Santosha is a Sanskrit word that means ‘contentment’ or ‘satisfaction’. The way to cultivate santosha on your mat is to let the past and the future go during your hour practice, thinking to yourself as you breath “this is exactly where I am supposed to be right now.” Make your attitude towards your asanas the same, letting yourself be content with how far along you are with them instead of comparing them to how they were yesterday or how you want them to be tomorrow.
Santosha doesn’t imply that you have to give up your goals and aspirations or stop thinking about the past and future. It only reminds you to feel satisfaction for the stage you are at right now in the journey. If you can cultivate this attitude, not just on your mat but in the wider sphere of your life, you won’t feel intimidated or jealous of the talents and accomplishments of others because you will have moved from a place of judgment and comparison to one of radical acceptance, where you’re focused on appreciating and continuing to improve upon the good things you have going on, satisfied with how far you have come in your endeavors and therefore not too worried about how far along others are.
