Spring Awakening

2010-03-29T09:56:00.000-07:00

With the onset of spring, most of us find ourselves lighter, happier, and more optimistic of things to come. This has a lot to do with the change in weather and how much sunlight we receive throughout the day, but also the fact that as humans, we are constantly changing. Our bodies tend to sync with the changing of the seasons because through nature we are all connected. Even though this change happens in our bodies, we may not be allowing our minds and our hearts to change with it. With the fast paced lives we lead, a lot of us don't have the time to sit and reflect on the past and what we can do differently to help us grow as individuals and as a community.

Today's blog post is based on one of the eight limbs of yoga, Niyama. Niyama literally means self restraint or how we take care of our relationship with our self. It's a way of keeping ourselves in check and making the best decisions to lead our best life. The only way for us to be truly compassionate towards other people is by being kind to ourselves. There are actually 5 principles of Niyama: 1. Purity, 2. Contentment, 3. Austerity, 4. Self-Study, and 5. Celebration of the Divine, but today we will reflect on the 2nd Niyama of contentment, known in sanskrit as Santosha.

Santosha is a feeling of contentment with what we have in our lives. It helps us to remember to be happy with where we are in our present situation instead of constantly being frustrated with what we have yet to achieve. We all at one time or another have felt trapped, frustrated, stuck, etc.. in where our lives are taking us. This leads us to feeling frustrated and getting quickly angered over little things that aren't really important to us. We cling to these "frustrations" and get in fights with our loved ones, lose our center and end up fried and frazzled. The principle of Santosha teaches us that negative thoughts and emotions are never helpful and we must find peace in the struggle as quickly as possible in order to move towards our higher goals. It also teaches the law of karma (that all experiences are the results of our past actions) and how we cope with these experiences whether good or bad will help shape our future lives. A yogin tries to see all bad experiences as an opportunity for growth and a chance to purge oneself of bad karma. When we accept a tough situation as our karma, we detach ourselves from the negative emotions that would otherwise accompany a negative experience, such as self-doubt, guilt, self-loathing, or blaming others for our own stresses and imperfections. Feeling like we are victims of a vengeful world, is never a helpful or productive state of mind. Therefore, focusing on Santosha allows us to grow beyond what is bringing us down and to see the simple truth that everything happens for a reason and that everything is perfect. If there are good experiences, enjoy and cherish them. If there are bad experiences, we must continue to strive undaunted to overcome them.

Spring is the perfect time to practice these principles on and off the yoga mat. With April around the corner, focus on practicing presence. Living truly in the moment. In class, it can be a common tendency to let the mind wander and begin criticizing ourselves for not achieving a pose in it's full interpretation. Our eyes wander around the room and the judgements begin...We get discouraged and either push too hard or simply give up, letting the ego take over. This is where your "yoga" practice really comes into play. Practice Santosha and surrender. Feel content and let your practice be an offering to your higher self instead of your ego. If we embrace this we begin to understand the infinite potential our body and mind possess. Embrace your practice exactly where it is and enjoy the journey.

Bamboomoves

Spring Awakening