Live In Gratitude With The Yoga Practice Of Santosha

Try the yoga practice of Santosha. A practice of contentment, Santosha is not an emotion, but rather a state of consciousness. It is the ability to remain in the present moment, experiencing the happiness that can be found there, instead of the judgment that you might have once felt when you were so critical of yourself and others.

To experience Santosha:

Practice – being happy in the moment.

Practice – letting go of judgment.

Practice – seeing the light in each person you are in presence with.

Practice – being grateful.

Practice – feeling content.

Practice- being happy.

Even if these things are hard for you to do – practice.

Yoga is a practice.

Taking time to be grateful for our lives, our friends, and our family is a daily practice, not just an annual event, for an advancing student of yoga.

One of the easiest ways to recognize that your yoga practice is truly working in your life, is shown by the way you consciously choose to create less stress over the holiday season, letting go of expectations of yourself and others, and enjoying each others’ “presence” far more than the “presents” you may receive, or once thought you had to make, buy, or go into debt for.

When we allow yoga and the practice of Santosha to transform our lives, we no longer worry about trying to be something we are not around our families or friends during this holiday season, nor do we let it bother us anymore if we know that we are going to spend time with Uncle Bob who always ends up drunk at dinner, or our mother in law who always judges us.

How do we let go?

We let go by keeping up our yoga practice, and infusing it with Santosha. When we do so, we will be able to walk into holiday gatherings with our inner light shining brightly. When we are peaceful within ourselves, we are then able to let go of the judgments we have of others. We will be able to see others’ inner light, even if it is only a tiny flicker hidden deep within, no matter how hard they may try to hide it.

Many blessings,

Lanita Varshell