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.