Santosha and the Solstice

Santosha - Contentment

As we arrive at the shortest day of the year and the holiday season, I'm reminded of the practice of contentment. It's easy to get caught up in the endless doing and searching. However, when there is a letting go of grasping, searching and complicating life, then contentment can be uncovered. Following the next “high” can only go so far. Whether it’s possessions, substances, others or any object of desire, searching outside oneself for happiness tends to lead to more suffering instead.

What makes us discontented with our condition is the absurdly exaggerated idea we have of the happiness of others.

~French Proverb

In moments when you feel the pull to do or have more or the stress to get more done, practice staying with the moment rather than running to the usual distractions. Come back to oneself instead of searching. Realize that the answer for you will not be found “out there.”

Solstice - Stand Still

The root words for Solstice are sol (sun) and sistere (to stand still). We celebrate the day when the sun is said to stop and will then change direction. How interesting that we still talk of the movement of the sun when we are the ones moving. So perhaps it is the perfect time to stop, to stand still, to receive, to let go, to be. 

Home Sweet Home

Within you is a peaceful place that can be found no matter what chaos is spinning around it. There is no need to follow every external pull. You can of course, if you so choose, but you will always end up back where you started… with you.

Sit with yourself. Distill everything down to this moment and see what you find. Give yourself a break from the endless struggle to be happy. Just be.

You have all you need and my words won’t get you there, but perhaps they point to something you thought you were looking for. Feel free to connect. I’m practicing too.

Alissa