Santosha - cultivating happiness

संतोषातनुत्तमस्सुखलाभः ॥४२॥

saṁtoṣāt-anuttamas-sukhalābhaḥ

From contentment, the highest happiness is achieved.

The term santosha (संतोष) is a compound noun in Sanskrit, derived from 'sam' (सं) and 'tosha' (तोष), and literally means contentment and satisfaction. The 'sam' part translates to 'completely' and 'entirely', and the 'tosha' part to 'contentment', 'being comfortable', but it can also mean 'acceptance'. Rather than simply describing a temporary state of satisfaction, the second niyama santosha is about the attitude that will lead to lasting contentment, namely an unconditional acceptance of any situation as it presents itself. Thereby, santosha relates back to the concept of avidya in that unhappiness is the product of not seeing things - and oneself - as they are at any given moment in time, but instead being tense and troubled by expectations, desire, and fear.

Unconditional appreciation of our selves as we are navigating the present requires that we neither compare ourselves, our actions, and our possessions to those of others, nor that we compare them to anything that we have experienced in a similar situation in the past. Santosha is not dependent on the external circumstances, and therefore completely within our power to experience. It is teaching us to find fulfillment within ourselves instead of projecting a concept of happiness onto our career, social standing, material wealth, youth, or health. Our mind is socially conditioned to constantly compare ourselves to others, an exercise in which we will always find that we are lacking, thereby fueling jealousy and ambitions. As a result, we rarely appreciate the riches of who we are and what we have at any given point in time. In a way, we are always chasing a dream instead of living the dream. Santosha reminds us to appreciate who we are, what we do and have, as opposed to feeding a longing to be someone else, to do something else, to wanting to be, to experience, and to own what we don't have.

The practice of santosha is not easy, because of the negativity bias inherent in our human perception. Things of a more negative nature - such as unpleasant thoughts, emotions, tense social interactions, traumatic events - all have a greater effect on our psychological state and processes than do neutral or positive things. In modern times, this is amplified by the growth paradigm. The present status quo is never good enough, any achievement needs to be exceeded in an ever faster evolving spiral of increasing demand (and supply). Whatever is perfectly fine today, will be found lacking tomorrow, a message driven to us daily by the dynamics of our economy, career, and education. Today, most of us also live in a world of overstimulation, with an information and communication overload sending us on an addictive rollercoaster of emotions from excitement to exhaustion and frustration.

Yoga offers multiple tools and paths to help us staying centered within a state of santosha. One is Karma Yoga -  the yoga of action - which teaches us to simply concentrate fully on the task at hand, to perform to our best capabilities but with an attitude of indifference towards reaping the fruits of our actions. Bhakti Yoga - the yoga of devotion - teaches us to approach any tasks with compassion, thereby finding fulfillment and gratitude in our very actions. Jnana Yoga - the yoga of knowledge - teaches us to welcome the present moment with all its challenges and demands as the very essence of experiencing life, providing us with rich opportunities to learn and grow.

Santosha is not about changing the course of the world and our life, but rather how we relate to it. While we have realistically very limited control of the circumstances in which we live, we have the capacity to master our experience of it, our feelings. The idea of contentment is to operate within the constraints of the world as presented to us at any given point in time, and to make the best out of it. Santosha is not to be confused with indifference. The art of santosha involves positive thinking, an affirmative approach to the changes we want to see in us and society. Santosha is teaching us about the importance of appreciating every moment in our life, irrespective if it is pleasant or challenging. Ultimately our perception and emotions can always be traced back to ourselves, to how we relate to external factors as opposed to being dictated by the external environment. As such, santosha empowers us to enter and remain in a state of contentment anywhere and at anytime.

In conclusion, santosha is a non-comparative, non-competitive approach to life. Life is complete and you can either flow with the stream of experiences or struggle against it. Every moment is complete, and discontent arises from the illusion that it could be any different. Like with any yoga practice, santosha will not only lead to contentment, but ultimately to a more tranquil, receptive, and present state of mind.

Santosha is contentment in any situation

Shaucha - cultivating a pure and simple life

शौचात् स्वाङ्गजुगुप्सा परैरसंसर्गः ॥४०॥
śaucāt svāṅga-jugupsā parairasaṁsargaḥ

Purity is the result of cleanliness, by limiting our contact with material transient things, and by developing pure relationships.

The word shaucha (शौच) is derived from the Sanskrit root word ‘shuch’, which means to cleanse or to purify. Shaucha is translated as purity and cleanliness. As the first niyama, it prescribes a personal conduct of cleanliness in relationship to our body, surroundings, thought and behaviour, and combines both external and internal purity. Applied to external purity, shaucha includes the personal hygiene and health regime. There are a number of Kriya yoga techniques that extend personal hygiene beyond the most common ablutions such as brushing teeth. These include jala neti (nasal irrigation) and kapalabati (forceful exhalations) cleaning sinuses and lungs. Applied to internal purity, shaucha is focused on maintaining the health and fitness of our body, which is in large parts reflects the quality of our diet, the purity of water we drink and the air we breathe. There is also a direct relationship to the fitness regime we exercise to keep our body strong and flexible. In this respect, a regular practise of asana (postures) and pranayama (breath control) play an important role in the concept of shaucha.

In Hinduism and Buddhism shaucha is also listed as a yama, because shaucha is equally concerned with our conduct towards our surroundings. Cultivating a capacity for discrimination and purity in our thoughts and speech is an important prerequisite for dealing with others in a fair and compassionate manner. For this reason, shaucha is closely connected with ahimsa, as thoughts become words, and words action and reaction. Mahatma Gandhi is a prominent yogi who extended shaucha towards public health and hygiene by investing and promoting sanitation, waste removal, healthy food, and access to clean water and air.

Shaucha is much more than a reminder for personal health, hygiene, and a tidy household. On a more abstract level shaucha is to help us discriminate the impure and transient from the pure and permanent. The practice of shaucha thereby is a tool to reveal what needs constant maintenance, as opposed to things and acts that are intrinsically pure. Purity in the world we life in comes in many shapes and forms. There is perhaps nothing more pure than elements, in Vedic tradition earth, water, fire, air, and space. The mind can reflect these elements; it is one inexhaustible space, with thoughts fast as wind and a fire shining lights on all things perceived. Experiences form the soil of reasoning and understanding, while currents of emotions can be likened to the element of water.

A focus on the intransient essence of things is best realised in a life of simplicity. By simplicity, we limit distraction of our senses and emotional attachment to things superficial. In this respect, shaucha is also closely linked to the aparigraha. Ultimately, purity and simplicity result in personal contentment, the second niyama santosha.

Shaucha is cultivating a pure and simple life

Niyama - personal development

शौच संतोष तपः स्वाध्यायेश्वरप्रणिधानानि नियमाः ॥३२॥

śauca saṁtoṣa tapaḥ svādhyāy-eśvarapraṇidhānāni niyamāḥ

The following five limbs of yoga deal with concepts applying to our conduct and attitudes towards ourselves. The five concepts are summarised under the header of niyama (नियम). The observance of niyama can be seen as a prerequisite for a healthy and sustainable personal growth. Niyama is traditionally translated as observances or obligations towards oneself.

The first two - shaucha (purity), and santosha (contentment) - describe the fundamental attitude required to achieve and maintain health and happiness.

The following three - tapas (discipline), svādhyāya (introspection), and ishvarapranidhana (surrender) - are at the heart of Kriya Yoga. Kriya Yoga is one of the two classic approaches to yoga as outlined in  Patanjali's Yoga Sûtra. Some historians even suggest that detail about the other eight limbs (Ashtanga Yoga) was introduced at a later stage into the scripture in the form of a quotation. Tapas, svādhyāya, and ishvarapranidhana are the primary means to achieve purification of body, mind, and ego (soul) and advance your practise. They are detailed in sutra 2.1 and 2.43-45

Taken together, the principles of niyama are guidelines towards a more healthy, happy, and successful life. The niyama are based on, and complement the five previously described concepts of yama, which describe a harmonious conduct towards others and life at large.

Niyama are guidelines towards personal growth