BEGINNERS YOGA -  WEEK SEVEN – CONTENTMENT AND GRATITUDE

Santosha or contentment is a practice of being okay with what is before us right now. Its not craving for what we do not have. When we are perfectly content with all that life give us then we attain true joy and happiness. It is easy for the mind to become fooled into thinking that we can attain lasting happiness through the possession of objects and goods but happiness gained through materliasim is only temporary . Practicing contentment frees us from the unnecessary suffering of always wanting things to be different and instead fills us with gratitude and joy for all of lifes blessings.

 There is a surrendering into ease as nothing more is needed to make this moment okay, or enough . Remind yourself this is enough, you are enough. This is a practice of constant noticing and returning to the present moment and being completely oK with what is.

 Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It c n turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.

As we light our inner fire through the practice of self discipline showing up on our mats even when things feel hard– doing the inner work burning through impurities of body and mind we begin to peel back the layers of untruths. When we no longer carry all that we are not we free ourselves to be all that we are. Beings of love and acceptance. Santosha or contentment is a practice of being okay with what is before us, a kind of faith or trusting that we are ok and that everything is working for the greater good. We no longer crave for what we dont have and find true joy and happiness in all that we are. Practicing contentment frees us from the unnecessary suffering of always wanting things to be different and instead fills us with gratitude and joy for all of life’s blessings.

Today we arrive in to the energy of our hearts. Lets focus on expansion freeing up space in our chest, arms and heart creating not only a physical freedom but also an energetic and emotional one and as we let go of the tightness and the walls that weve built for protection lets set an intention to practice contentment and gratitude as we move through our practice, contentment with where we are on our journey right here and now both on and off the mat and gratitude for this body we call home for our ability to move and breathe to show up every week and do our work so that we may live from a place of health, hope and happiness. Practice and all is coming.

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It c an turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow. A grateful heart is a magnet for miracles. Lets finish our practice today be reflecting on all that we are thankful for.