Wherever you are, whatever you are doing, stop. Take a moment to internally scan yourself and see - are there any thoughts nagging at your? Are there any people with whom you are frustrated/irritated? Are there are parts of your mind thinking "If only_____, then I would be so much happier right now"? Are there any events or interactions from days past that you are still ruminating on?
If you answered "yes" to any of those questions, then I invite you to consider what implementing the 2nd Niyama of Santosha might look life for your own life. The word itself comes from 2 different words: sam, which means completely or entirely, and tosha, which means acceptance, satisfaction, and contentment. Together, one translation they then equate to is "total acceptance" which will ultimately guide you to joy and comfort according to Patanjali's Sutra ii.42: "From an attitude of contentment (santosha), unexcelled happiness, mental comfort, joy, and satisfaction is obtained."
This is great philosophy, but what does it look like in practice? Simply put: acceptance + positive mindset = happiness. For example, I am a high school teacher. And I have students who show up to class maybe 5% of the time. It is easy for me to get worked up about this and worry about those students falling behind (in my class, in their other classes, in life in general); it is easy for me to feel frustration that those students don't apply themselves in my class when present; it is easy for me to worry about what type of parents and lives those students must have if this is their routine. But all of that worry and frustration is not productive. In fact, it goes against the 4th Yama of Brahmacharya which insists that we conserve our energy for fruitful practices. If I employ Santosha in this situation, I accept that those students' lives are out of my control. I appreciate that they are in class at all (even if they aren't really engaged or working hard), and I let them know this by saying things like, "Hey, I'm glad you are here with us today!"
"But all of that worry and frustration is not productive. In fact, it goes against the 4th Yama of Brahmacharya which insists that we conserve our energy for fruitful practices."
It is important to note, though, that Santosha does NOT mean I say, "Well.. I can't expect much from this student, so I might as well just kind of ignore him and focus on the others instead." Santosha means I seek to be content, not complacent. I must still hold those students accountable and put forth energy to help them succeed in any way possible. Maybe that means one assignment is completed by them for the entire unit. Well, one is better than none.
In our own internal landscapes, this may mean accepting that your body is where it is at right now and not holding judgement or resent or pity about it. But if you know you can be healthier, then by all means - be healthier! In this instance, Santosha means that you are able to appreciate the journey as well and not be so fixated on the destination. In fact, it might mean letting go of a destination altogether. What if, in your pursuit of physical health, you stopped thinking in terms of "reaching this weight" or "running a mile that fast" and instead just focused on the day-to-day choices you make? Can you imagine the weight that would be lifted from your shoulders? Now you don't need to "lose 20 pounds" -- you just need to choose to dedicate 20 minutes to walking or yoga or lifting weights tonight. Each little choice then becomes a celebration that helps enforce your choices and validate your efforts.
"What if, in your pursuit of physical health, you stopped thinking in terms of "reaching this weight" or "running a mile that fast" and instead just focused on the day-to-day choices you make?"
A big part of Santosha is the ability to let go of attachment (Raga) and aversion (Dvesha). If we are not attached to things (ideas, outcomes, people, material objects) then losing them will not cause us grief. Similarly, if we can walk into any situation and let go of tendency to be averted by what bothers us, then we develop the ability to exist in any circumstance.
Questions to consider as you work toward cultivating Santosha in your own life:
1). What items do I posses that cause me stress? Would I have less stress if I gave away those items?
2). Are there any expectations I hold for others or myself that are hard to meet? How could letting go of that expectation offer more peace into my life?
3). What challenges exist in my life (work, home, etc) right now? What am I learning from these experiences, and how can I focus on that (the fact that they are helping me learn new things) the next time I am faced with this challenge?
A mantra to consider:
A mantra (a word or phrase that is repeated to help internalize an idea) that you may consider adopting to more fully embody the ideals of Santosha is "It's like this now." This mantra encourages you to recognize that everything - both good and bad - is temporary and that you must adapt to/accept your present situation while simultaneously recognizing that it, too, is fleeting.
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