The theme of Charney Manor Retreat in May, Santosa, contentment, Yoga Sutra chapter 2. Verse 29
So the big question, is it possible for us to ever be content?
Interesting to think about, to just for a moment, take the time to consider, and then ask yourself the question, am I ever content?
We have restless minds, we know that, in our minds, contentment seems to be more of an aim than a reality. A thing to aspire for, in the future, a maybe, a someday, if I can just get this last thing, then contentment will come.
The Yoga Sutras tell us that Santosa, contentment is one of the observances, the disciplines, we need to be practising now, right now, in this present moment as part of our yoga.
As important as asana, as important as all the other limbs in our eight limbed practise.
But we have so many distractions, so many needs, so much moving forward to do in our lives, how can we even be aware of contentment, how does it enter, how does it stay, how do we recognise it when it is here.
There’s a wonderful Sanskrit word, and the word is viveka, it means discerning, to be able to tell the difference between one thing and another, to discriminate.
So that then, you know which one is the inhale and which the exhale, the right arm and the left, the sun and the moon, to know the difference between one thing and another, and to have space between them, and ultimately, of course, to know the difference between purusa and prakrti.
So when looking for contentment, you can use viveka to notice your feeling of discontent( we all recognise this) that feeling of needing something more, the I wants of life,
and you can use viveka to help you to notice the things that you feel content with, to notice this opposite, notice its quality, observe how it feels.
And you can discover that we do have moments in which we are content, we sometimes don’t notice them and they can be lost in our constant activity, but every now and then, we hear the bird that’s singing nearby, we watch the butterfly as it passes, we smile at a friend, and sometimes we value the quiet and the stillness, and we just stay in it.
Santosa, contentment, yes, we all recognise this, we will be sharing a moment of contentment, recognising it and acknowledging it at Charney Manor in May, looking forward to meeting you all there.
Link for Charney Manor event
https://yhet.org.uk/event/relaxing-weekend-of-yoga-at-charney-manor/
Gill Ansty
