Introduction
Explanation of “Santosha in Yoga”
Santosha in Yoga means feeling happy and peaceful inside, no matter what’s happening outside. It’s about being content with what you have now and not always wanting more. This idea comes from the yoga teachings of Patanjali.
Patanjali Yoga Sutras tells us that getting too attached to things or always wanting more makes us unhappy. We think getting new stuff or better things will make us happy, but it’s not true. Real happiness, which is the meaning of “Santosha” in Sanskrit, comes from finding joy in the present moment, without always thinking about the past or worrying about the future.
To practice santosha, we need to be mindful. This means paying attention to what’s happening right now without judging it. It’s like being fully aware of what you’re doing and feeling at the moment. When we do yoga, santosha means being okay with trying different yoga poses, even if some are tricky. We accept how our body feels during the practice and don’t worry too much about doing the poses perfectly.
So, next time you’re doing yoga and your body doesn’t do a pose the way you want it to, remember santosha. It’s about being content with your efforts and enjoying the present moment, both in yoga and in life.
Santosha in yoga – Being Content
Santosha in Yoga is about being content and happy in different ways:
- When We Do Things: It means trying our best in whatever we do, but not worrying too much about the results. Just doing our best is enough.
- How We Feel Inside: Being content helps us be kind, not wanting too much, and not taking things that don’t belong to us. It’s like having a calm and satisfied feeling inside.
- How We Act Outside: When we’re content, we look peaceful and really satisfied. We don’t need extra things; we’re happy with what we have.
Santosha is also connected to something called “equanimity.” This means it helps us handle whatever happens in life—good or bad, success or failure.
It’s like a special skill that helps us feel good about ourselves. We learn to be happy just the way we are, without thinking we need to change to be happy.
In yoga, we can practice santosha when we do yoga poses. We’re okay with how our body can move and don’t push too hard. We accept our body’s limits instead of always wanting more.
So, it’s about being content in different ways and feeling good about who we are, both in yoga and in life.
Importance of Santosha in yoga
Santosha, which means contentment in yoga, is incredibly important. It’s like a secret ingredient that adds extra goodness to your yoga practice and your life.
In yoga, we learn to be content with where we are and what we can do. This is super cool because it means we’re not always wishing for something else or comparing ourselves to others. We don’t get upset if a yoga pose is a bit tricky; instead, we accept it and try our best without stressing.
This contentment also helps us in daily life. We often think that having more things will make us happier, like the latest toy or gadget, but that’s not true. Santosha teaches us that real happiness comes from being okay with what we have right now. This feeling of contentment makes us kinder, more compassionate, and it keeps us from wanting things that don’t belong to us.
When we practice Santosha in yoga and in life, we become like superheroes. We can handle whatever comes our way, the good stuff and the not-so-good stuff, with a smile on our faces. We learn to appreciate the small moments and find joy in the present, instead of always chasing after something else. So, Santosha is like a superpower that makes our yoga practice and our lives awesome!
Ways Santosha Shows Up
The ways it shows up, are really interesting. Let’s look at the first part,
1-Intent
- Doing One’s Best in Actions: This means when we do something, like homework or chores, we try our hardest. But here’s the cool part – we don’t worry too much about getting everything perfect. It’s about giving our best effort, but understanding that the results may not always be exactly what we expect. It’s like playing a game: you give it your all, but you know you might not win every time. This way, we can feel good about trying hard without putting too much pressure on ourselves.
- Acceptance of Outcomes: This is like the next step after giving our best. It means being okay with whatever happens after we’ve done our part. It’s like saying, “I tried my best, and whatever comes, I’ll handle it.” If things don’t turn out exactly as we hoped, instead of feeling bad, we remember that we did our best, and that’s what really matters. This helps us stay happy and positive even if things don’t go our way.
So, in a nutshell, Santosha helps us do our best without stressing about being perfect and it helps us stay cool no matter what the result is. It’s like a double dose of awesomeness in our actions and how we react afterward.
2 – Inner State
The “Inner State” of Santosha is like a treasure chest of good qualities that come from being content. Here’s how it works:
- Contentment Leading to Other Virtues: When we feel content, it’s like a magic potion that makes us kinder and better people. It’s like when you’re happy, you want others to be happy too. Contentment makes us care about others and want to help them. It’s a bit like having a warm and caring heart.
- Compassion: This is a super important quality. It means feeling for others when they’re sad or having a hard time. When we’re content, we naturally want to help others because we know how good it feels to be happy and at peace.
- Non-Grasping: This one is like not being greedy. When we’re content, we don’t keep wanting more and more things. We don’t always want the newest toys or stuff. We’re satisfied with what we have. It’s like having a full plate of yummy food and not asking for seconds when you’re already full.
- Non-Stealing: This is about being honest and not taking things that don’t belong to us. When we’re content, we’re not always wanting what others have. We’re happy with what’s ours, and we respect other people’s things.
So, this “Inner State” of Santosha not only makes us content but also brings out these really cool qualities in us – kindness, not being greedy, and being honest. It’s like a shining light that makes us better people inside.
3-Expression
The “Expression” of Santosha is like the way it shows on the outside and what it helps us not do:
- Outward Appearance of Serenity: When we have Santosha, it’s like wearing a peaceful and calm look on our faces. People can see that we’re not stressed or always wanting more. We look content and that brings a sense of tranquility to our surroundings.
- Lack of Excessive Desires: Santosha helps us not be too greedy. We don’t always crave for extra things we don’t need. Instead, we’re happy with what we have. It’s like being satisfied with a delicious piece of cake and not wanting the whole cake. This keeps us from being overly focused on getting more stuff.
4-Relationship with Equanimity
Acceptance of Circumstances: This means being okay with whatever is happening, good or bad.
- Pleasure and Pain: When we practice Santosha, we learn to accept both the happy and not-so-happy times. Just like in life, there are moments of joy (pleasure) and moments that might hurt (pain). Instead of getting too excited or too sad, we stay balanced, knowing that everything changes, and we can handle it.
- Success and Failure: Santosha helps us not get too carried away by success or too down when we fail. We understand that both success and failure are part of life’s journey. We do our best, and if things go well, great! If not, we learn from it. Santosha keeps us from getting too high with success or too low with failure.
So, Santosha and equanimity work together like a team, helping us stay steady and accepting no matter what life throws at us.
5-Personal Development
- Improved Self-Relationship: Santosha in personal development means becoming friends with ourselves. It’s about liking who we are, accepting our strengths and weaknesses, and not being too hard on ourselves. We learn to treat ourselves kindly, just like we would with a good friend.
- Happiness Not Dependent on External Achievements or Changes: Santosha teaches us that real happiness isn’t based on things outside of us, like getting a new toy or winning a game. It’s about feeling content and joyful from within, no matter what’s happening around us. Our happiness comes from how we feel inside, not from what’s happening outside.
A. Asana Practice: Santosha plays a big role in our yoga practice, especially when it comes to doing yoga poses, which is called “Asana.” Here’s how it works:
- 1-Accepting Oneself: Santosha teaches us to be okay with who we are. In yoga, this means not comparing ourselves to others in the class or wishing we could do the poses exactly like someone else. We accept our own unique abilities and body, giving our best effort without feeling bad if we can’t do everything perfectly. It’s about feeling good about trying and learning.
- 2-Acknowledging Body’s Limitations: Santosha helps us understand our body better. We don’t force it into poses that it’s not ready for, which can lead to injuries. Instead, we respect our body’s limits and work within those boundaries. It’s like listening to our body and being kind to it, not pushing too hard but also not giving up.
B. Comparison with Striving for More: Santosha in yoga shows us a different way to think. Instead of always wanting to do fancier or harder poses, we learn to be content with the progress we make. It’s not about competing with others or constantly seeking more advanced poses.
We find happiness in the journey and growth, appreciating each step we take in our yoga practice. Santosha in yoga encourages us to enjoy the present moment, our own progress, and the peacefulness that comes from not always craving to do more.
Final Words
In the end, Santosha in yoga means feeling happy with where we are during our yoga practice. We learn to appreciate our efforts and enjoy the present moment. It helps us not always crave for too much and brings a sense of calm inside. Experience the profound benefits of Santosha through Yoga Teacher Training in Rishikesh.
