Samtosha or contentment leads to unexcelled joy, according to Patanjali's Yoga-Sutras. The Mahabharata praises contentment in the following way: "Contentment is indeed the highest. Contentment is supreme joy. There is nothing higher than satisfaction. It is complete in Itself. Other ancient texts speak of samtosha as viewing things with equanimity. Here are a few reflections on samtosha from some of our teachers.
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Contentment. Hmmm. I never stopped long enough to think about that. I guess
it's when I have a full tank of gas, full client load...when I've balanced
my checkbook, paid my monthly bills with a few bucks left over and the most
important thing is when my dog is comfortable in her aging body.
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Samtosha is something I consistently try to cultivate in my yoga practice. I have found that by enjoying my breath and the sensations in my body during each posture (whether it be energizing, strengthening, relaxing or challenging- even the ones that I really hate), that I am more open to a sense of contentment in relation to my self, and to the world around me. In this past month I have taken to practicing out of doors, in the grass and among the trees, and have experienced an extreme sense of calm in being with other living things- the plants, the bees beneath my feet, the dogs running through the park- and have become convinced that they are all doing yoga! To me, samtosa implies a sense of rightness with your self and with what you are doing at any given moment, as well as with the gifts that you have been given. On my mat is an ideal place to realize this sense of completeness, and I strive to bring that truth into every action of every day, to make it all yoga, and to breathe in the beauty all around me; luckily July is an easy month for that!
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On samtosha - I feel that it is most important to realize that
contentment is available to us just as we are, just as our lives are in
every moment. It is not something outside of ourselves that we need to
aspire to or attain. For me the practice of expressing gratitude, to
others, to ourselves, and to our source, even when it might be hard to
feel, is the first step in experiencing contentment. I see yoga as a
practice of active gratitude for the life we are given. When I practice
connecting to myself and my source by attending to my body and my breath,
quieting my mind, and spending time in the present, I begin to feel the
gratitude from my heart rather than just know in my head that I should feel
it. So I keep doing yoga and saying thank you. I have moments of true
contentment, and I am grateful for them.
