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Santosha is one of the eight limbs of yoga meaning contentment. Contentment is a way of living in the present moment and believing that there is nothing more important than this moment and you have everything you need in this moment. That does not mean that we do not strive to improve our lives or our circumstances. Because when we are in that moment, of improving our lives or circumstances, then everything is as it should be in that moment. You see, what happens often is that we are not in the moment when we are about a task at hand, we are worrying about not being good enough or concerned about our endless to-do list. Old stories and samskaras (tendencies or grooves in the mind) cloud the lens in which we view and participate in life. What if we could be a child again and see life as if we are experiencing everything for the first time, with curiosity, awe and pleasantness. For example: You are taking a walk around your neighborhood and through the park. Instead of contentment, you begin to grasp at life, by counting your steps on your fit bit or making yourself go a certain distance on your walk. And while you are doing this, you are going through your to-do list for the day or week, planning your dinner and shaming yourself on not getting enough done in a day. This is grasping at life. Now, this is what the present moment/content walk looks like: After leaving your to-do list at home you decide to go for a walk to stretch out and exercise the body. As you begin walking your body eases into the flow of walking; your mind starts to ease into the flow of the present moment. As you are walking down the street you may notice the uniqueness of everyone’s yards and houses and find beauty in the simplest of things. You may hear sounds of nature including birds, the neighbors dog and the wind blowing through the trees. How interesting are all the sounds you hear. At the park you may notice others, children, parents and teenagers enjoying the outdoors in their own unique way. You have a moment of gratitude for where you are in your life’s journey; it has taken volitional action to get here. This is present moment living, this is contentment, this is Santosha. But not all moments are a walk in the park. How do you find contentment in an unpleasant situation? Another example: You are hanging out with a friend who has been diagnosed with cancer and you are with them as they are getting chemo treatments. You might ask how you could find beauty and contentment in that situation. What if you were to become completely present with your friend as you sit with them? Let go of how you got there or where tomorrow is going to lead, but instead have a time of sharing and gratitude for each others company and know that your full presence is the best gift you could give your friend. Knowing you are doing all that you can for your friend in that moment, you find solace, beauty and contentment. When you give the gift of the present moment to yourself, you give the gift of the present moment to your friends, community and whatever the task at hand.

 

When you find contentment in the little moments in life then you begin to lead a life of Santosha; present moment living while knowing in the moment everything is as it should be and you are doing the best you can. If we can just stop the mind from dictating our lives, we can find treasures and contentment in our moments here on Earth. Sounds good right? Well, then why does it seem so hard to live life in the beauty and integrity of the present moment? It seems so difficult and annoying that we have to build a practice of it. The answer is; our thoughts, fluctuations of the mind, mind stuff, or in yoga we call this constant mind stuff- chitta.

 

In the Yoga Sutras 1.2 of Patanjali which are the first written records of the oral tradition of Yoga, it is stated:

 

योगश्चित्तवृत्तिनिरोधः ॥२॥
yogaś-citta-vṛtti-nirodhaḥ

 

which can be translated to “Yoga is the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind.”

The flucuations of the mind include direct perception, dilusion, attachment, memory, dreaming, grasping, imagination, preferences, emotions, worry, ect. According to Panjali, yoga is about controlling the mind stuff. It is not that these flucuations of the mind will not happen but if we are aware of the mind doing what the mind does, then we can see them as mind stuff (chitta), not necessarily reality, and then we can choose to see life as it really is without the poor me lens or any other lens we wear. Yoga Sutra 1.2 states that, and is a reminder that, through consistent practice, we can acquire the tools to be in control of our mind and not let it dictate our actions and reactions. We can make decisions that are well thought out as opposed to being at the mercy of our emotional state, the social media that surrounds us, in other words; our mind stuff. We can make a volitional choice, in other words ‘a kriya’ that involves a clear picture of the situation at hand verses the constant flucuations of the mind.

 

Here are some mind flucuations that have to do with addiction?

• Drinking helps me ralax.

• Lets celebrate.

• Sense of belonging.

• It runs in the family.

• It is my only vice.

• Releaves the pain.

• Makes me more confident.

 

When we take away all the excuses or “mind stuff” for self medicating with mind altering drugs or even mind altering devices, then we can begin to see what truly needs to be healed so that we can liberate ourselves from unhappiness, anxiety, feelings of inadequacies and grasping. According to Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, there is an eight-fold path leading to liberation, known as the ‘Ashtanga Yoga System’ or ‘8 Limbs of Yoga’ This yogic path is a blend of philosophy and techniques to find freedom and contentment in living. This is the path of Santosha Recovery. Whether you are recovering from an alcohol or drug addiction or a worrying addiction, the eight limbs of yoga can step by step, bring you closer to happier living with a freedom from the constant fluctuations of the mind. The thought process should be used for critical thinking (thinking with a purpose) not to conjure up old stories and anxiety. The process of healing from ‘old stories’ is definitely necessary and within the program of Santosha Recovery where you find the tools and the space to heal those stories so they do not dictate your life now, in the present moment.

 

The Eights Limbs of Yoga as outlined in the Yoga Sutras by Patanjali around the second century BCE is a guide to living the path of self discovery and spiritual maturity. The Eight Limbs are a sequential guide to spiritual enlightenment, happiness and Contentment. The Eight Limbs are sequential in that you master one before mastering the next in sequence but as a yogi you are practicing all of the Eight Limbs at the same time. This will become more apparent as you learn and begin to practice the Eight Limbs. The first four limbs are working with the external world; thoughts words and actions of moral behavior and finding balance through discipline in the body and mind. The last four limbs are internal practices of moving our life force inward and upward integrating body, mind and spirit. And thus eventually knowing spirit in oneself, you become to know spirit in all life. You could say the final limb of yoga is total absorption of self into Universal Consciousness or Self with a big S. It is in this absorption into Self that the idea of separateness no longer exists.

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The Eight Limbs:

1. Yamas are behaviors that we are to restrain in order to maintain moral integrity. The Yamas include;

   • Ahimsa- restraint from injury.

   • Satya- restraint from lying.

   • Asteya- restraint from stealing

   • Brahmacharya- restraint from excessiveness.

   • Aparigraha- restraint from greediness and grasping

2. Niyamas are practices to observe to further promote ethical and moral integrity. The Niyamas include:

   • Saucha- purity of outer body and mind stuff.

   • Santosha- contentment in the present moment.

   • Tapas- self-discipline, austerity and contentment to spiritual growth and maturity.

   • Svadhyaya- self study through reflection, introspection and mantras.

   • Ishvara Pranidhana- attunement and devotion to a force greater than ourselves that we all belong to.

3. Asanas are physical postures to strengthen the body and promote physical health, flexibility, balance, self-awareness and mental well-being.

4. Pranayama are practices using the breath to control life force energies and regulate our parasympathetic nervous system.

5. Pratyahara is turning inward away from the external senses, to lead us towards mindfulness, concentration and balance.

6. Dharana is concentration with effort, including mantra and prayer.

7. Dhyana is meditation which is concentration without effort including feelings states.

8. Samadhi- is union with god, or greater universal consciousness or love. All those descriptions are saying the same thing.

 

Patanjali’s Eight Limbs of Yoga, as outlined in the Yoga Sutras, provide a comprehensive guide to living an authentic and purposeful life of contentment.

 

Patanjali’s Eight Limbs of Yoga are the foundation and the tools for Santosha Recovery and are written for the modern day seeker as experienced by the founder of SR, Deb Newton. The teachings along with the techniques and meditations are based on the founders studies and experience with the philosophy of Kriya Yoga, Tantra Yoga and other eastern practices. Resources include: The Untethered Soul: by Michael A. Singer, The Spiritual Science of Kriya Yoga; by Goswami Kriyananda, Kriya Yoga Seminary Program; Swami Pranananda, Stillness Speaks; by Eckhart Tolle, The Chakras and Energy Transformation Audio Lesson; Goswami Kriyanada, Symbolism: Its Value and Meaning; By Goswami Kriyananda, The Heart of The Buddha’s Teaching; by Thich Nhat Hanh, Becoming Nobody by Ram Dass, and Numerous books and podcast by Brene Brown 

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Please refer to the Teachings drop-down menu for further philosophy and techniques on The Eight Limbs of Yoga. Throughout the teachings, Yoga Practices and Game Changer Skills will be introduced and highlighted. ​

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May your path be lined with goodness, peace, wholeness and auspiciousness. Shanti