Exploring Santosha: Finding Contentment in Your Life

“When wishes are few, the heart is happy”.

I’m currently exploring and bringing my attention back to the yoga Niyama of Santosha which roughly translates to contentment. Being happy with what is and accepting and appreciating what we already have.

I find this concept really hard if I’m being honest. I have to bring myself back to it all the time. To remind myself that no Carolyn, you won’t be happier when you make more money, buy a better house, have another baby, get that dress, buy a nicer car or whatever external focus we choose to distract ourselves with. Looking outside ourselves will always keep us in a state of disappointment and will always keep contentment at bay.

Santosha is about coming back to ourselves, to the calm centre of our being and practicing gratitude for what we already have. It’s about not falling into the trap of always looking for the next thing which in essence is about avoidance and distraction.

Let’s practice gratitude together.

Each night I invite you to write down three things you are grateful for that day. Or you may like to practice a gratitude meditation, spending 15 mins with your eyes closed, taking big belly breaths while you quietly contemplate everything in your life that you’re grateful for. 

Very soon I will be recording some meditations you can download for free here on my site. Sign up for my newsletter to be notified and kept up to date. I promise I will never bombard you with emails.