Tag Archives: contentment

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Kama

by: Robert Radford

The third part of the purusartha, or aspects of life that are necessary in order to feel fulfillment, is called kama. It literally means worldly pleasures and refers to whatever it is that is desired. It can be wealth, fame, and pleasures of having extra chocolate, sexual enjoyment, or really anything else as far as pleasure is concerned.

You may be wondering how this is different from yesterday’s concept of artha, which was material wealth. It is important to care both for the material needs of yourself and the family (artha) and to have a sense of gaining pleasure from them (kama). It is not considered helpful to suppress the desires, but rather to allow yourself to seek healthy and meaningful sources of pleasure, rather than those that would bring harm. In order to gain satisfaction in life, it is considered helpful to find contentment (santosha) and even joy in what we experience as we are able.

Perhaps one aspect of this could be taking time to allow ourselves to be more aware of what it is we desire in life, truly. Then we can find ways to work towards this while honoring those in our care and our relationship to all those who would be involved. Also, kama could mean taking your time to really be where you are, wake up to your life in each moment. In other words, you may take on a practice of santosha (contentment) and allow yourself to “take time to smell the roses” and enjoy what is already in front of you. Taking an extra moment to walk around the block instead of watching commercials, placing a garnish on the dinner plates for your family, and preparing potpourri for your linen closet could all be considered kama. Working toward getting pleasure from what is already in front of you can be a beautiful way to focus your attention and bring out some creativity and joy in yourself as well as those around you.

Today, you might take a little time and pick some things you do each week that do not necessarily bring pleasure, then you can think of ways to increase the amount of joy you may feel while accomplishing those tasks. Perhaps you want to play music while you do the dishes, or place a few candles in the bathroom. Who knows what you might come up with? The point is to spend a little time seeing how you might better enjoy what is already in your life.

Yoga Pose of the Day: Hand to Big Toe Pose – Utthita Hasta Padangustasana

Yogic Concept of the Day: How can I take a moment to make this experience a little more enjoyable? Can I pay attention or give a little more effort?

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Building a Fire Within

Tapas, some use it as a name for special Spanish food that is shared communally. In yoga, tapas refers to heat, literally. It has been described as referring to practicing the austerities of  yoga, asceticism, and diligent practice. These can certainly be correct translations. Additionally, something can be gleaned from the meaning of tapas as the actual building of heat, in the body, the mind, and the spirit. To think of tapas this way can create a vivid picture. Suggesting focus, determined attitude, and some patience (like building a fire with wood) this is a process we determine to complete. Tending a fire is an art. If you are imagining your whole yoga practice as the setting up and maintenance of camp, the effort in practice of the asanas and the focus you bring to yoga would be the building and the tending of the fire – tapas.

T.K.V. Desikachar, in the Heart of Yoga  explains it this way:

Tapas does not mean penance or castigation, but is something we do in order to keep us physically or mentally healthy. It is a process of inner cleansing.

(Heart of Yoga) (quote used from Alan Little)

Since tapas is one of the niyamas, it is actually a practice to help us work well with others and to be able to harmonize our own purpose with those of others. It builds on the concept of contentment. As we become accepting of what is happening in the world around us and find our own purpose in that reality, we become aware of our own contributions. Tapas builds the energy we can bring to the care and sharing with others in our lives. Effectively, tapas is the energy we build to carry our own purpose out into the world. If you have examples of other activities that have helped you to increase your energy and ability to accomplish seemingly unrelated tasks, this can be an example. It would be great if you wanted to share your stories about this in the comments. I am so curious about how you have already seen this principle active in your life.

Today, and perhaps each day for the rest of this week, I invite you to take a moment to meditate on the concept of bringing heat into the practice. Use the light of attention, the heat of physical activity/effort, and the fuel of your uncertainty, misgivings, or other negative notion. The practice of yoga with the concept of tapas in mind can help you to raise the heat in the body and cleanse the mind of disturbing thoughts. As you build up your work to the point of physically feeling heat in the body, know that this is generating energy toward your intentions in a very real, physical way. What we practice, and how we practice, becomes our own normal expression in the days that follow.

Om Shanti (Peace to you)

Yoga Pose of the Day: Sun Salutations (See if you can do 10 or 15, if it is appropriate for you. If it is not, perhaps light a candle while you do your yoga asana practice today.)

Yogic Concept of the Day: I can use my body to build heat and intention toward my goals, efforts.

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Santosha: contentment with what is

Santosha, sometimes the hardest element of yoga to work with. It means contentment. There are days that contentment sounds like a suggestion for someone other than me. Someone other than those around me. Surely there is no way to be content amidst all the pain that sometimes comes in life.

But, I actually think dealing with the extreme difficulties in life is the purpose of the teaching.

Something inherent in the teaching is that we are to come to the acceptance of what is. It is easy to look at difficulties and feel the dissatisfaction that comes with them. We can allow ourselves to continue to wish for things to be different, or we can try to be with that wish, and then let it go.  I know that for me, I must bring my own interests and intentions into harmony with what already is. There is no fight necessary.

So how do we practice contentment on the mat? If you have ever worked on a forward bend, such as janu sirsasana, you know that the body does not usually just go easily into the full forward fold. No, it requires that we 1. acknowledge what is the natural stopping point, 2. that we rest there and maintain steadiness, and 3. we must return again and again, regularly, and with the same calm and steady effort towards relaxing into the bend. You will find that over time the body allows you to move into the pose. It is not forced, but allowed.

This pose is a great teacher in the body about how we can work with difficult emotions off the mat.

Off the mat, this approach can be brought to any number of problems.  Coming to acknowledge what is happening is important. It helps if we do not attempt to look away, change the scenery, or hurry into the process of changing what is. Look at what is. Be sure that you really see the people involved, understand their intentions and desires for the situation, and that you can somehow see that all those involved should be allowed their own intentions and processes (just like the muscles and tendons in the hamstrings). Once you can see that this is the way that it is, accept it. Do something to honor the autonomy of those around you. Make a peace-offering with the people or the situation. Allow it to be.

Once you have acceptance, meaning the acceptance that if circumstances don’t change, it is going to be okay, then it is time to choose a direction and go gently toward a goal of your choosing.

When do you know it is the right time to move forward?

For me it is a bodily calm that comes when I am thinking of the situation. I don’t feel a struggle. Once there is no sense of struggle, at all, left in my mind or body, then I know I can make a plan.

But today, today is a day to practice acceptance, contentment. Be with what is. I just need to see if I can stay with what is.

How will you make a peace-offering to the people or situations in your life that you find difficult? Dedicating your yoga practice today to those who are in pain or seem to be causing you pain is a way to make a peace-offering on the mat. How will you make one off the mat?

 

Yoga Pose of the Day: Janu Sirsansana – Head to Knee Pose

Yogic Concept of the Day: Right now, I can just look at what is, and see if I can stay with it and all the difficult emotions, rather than trying to find entertainment or otherwise divert my attention.

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Comfort

Merriam-Webster defines comfort as :

1
: strengthening aid:a : assistance, support <accused of giving aid and comfortto the enemy>b : consolation in time of trouble or worry : solace
2
a : a feeling of relief or encouragementb : contented well-being <a life of ease and comfort>
3
: a satisfying or enjoyable experience
4
                                                                                            : one that gives or brings comfort <all the comforts of home>
When I look at these definitions, I am reminded of Swami Satchidananda’s discussion of the goal of yoga. He said that the aim of yoga is to have ” an easeful body, a peaceful mind and a useful life.” I cannot disagree with this. It is a wonderful articulation of what we are all trying to do. All people wish to be at peace and in harmony with the world around them. Having a sense that all is well, and that we belong is truly satisfying and even restoring to our spirits. But going looking for it isn’t exactly how yoga works.
We practice. Each day, we set our aim and practice doing it. Some days we feel we did something well, some days we feel we didn’t quite get it. No big deal. Regardless of how today went, tomorrow is another great day for practice.
In some ways, perhaps the idea of practicing yoga to find ease is a little off. We practice ease as a practice of our yoga. In actuality, this ease that comes from yoga is already there, under the surface of our lives. So our practice is just reconnecting to what is already around. If we become still in meditation, or just in the moment, we can sense this peace that underlies all that is happening. We may be  busy hustling to get everything done, to get work finished, to get gifts wrapped, to say our greetings to each and every person that has meant something to us. Take a breath every now and again. Beneath this buzz of work and hurrying is a peace, and ease.
Once we can connect to the peace that is with us at all times, we can realize that a sense of ease or comfort will arise quite naturally, once we get out of the way. We get out of the way by allowing more quiet in the mind. Put your work to do on a list so you can let the mind rest. Don’t let your attention stay with any worry that arises.  If we can just stop trying to so hard to do everything and instead come to trust that we will get everything done, then we can put forth our effort to do our best, and relax knowing that this is enough. We can find the contentment (santosha) in what comes of our efforts, however this happens (acceptance). We can listen to what others are saying with more attention, and we will we realize that the people around us generally have good cheer and well wishes for us this season. We can let go our thoughts of those who seem to be less cheerful (allow them some space – lock and key #4) and draw our attention toward ideas and sharing that  is nourishing, encouraging, and strengthening to us and to those around us.
I invite you to practice yoga – practice having ease and comfort today as you open your heart to the comfort and joy of the season. :)
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Let Go of Results

This week, we are looking at ways to apply karma yoga in daily life to bring greater ease, and more contentment to the mind while we do our mundane daily tasks. First, there was list-making to find those we are most keen to support with our efforts. Then, yesterday, there was a method of pulling our attention to the task at hand, and letting go our thoughts of wishing we were somewhere else. Today, see if you can let go of your goals.

Yep – you have no need to hold onto the goal of finding a date, finishing school, getting the job, or making the house ready for guests.
“WHAT!?!” you might be saying in the mind right now.

Yep – just let it go.

First of all, you have no idea how your efforts will turn out, and holding on to preconceived ideas can actually make you forget the people you are actually wanting to support, or that mindfulness of  where you are at the moment  (rather than imagining yourself sometime in the future). Keeping your eye on the prize is so often what we are encouraged to focus on, people can sometimes forget themselves and end up right back in the mindset of wishing this moment was one in the future. If you never enjoy yourself right now, then you will never enjoy yourself. Think about it.

Second, we are really not meant to be the receivers of our own good. The world seems to give more to those who keep their gifts, talents, and focus out in the world, circulating. Did Steve Jobs or Beyonce keep their talents to themselves? This concept is very yogic and comes from my root teacher, Sri Swami Satchidananda. He suggests that we be more like the trees. Can you imagine an apple tree becoming upset that everyone else is eating its apples? The apples cannot be eaten by the tree. The tree is cared for by others – the rain and the sun and the soil. From there its own ” pleasure and enjoyment” (for a tree, the conditions which help it to grow) may be cultivated. So, too, we are not meant to be the ones feeding on our own fruits, but we may receive those of others. In this way we can care for each other. It is an interesting and freeing concept.

 

So when you do the dishes, it is not to make yourself happy. Not some time in the future, not ever. It is a time you can offer for the care and benefit of others. But, letting that go… you can just experience the joy that having running water brings. You can appreciate the fact the lights are working and you have the soap and food to also use with these dishes. These gifts that others spent time doing, just as you are doing something for others now. Right now is the time to enjoy them.

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Acceptance of Your Work

Standing in Line

Yesterday we looked at how to identify the key groups, individuals, or general connections/relationships you are trying to serve with the work that you do in the world. Knowing who you are serving, and why, can provide a focus for your mind while you are completing your daily tasks. Doing so helps to calm the mind and provides an “anchor” for the mind so it does not wander.

Have you ever been working on something, at work or at home, and then you realized you had just spent the whole time being angry, worried, confused, or frustrated? It is the goal of yoga, on the mat and off, to experience a sense of peace and calm in the mind while doing anything. You can maintain this sense of calm even if you are doing something difficult, or strenuous, or arduous. However, the beginning steps involve maintaining an awareness of what you are doing right now.

A part of this awareness can be a sort of acceptance. This acceptance of our work is not about making a choice to stay beyond the current moment, or choose any thing, or take sides. Perhaps you dislike your job and are planning to find a new career, this does not change the task before you right now. If you are sitting at a desk doing billing, then sit at that desk for now, and put your effort into doing that for the service of those people who you identified yesterday. Perhaps you are serving your family first and foremost. Let your thoughts be accepting that this is what you are doing now. Not wishing for a way to be somewhere else. so you can tell yourself something like: “This next hour, I can give all my effort for my daughter or for my husband.” This is a way to think about it as a service and in a way a joy. You can look at the tools you handle in your work, whether pens, computers, or registers and hold them with caring, knowing that you can use them to bring some joy to your loved one.

I have a general dislike of doing the dishes. However, when I can accept that I am doing them (In my mind say,” yes, I will do this and refrain from wishing I were somewhere else, just for now.”) then I can handle the dishes with more care, and think about how my family eats from these dishes, so I should take care with each piece, since they are tools for delivering nourishment. No one create dishes to be in my way or to take my time. 

And there is the key – isn’t it? What is in front of you, whether it is a person, and object, or an obstacle – it is not there for the purpose of making you late, it is not in your way. Your care of what is in your path for the day can open up a moment of enjoyment and more alert consciousness which naturally brings peace and even joy, once you let go of telling yourself where you would rather be.

 

Try letting go of telling yourself where you would rather be.

Make it an experiment.

Just be where you are. Accept this for this moment. And in the next moment, you can accept where you are then.

 

One of the benefits of using Karma Yoga as your method of exploring how you act in the world is that it allows you to be exactly who you are, and work in a way that is suited to your own inclinations while still encouraging you to be less self-centered, and more open to the ways in which others may do things. We would all benefit from those around us offering more understanding and patience as we go about our jobs, our daily tasks, and even our play. The only thing we individually can do to make this happen is to use our own time, our own boring, frustrating incredibly ordinary tasks to open ourselves up to the contentment in the moment and find acceptance of the task at hand.  Who knows what joys will be in store for you?