Greetings Yogis and
Yoginis,
This week in class we are considering Santosa (contentment) and the ability to Love and be Loved.
This week in class we are considering Santosa (contentment) and the ability to Love and be Loved.
Existence is a
strange bargain. Life owes us little; we owe it everything. The only true
happiness comes from squandering ourselves for a purpose.
– William Cowper
We often think that
if we go after what we want, we will probably get it; then we will be happy and
secure. The mass media have latched onto this line of thinking and intone it
like a litany: grab, grab, grab! Yet sooner or later the whole smorgasbord of
things begins to lose its luster. Then the sensitive person asks, "If I go
on grabbing and grabbing, at what point do I become secure and feel no more
need to grab?" This question can lead to some far-reaching changes in our
lives.
Our needs are much
too big to be satisfied with things, no matter how many we can manage to
acquire. The more we try to get, the more acutely we feel those bigger,
undeniable needs. Our deepest need is for the joy that comes with loving and
being loved, with knowing we are of genuine use to others. The more we give of
ourselves to others, the more the Lord within wants to give us. Every day we
empty ourselves by giving all we can in the way of kindness and loving help.
Then every morning we will find ourselves full again - of love, of
understanding, of forgiveness, of energy.
Words to Live By:
Inspiration for Every Day –
Eknath Easwaran
The homework is to consider the second Niyama (practices of self-purification through
discipline) which is Santosa or Contentment.
This is a commitment to being content, reducing desires, becoming
cheerful and creating balance of mind.
Additionally, we have to be willing to let things go, especially likes
and dislikes. Ask yourself how the
practice of Santosa will impact your ability to Love and be Loved?
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington
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