” Sri Swami Satchidananda notes an important difference between contentment and satisfaction. Contentment means we don’t need outside things in order to find happiness, nor do things need to be perfect in order for us to find joy.
Santosha on the mat
Santosha is an excellent intention for your practice. We’ve all been to a yoga class where we end up peeking at other mats to see how our practice compares to our fellow yogis, or where we are forcing ourselves deeper into asana because we really want to ‘get the pose.’ Either because we were capable of it in the past, or because we are currently working our way towards it. This often leads to injury and frustration. When practicing santosha on your mat, move through the sequence to the best of your current ability, allowing yourself to accept where your body is now, while also acknowledging that where your body is now may change in the future. With this in mind, it is important to note that contentment isn’t resignation. It is not “This is my body and I’ll never progress.” But rather “I don’t need to reject the present version of myself in order to move forward.”
Santosha off the mat
Have you ever caught yourself thinking:’I’ll be happy when…’? And when that ‘when’ finally arrives, the happiness is short-lived before the very same thought kicks in again, with another desirable object, person or thing. We are constantly encouraged to want more. And it is not wrong to want or desire something: desire is incredibly human. But today, that desire is continuously fed and exploited by companies that profit from convincing us the next thing will make our lives significantly better. Santosha is the practice of not making your happiness conditional on the next thing. Which makes practicing this Niyama not only an act of yoga and self-development, but perhaps a small act of rebellion against an entire industry that profits from making us believe we are always one purchase, one click or one trend away from happiness. So, over the next few days, I invite you to simply notice. Notice when you keep scrolling because you need one more reel. Notice when something you already own suddenly doesn’t feel good enough. Notice when the thought “I’ll be happy when…” comes up. You don’t have to judge the thought or force it away. Just become aware of it. And perhaps, in that small pause between wanting and reaching, ask yourself: What if, for this moment, what I have is enough?
Elle
Want to know more about Santosha? We have a whole book on it in the Kairos reading corner.
