Second Niyama - Santosa

The second Niyama, is Santosa, which means contentment and modesty. Santosa is about being content and at peace with what we have. That can seem difficult in the face of hardships and struggles, but part of becoming a yogi is accepting that there is a reason for everything and that one can find contentment even in times of difficulty. Sometimes, life unfolds in mysterious ways, and practicing yoga will help you trust in the karma that is working all around us. To find contentment in difficulty is to place your trust and faith in the knowledge that things will happen as they happen – and that’s okay.
Santosa is a sense of modesty with the knowledge that we have enough. Modesty has several connotations and definitions, which have to do with clothing, accolades, abilities, simplicity, etc. Santosa is not about women covering up their ankles to avoid a man’s downward gaze, nor is it about downplaying your abilities when receiving recognition for a job well done. Such things are modest behaviors, but Santosa’s modesty is about the simplicity of embracing a life with enough instead of clamoring to keep up with and out-pace the Joneses. Another way to approach Santosa is to view life’s struggles and hardships as lessons to be learned. Whenever you feel like you are suffering, look for the lesson that you can learn about yourself. Come to be at peace with your life – the good and the bad.

Practicing Santosa means being at peace with whatever happens in our lives, be it positive, negative, or neutral. Santosa is letting go of the “what if” and the “should have” that plague us all when we consider our past actions and how we got to where we are now. So many people get stuck in an endless cycle of worry and fear; how liberating would it be to let go of it and breathe in the knowledge that it would all be okay in the end?

You can practice Santosa in your yoga class – it comes in especially handy when you are working on a pose that you haven’t quite mastered. Breathe in, and be content with your progress. It’s okay. You do not have to be the best. You just have to be your best. Be content with your best – you are enough.

It’s easy to talk about finding inner peace with the world around us, and it’s quite another to do it. This week, I challenge each of you readers to take one small step toward Santosa. The next time you find yourself feeling upset, or anxious, or envious, take a deep breath and tell yourself that it will all be okay. Walk toward peace, simplicity, modesty, and contentment. Tell yourself that you have enough. Tell yourself that you are enough.

Please share your experiences with Santosa in the comments, we would love to hear about your path to contentment.