Posted on May 27th, 2011

Humans have a love affair with drama. The action,  suspense, fall from grace, and the phoenix rising again from the ashes. Even in the surprisingly few times  life is not delivering us the drama of one fire to tend and another to put out, we go looking for a spark. And then we blow. Why?  Because the adrenaline fire of drama is exciting and oh so familiar. No fire feels boring, so the subconscious returns to what is known, even if it is agonizing, in order  to feel alive. 

The Yoga Sutras encourage the practice of Santosha or ‘contentment with oneself and others.’  Far from boring, this practice requires a totally different kind of engagement with the unfolding drama of life than our typical role as flame fanner or fire extinguisher.  Maybe those yogis knew  how can we feel  challenged and alive without burning down the house. Maybe can we cultivate a state of equanimity without it feeling boring.

Webster’s dictionary defines boredom as “the state of being weary and restless from a lack of interest.” Just try to practice Santosha or contentment with a lack of interest! Notice first the impulse to ‘do’ but resist the urge to move into dramatic action.  Next, observe the tendency to ‘analyze’ but  surrender what has been as a good rehearsal. Finally, attempt to be completely absorbed in the action of the fire in front of you - its variety, intensity, and vibrancy – without reaching into the flame.

A different kind of  internal spark alights when we practice contentment. Whereas boredom is passive, Santosha is unequivocally active.  Patanjali’s  injunction to be content with oneself and others  begins to loosen our overbearing direction of life’s drama.  Rather than follow the compulsion to act at every turn – fixing, helping, analyzing, changing, improving, eliminating – we can watch  until these urges subside.

Of course we must guard the danger of a swinging pendulum, from  one extreme to the other, being neither  frenetic fire dancer nor comatose marshmallow roaster.  The still point in the middle is where we balance sensory desires and distractions with attentiveness and nonattachment . The lifetime quest of the true Yogi is the effortless embracing of equanimity and  receptivity to the Divine moving into manifestation in ever-new form. 

Liberation comes when we ‘no longer feel the need to act’ according to Nischala Joy Devi’s translation of Sutra 11.27 in The Secret Power of Yoga. Then, she writes, our constant companions are joy, faith, and clarity. A truly exciting and creative project usually requires that we embrace an uncertain ending. If we refuse to blow on the spark of drama, no matter how familiar the fire feels,  we allow Santosha to show us the way to peace. In this way we befriend the unknown  and watch the magic of our story unfold. 

About Jennie Lee:

Jennie Lee is a Yoga Therapist, retreat facilitator, and program developer, with over 6,000 teaching hours and 20 years of experience in Yoga philosophy, practice and meditation, as well as spiritual psychology, and body centered psychotherapy. An active member of the International Association of Yoga Therapists, she founded Stillness in Motion Yoga & Wellness in 2002. She brings love and enthusiasm to her work in guiding people through the self-awareness and consciousness raising process, applying the ancient science of Yoga  to facilitate growth and healing. Having overcome much loss herself, she holds tremendous compassion for those undergoing life’s challenges and is a knowledgeable and intuitive guide to anyone seeking positive life change. Her Hatha Yoga practice incorporates aspects of many lineages, including Astanga, Kundalini, Kripalu, and Viniyoga. She has led retreats internationally on numerous Yoga related themes including  The Philosophy and Practice of the Eight Limbs of Yoga; Putting Insight Into Action; The Yoga of Imagination; and The Yoga of Conscious Trust. As a writer, Jennie Lee's work has been published in Yoga Therapy Today magazine, on the Yoga Finder website, and as a Featured Expert on Dr. Keith Ablow's Living the Truth website.  She Jennie Lee can be contacted at  978-771-4000 or www.stillnessinmotion.info

Tags: Meditation, Yoga, Wellness, Yoga Sutras, yoga philosophy, santosha, contentment, niyamas and yamas, 8 limbs of yoga

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