Santosha

My first post felt a little long. So, I stopped. I felt like I needed to dedicate a separate post to Santosha, the ideas behind it and its purpose and relevance to me. Here we go...

A year ago, I got a tattoo on my arm of the sanskrit for santosha. It looks like this:

Santosha is one of the Niyamas, which are the second set of steps as laid out in the eight limbs of yoga according to the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Yoga has been a large part of my life for nearing 10 years, so it seems appropriate to reference precepts of yoga and even get them tattooed on my body if need be.

So, Santosha-

"...or contentment, is a notion we are all quite familiar with. Ordinarily, human beings experience elation when their incomes unexpectedly rise or they experience a windfall of some type. Yet happiness of this kind is momentary and short lived. Whether one is rich or poor, whether the Goddess of Fortune smiles on one or not, or whether honor or dishonor comes to one, one should never be dejected. Keeping the mind focused in a single direction, always being happy, and never feeling regret for any reason, this is the contentment known as santosha. If santosha is practiced, unsurpassed joy comes". - Sri K Pattabhi Jois, Yoga Mala

Unsurpassed Joy!?! Wow! I want that. It's something to work towards. Definitely worth getting tattooed on my arm, and definitely worth naming my blog after and adding to the long list of life purposes.

I can promise this now: everything I do or write isn't filled with happiness and contentment but its all a part of the struggle and the journey, I think.

And, thanks Jason for giving me the idea to name my blog Santosha, it feels right already.

The First Official Post

So, for a long time now I've been thinking about starting a blog. I guess you could say I've been inspired by several friends and just the sheer cathartic nature that a blog seems to promise.

I think it all started in December when Jason and I were having a little dinner at a local restaurant. This said restaurant, which I will not name because I am about to bash it a little and I am not a restaurant critic blog, although I did consider it at one time. So, anyway we are eating mediocre food and drinking a few beers and I'm thinking to myself

"This place sucks, it's over rated, and the decor reminds me of Top of Lenior! Someone needs to tell the world to never come here! Yes, of course, that's it! I'll do it! I will start a blog dedicated to putting this restaurant out of business."

Well, I didn't do that, but the blog seed had been planted.

A few weeks later, We were drinking a little wine with some friends. And another funny thing hit me. This funny thing I do not remember right now, but it was slightly asshole-ish and very opinionated. I made me think

"Hey, maybe I should start a blog to serve as an outlet for all of my asshole-ish thoughts and feelings towards the world. Yes, of course, thats it! I will call it Asshole With An Opinion, it will be hilarious and I will be famous!!!!"

But something didn't feel right about that. There's already too much negativity in the world for one thing. And another thing- blogging feels like it should nurture some part of yourself that needs nurturing. And, my asshole side definitely does not need nurturing.

So, the search continued. I needed the perfect purpose and the perfect title for my blog. And I couldn't start until I had it.

Finally, weeks later, Jason suggested that I call it Santosha. Santosha means contentment. Not happiness contentment, but satisfaction contentment. And aren't we all searching for contentment and satisfaction? I think so.

So, for now, I blog. With the purpose of not really having a purpose other than Santosha, living life, and exploring the side of myself that thrives off of contentment.