Monthly Theme: Joy

Our monthly theme for May is Santosha. Santosha means contentment. While the translation of this word is quite simple, you may find that contentment is one of the most difficult concepts to grasp. If you feel this way, you are not alone.

Just in my inner circle I am sharing space with illness, heartbreak, broken relationships, and even death.

In the world at large we are face war, poverty, and hunger.

Remembering that there is a lot of positive events happening every day can be a challenge, in the midst of bad news. Things that don’t make headlines are the quiet and peaceful moments of friendship, spontaneous remissions of cancer, the care-taking of the elderly, and so much more happening right now.

Contentment is a challenge because the material and external world amplify our own discontent.

In yoga we speak about contentment being an “inside job.” It is more than a passing emotional state. True contentment or joy, as I like to think of it, is remembering who we are, and how much we are loved.

I think of the feeling of contentment as one the same feeling as coming home, after a long journey. A place of refuge and repair. This is our promise of “more joy” in the in studio and online offerings we cultivate at pranayoga.

Santosha also is a process of detaching from our desires. Another extremely difficult, or dare say impossible task, being that our desires make us who we are. Rather than total detachment, I prefer to think of holding them loosely. If we don’t get to stuck in our desires, and personalities, we can remember the light behind them. I call this light God. It is a remembering(smarna) how much we are loved. In this knowing, and home coming, our superficial desires fall away temporarily, and we are left with moments of peace and tranquility.

Since Santosha, joy or space happens on the subtle levels of our being, you make ask. How can we practice Santosha on a practical level.

Here are a few suggestions:
Be present. Joy can only happen in the present moment.
Be patient. Recognize your immediate desires and what the bigger story, question, or desire is behind them.
Meditate or Pray. Create space for this ease and joy to sit in.
Create a gratitude list.
Write out 10 simple things daily that you are grateful for.