November 15, 2024
Written with love by: Pye Marshall
A Grateful Heart:
The Path to Santosha
I like to think that we, as yogis, all have a practice of giving thanks. You know, the responses that we offer to acknowledge someone else's efforts - a quick “thank you” for their help, their service, their kindness, or a gift.
With recurrent expressions of “thank you”, especially when directed repeatedly to the same person or thing, we begin to journey down the path of the deeper, more expansive feeling of gratitude.
Gratitude is about recognizing the value of something or someone and allowing that appreciation to really settle into our bones, shaping how we see the world. When practiced, it becomes the lens through which we view everything, not just passing moments.
Side note…
November sure seems to be an apropos time to talk about gratitude, doesn't it? But not for the reason you may think… More because November serves as a transition month here in Northern Arizona. As the weather cools and the days shorten, we begin to naturally turn inward (maybe you've already felt this pull). With that homecoming, comes the opportunity to reflect on [and practice gratitude for] all that this year has provided for us.
Now back to our regularly scheduled program…
If “thank you” is a path to gratitude, then gratitude becomes a nest for santosha, the second of the niyamas (yoga’s guidelines for personal conduct). Put simply, santosha = contentment. When we practice gratitude, we recognize what’s already present in our lives. From that awareness, we can begin to cultivate the lasting peace of santosha.
A grateful heart yields santosha which creates a powerful shift toward joy and ease… and who doesn't want joy and ease?
I know you might be reading this thinking, “I am grateful”, “I do have joy and ease” but, let’s get real for a moment—how often do you get caught chasing the “next thing,” thinking then you'll finally feel happy or complete? It happens to me every day.
Our practice of gratitude breaks that cycle. When we pause to appreciate the small, present-moment gifts in our lives, we start to see that we already have enough. This sense of enough-ness—of santosha—isn’t about giving up goals or desires. It’s about finding balance and contentment with where we are, while still staying open to more.
Here's something you can try:
The next time you’re waiting—whether it’s in line, at a stoplight, or for your coffee to brew—pause and take a slow, deep breath. Instead of idling the moment away, become present with what is and notice something around you that you appreciate. Maybe it’s the warmth of your clothes or your home, the colors of the sky, or the simple act of breathing. Let yourself feel a sense of gratitude for one small detail, and notice how that gratitude anchors you into the here & now. Embrace the moment as it is, finding contentment in the seemingly mundane, the usually invisible, the often-forgotten details of your day to day.
Over time (you guessed it), these small pauses nurture santosha.
Ok, you know I love journaling…
So, if you want to dive deeper, try these prompts for your own cultivation of santosha:
What part of your life, exactly as it is, do you feel grateful for in this very moment?
Where can you stop reaching for “more” and instead find contentment with what’s already right here?
As we transition into shorter, cozier days, join me in seeking joy and ease… with an open heart—grateful for what already is and content in the beauty of this.
Sending you love,
Pye