What is Contentment?

April 2023

Niyama is the Sanskrit term for duty or observance. Simply, they are rules for personal growth in yoga and in life. There are five Niyamas, but for this post, I’m only exploring Santosha, which is the Sanskrit word for contentment. Contentment is when we are satisfied with what we have or where we are right now, and aren’t seeking anything else to add to that.

While I believe that in today’s society, the practice of contentment can be difficult to attain, it’s not impossible to practice. For example, how many times have you purchased something you really wanted, only to find something else you wanted just as badly within the same day, week, or even month? There’s nothing wrong with wanting things, but perhaps instead of accumulating something else so quickly, reflecting inward and being grateful for what you just purchased could help you feel more content.

Let me clarify and say that there is no judgment here. I’ve been in that situation and will likely be there again because as with many other lessons in life, the road to contentment is a journey, not a race. The key to success is always the intention behind the action.

As long as we live, there will always be things that we desire, even when we already have so much. In moments such as those, a question I like to ask myself is ‘How can I practice being content with what I have right now, and where in my life do I feel a void that I’m trying to fill with something outside of myself?”