Finding Santosha (contentment) may seem difficult right now.
But here is what I love about the santosha....
Santosha is not translated as elation, bliss, or happiness. It is translated as "contentment". I find it more reasonable, but perhaps not as recognizable to experience santosha.
This is what contentment means, to me:
- Being OK at this moment...or knowing that at some point in the future you will be OK again
- Finding perspective
- Being at ease
I offer this suggestion in the midst of troubling times...keep your senses open to noticing moments of contentment and when they come and go; as you become aware of these moments, allow yourself gratitude that a particular moment was OK.
This may not solve the world's problems or even your own, but not everything can or needs to be solved right at this moment. Perhaps however, the more individual and collective moments of contentment we live the more readily problems will resolve.
Another way to reinforce this "noticing of contentment" is as follows:
The next time someone asks you "What's new?"...rather than furiously searching your brain for a dramatically "good" or "bad" event to report.....respond with, "I'm content at this moment".
6 Comments:
So practical and helpful, especially the part about not needing to resolve things and that things can resolve themselves if more people practiced Santosha. It's really key to a new definition of enlightenment- Santosha is sitting in zero point witnessing the unfolding. It's also a key to participating in conscious evolution. Contentment is a decision and a practice. It's not complacence, apathy or submission. It's knowing our place in a bigger reality. It's thinking big. Indifference is not detachment. Passivity is not peacefulness. Isolation is not equanimity. Santosha asks us to be present with the heart fully compassionate but not in reactive mode taking everything personally. From this place new solutions arise and miracles can happen.
Is there such a thing a Zune yoga? Does Florian Companion recommend being in zune with him or herself?
Elizabeth...I really like "sitting in zero point witnessing the unfolding" and your distinction between content and complacent. Thanks so much for sharing your input and have a happy and "santoshful" new year!
Anonymous....sorry afraid I'm not familiar with Zune yoga...do you recommend it? Anyone?
Happy new year to the zune yogis, wherever you are!
It is so true that people seek more extreme states of being and contentment is more practical and achieveable. A very good note.
Thank you for your inspiring post, and for helping me remember that I am already in santosh. Now. And always, in the Golden Present. My teacher, Swami Satchidananda used to say "You are already fine. Don't de-fine yourself!"
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