Contentment

This week the theme was contentment. Contentment is being content with what you have and with what you don’t have :) That proves especially relevant during shelter in place. The inquiry was, “What delight can you experience TODAY with the way things are versus how you want them to be?”

We addressed this question by taking time to treat our bodies like temples and let our minds enjoy being fully present. The poses became a vehicle to usher in vitality , health, and contentment, not just an aligned shape.

Santosha is a primary teaching of yoga. Practicing contentment can bring peace to our minds. We open the body for receiving energy by practicing pranayama, asana, and meditation. Yoga is a well rounded self care practice. Contentment doesn’t always just show up. We set intention, we chant, we move mindfully, we breathe deeply, we rest fully . . . .  …. and these practicess lead toward contentment.

I invited students to start writing in a gratitude journal. Focusing on what I’m grateful for is something I’ve been working on as of late. With all we can’t do during this pandemic, we can zero in on what we do have. But the caveat is to shower yourself with compassion in the process. Days can be long and low moods can take over. We miss our friends. We miss hugging. We miss planning vacations and fun outings and restaurant meals.

But back to the gratitude notebook: everyday write down the things you cherish. Or simply say them out loud or inside your head. Whatever ritual enriches your life and elevates your mood. We opened class in meditation, recognizing moments change and feelings change. We opened to what is. The practice included lots of quad stretches that opened us up for mermaid pose and a deep lizard arm balance. We shared smiles and laughter across the airways extracting contentment from these precious connections.

The light in me sees the light in you. Namaste, Lynn