Contentment

     My yoga classes have just finished a deep look at santosa, or contentment, one of the principles that the 8-limb system of yoga encourages us to live by.
     What does contentment mean to you? It's a worthwhile question to consider. As we piece together minutes, hours and days of contentment, we create a happy life. There's a key point in what I just wrote... contentment is a present-moment practice. We choose it, it doesn't drop on us from the sky, it's something we bring forth from within. Alas, it cannot be bought or acquired through others, though many try.
     How do I feel content?  By spending time at places I love and with people I love. Taking care of myself, for instance by massage, rest time, chiropractic, creating, exercising, traveling. Practicing yoga, of course. Noticing the beauty of our magnificent planet. Laughter. Faith. Tears. Fun.
     Contentment does not mean I'm always happy or in a good mood, but it's the calm undercurrent when I am experiencing some drama. It means I am satisfied that I am enough, I have enough, I do enough. It is comfortable being in my own skin, in my own life. It truly is a gift to practice contentment.
     Contentedly,
        Leta