Dear friends,

In February we focused our practice on Ahimsa, the first of five yogic yamas (ethical principles that guide us in what not to do and how to self-regulate in the larger world). Ahimsa translates from Sanskrit to non-violence, non-harming, compassion for self and others, and we must try to practice it in every moment in this very tumultuous time we are living in. Did you notice if you carried Ahimsa off the mat and into your day? Did it change the way you move through the world? When we find ourselves practicing this type of yoga in our daily lives, that’s when we know that we are on the path. That’s when we remember, as Ram Dass says, “We are all just walking each other home.”

This month we’ll focus on Santosha, the Sanskrit word for contentment. Contentment is one of the niyamas, or personal ethical practices that relate to our inner world. I love the way Judith Hanson Lasater, a masterful yoga teacher grounded in yoga philosophy, describes Santosha:

“Contentment is a paradox. If we seek it, it evades us. If we give up on it, it evades us. It is like a shy cat that hides under the bed. If we try to catch it, we never will. But if we sit still and wait in patience, the cat will come to us. Yoga is about creating space in our bodies and minds so contentment can find a place to live within us. If we practice with humility and trust, then we create a container that attracts contentment. “

Since 2020, I’ve taken the same short walk most days. I leave the house and head to the woods behind the pool in our neighborhood. There’s a rock towards the end of the trail that makes a comfortable seat, and that’s where I make my way. I sit down and try to be as still as possible. I’ve learned not to wait for wildlife to appear. I go without expectation; I simply sit. Sometimes for 5 minutes, or maybe 10. I go on workdays, so I’ve only got small amounts of time usually. Sometimes a fox will cross my path, or a few deer. Other times I see birds—tiny chickadees, noisy woodpeckers, or a graceful hawk. I feel contentment in my whole body, mind and spirit when I'm there for those brief moments in the woods.

I try to tap into that feeling even for a moment when I find myself wanting, striving, or feeling the pull of the shiny new thing that I think I need. Contentment is different from happiness. It is being okay when we don’t get what we want. It is remembering in the good and the bad moments that we have enough. We ARE enough. Santosha allows us to ride the waves of our lives like a surfer who stays balanced in the peaks and valleys of a powerful ocean.

Just as it’s hard to learn to surf, it’s hard to learn to be content, which is why we practice moment to moment. These principles will elude us often, and that is part of being human. But in the moments where we become content, we transform ourselves and have an impact on the world around us.

So this March, as we feel spring in the air, let’s ground ourselves in Santosha. Let’s find our own ways to explore our relationship with contentment on the mat and off.