Santosha, the Sanskrit for contentment, is popularly practiced as one of the five Niyama ‘observances’ from Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. Along with the Yamas, there are ten guidelines in the Sutras to help one live with more clarity, vitality and consciousness, both within the world, and within oneself.
Try practicing Hansi Mudra and this statement numerous times during the day: when you feel great (it affirms ‘Wow! Life is great! I AM content!’) and also when you’re feeling less-than-great, which is where the real transformation can occur. It can help reframe the situation and help you see outside of the box in a new perspective.
Hansi Mudra:
instills a positive mood of being Okay in oneself and the world
brings breath to chest area stimulating the thymus gland
supports the immune system
can help release tension from the jaws
reveals Contentment within
Begin with 5-10 natural breaths and increase the number of breaths weekly to your practice.
These mudras and information provided are modified from Mudras for Healing and Transformation by Joseph and Lilian LePage, Integrative Yoga Therapy.
For the last few months I have been ‘practicing’ Contentment. I call it practice because it usually does not come naturally to most people to simply feel okay about oneself, the world and everything in it – myself included! I found stating the reminder that ‘I am content’ throughout the roller coaster of ups and downs in my day to be a very useful tool.
Santosha, the Sanskrit for contentment, is one of the Niyama ‘observances’ from Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. Together with the Yamas, they compromise ten guidelines to help one live with more clarity, vitality and consciousness, both within the world and within oneself.
I Was Going Through a Challenging Time
I began my Contentment practice because I was going through a challenging chapter of constantly questioning myself, my every choice, and action. It was not fun and I felt like my inner conversations were driving me down a dark, dreary, and lonely hole. For example, while leading yoga, the copious options available to me as a yoga teacher of themes, ideas to weave in, postures, even specific words to use, did not overwhelm me, but it felt like I couldn’t choose ‘the right’ one in the moment.
Then, after the fact, I would second-guess myself and regret what I had led. It felt like I was walking through wet cement. I prayed and asked for help. And help always comes – whether it’s from one’s highest, deepest, truest Self, from above, or from below, I’m not sure, but to me it feels like it comes from all places inside and out that are pure and true. The answer came that there is no ‘right’ or ‘correct’ choice.
To Trust myself and the world, to be Content with whatever I choose to do, and to be Okay with the whole process from beginning to end, was the message. I realized living life is like making art: it requires flow and freedom in its rhythm and cadence. Altogether it’s the collected moments that ebb with the universe and create beauty, rather than, as I had been attempting, trying to squeeze a masterpiece out of every single moment!
Trusting, Feeling Okay, and Feeling Gratitude
To help me remember this wisdom, I began to state the affirmation with Hansi Mudra numerous times a day: ‘I rest in Contentment’. (feel free to change the words to make them your own, or state this affirmation if you like it). I experimented by practicing Contentment when I felt great! And it affirmed that ‘Wow! Everything is okay. I AM content!
I also practiced Contentment when I felt absolutely awful! And this is when the real gifts blossomed. Instantly, it would put everything into perspective, and my troubling conundrum would feel as small as a fly, rather than overwhelm me like a tiger.
Contentment practice helped me to realize,
I am enough
this world is enough
I am created by the divine
this world and this moment was created by divine forces
I am guided by good and higher forces
And: this moment good.
How could that not be enough? It brought me to a place of respect and awe for the truth behind the reality of the relative world, that there are higher powers supporting it all. Often we see the small irritant and become easily disgruntled, not seeing the larger picture, which may not feel perfect, but is in fact beautiful and perfect in its own way – just not the way ‘I’ wanted.
CONTENTMENT PRACTICES
Practice Hansi Mudra throughout your day and state “My Inner Smile awakens the Bliss that is always present.”
CONTENTMENT TIPS
Create the Intention to practice Contentment Santosha each day for a month.
Trust in yourself, and the loving heart of the world and universe.
Ask: “In this moment, can I be with things as they are?” Breathe, feel, and create space within to allow yourself to feel.
Ask: “If I felt Okay right now, what wouldn’t be here? What would be different? How would I feel?”
Tell yourself ‘This is not helpful’ if you find yourself comparing yourself to others, wishing you had a different life, house, city, job, beloved, dog, cat, tree, bowl, etc.
If you’ve asked yourself any of the above reflection questions, follow it by holding Hansi Mudra.
Practicing contentment can free you from suffering caused by wanting and wishing you, the world and things were different. May you instead be filled with gratitude and joy for all of life’s eternal blessings.
by Jennifer Reis, E-RYT 500, C-IAYT Yoga Therapist, creator of Five Element Yoga® and Divine Sleep® Yoga Nidra.
This is a touching and beautiful story of a loving family who support and encourage each other as a team. Even more than a team, actually, because they are living their lives in service of each other. And also have the gratitude and realization of how amazing each family member is. That service extends out into the community in their family run business.
It is interesting that in many indigenous cultures like the North West Coast and Inuit have depicted in art and told stories of hunters who had holes in the center of their palms. These openings were windows that through their hands, the spirit of the animal would be set free, thus they were taking only the animal’s physical body for their needs.
We can learn from this respect and gratitude for both what we’ve been given, and for what we need to take, makes for greater harmony within our hearts and connection with our world around us.
And speaking of hearts, the center of the palm is actually an energy point in Traditional Chinese Medicine related to the heart. This point is key on the channel for the organ that surrounds, protects and cradles the heart called the pericardium or ‘heart constrictor’.
Thus, when you activate the centers of the palms, this cradle area around the heart is able to soften, open and expand, helping you to feel more spacious, free and also can allow you to breathe more fully and easily.
Practicing Empty Hands Mudra helps me to let go my agendas of the moment to remember that there is indeed openness and freedom within me, and that I can allow my heart to be felt and to speak to me. Greater wisdom flows through me when I both open and let go. This is not an ancient or known mudra – it came to me in my meditation practice. I love how it feels, and wanted to share it here with you!
HOW TO: Hands rest on the lap or in front of the navel with the Left hand under the Right hand. Gently open the centers of your palms.
Hold for 5-10 natural breaths. State the intention statement three times out loud, then silently. Notice how you feel in body, mind, and emotions. No known cautions.
YOGA PRACTICE: Try Empty Hands Mudra with arms overhead on the floor in Child pose.
FIVE ELEMENTS: Empty Hands Mudra invites balance and centeredness withing all of the Five Elements, all of the Chakras, and all of the Vayu Energy Currents. It can especially activate Air and Ether Elements.
You May Feel These Benefits:
Instills a sense of openness to the world, other hearts, and our own deeper wisdom.
Brings expansion and openness to the chest and breath.
As the chest naturally releases tension with the mudra, it relaxes the mind and the nervous system.
Can help expand to envision infinite possibilities within life.
Reveals inherent positive qualities of the heart within like generosity, honoring, gratitude, humility, and reverence.
Your Inner Smile is glowing golden inside of you all the time! All you have to do is become AWARE of it, and a magical thing happens: you begin to sense how it fills you with bliss, awakens your positive qualities as well as your own potent healing energy.
You may like to hold Hansi Mudra (also in a blog post here) while you practice this meditation. Find a comfortable way to sit with your spine lengthened for five or more minutes.
Begin to sense your breath without needing to change it in anyway.
Feel a few natural breaths in your belly. Notice a few breaths in your chest and heart-space.
Become aware of your breath already moving and flowing through your whole body.
Now imagine an Inner Smile in your belly. With each breath feel your inner belly smile expanding and alive within you.
Become aware of the Inner Smile in your heart-space. Notice your breath expanding the smile in your heart, awakening compassionate love and self-love.
Feel the Inner Smile within every cell of your whole being. Trillions of Inner Smiles glowing golden in synchrony with each other. Like you are a tuning fork harmonized with the divine – Bliss, Healing energy, and every Positive Quality Bhavana – fills and radiates through you.
Pause to sense your radiant Inner Smile. Universal Inner Smile that shines through all beings.
With a few quiet breaths, send your Inner Smile out to someone you love. Send your Inner Smile out to someone you are having a difficult time with. Send your Inner Smile to all beings.
Stay here for as long as you like. Keep this feeling of Bliss as long as you can, even when you gently begin to deepen your breath, softly open your eyes, and move into what comes next.
Inspired by an amazing and inspiring teacher Lilian LePage.
