Contentment and Gratitude thru Not Seeking, and Not Avoiding

The second Niyama is SANTOSHA: This Niyama invites us into contentment by taking refuge in a calm center, opening our hearts with gratitude for what we do have, and practicing the paradox of ‘not seeking’. Also noticing of areas of our life where we’re avoiding awareness, by being busy with seeking. “Seeking and avoiding are expensive uses of our energy.” DA Looking outward for fulfillment will always disappoint us, and will keep contentment one step out of reach. Allowing ourselves to be in the moment, not longing/planning/getting ready for something else. And practicing gratitude.

“Advertisers magnify this quality of longing for more in us, to the point that it’s a contagious plague. Rather than experiencing contentment, we find ourselves always busy getting ready for the NEXT thing. Oscar Wilde once said there are two kinds of unhappiness in the world. One is not getting what you want; the other is getting what you want. I am reminded of the wisdom of a 116 year old man, who, when asked the secret to his longevity, replied, ‘When it rains, I let it.’ Practicing gratitude protects us from our own pettiness and smallness, and keeps us centered in the joy and abundance of our own life.” Deborah Adel

Building on Saucha (purifying) and Santosha (contentment), our next Niyama is about transformation by ‘going thru the fire’.