There are 5 principles of personal practice in yoga: Saucha, Tapas, Svadhyaya, Ishvarapranidhana and Santosha. But one rings truer to me than ever at the moment: Santosha = contentment. The practice of appreciation of the natural perfection everything as it is right now.
My mothers day flowers opened yesterday…they have blossomed and transformed into these new species, brighter, firmer, bolder than you could have ever expected when they first arrived. I have spent minutes in silence over these last few days looking at them, enjoying them in the light of different times of day. Enjoying that I have the time to observe them and observing that joy they give me. I touch them mindfully with my fingers and talk about them throughout our day as an anchor of appreciation and gratitude…over snacks…interwoven with discussions about star wars and how we should definitely throw R2D2 a birthday party tomorrow.
I love these conversations with her, the chick, and to have her song like narrative so constantly at the moment feels like what I can only describe as relief. Relief perhaps from realising how much I miss her when we are in the throws of busy life beyond this current bubble? Relief from the other narratives of the wider world? Relief to be constantly accessing this beautiful childlike part of my brain and because she asks the questions I wish I still did out loud before “growing up” taught to filter them because you “should” know or accept the first answer we were given.
By making Santosha a priority of my personal practice right now, I am not ignoring the amount of suffering going on around me. In no way is that possible. So much confusion, loss and fear. I feel that connection to this global fear pulls deeply, viscerally on me - it feels weighty and historic. But to go on and be present for those around me is where i can feel more connected globally to that something wider, vaster and more powerful.
Love.
We felt it as people took wooden spoons to pans in the street yesterday to thank those incredible people providing overwhelming support because they’ve been called to do so, some would probably look at you and say “how couldn’t I?” a call of duty to care and support has moved beyond their conscious thought.
The mass, heart-filled care, thank yous, tears, reaching out to friends and those who we know are feeling so cut off, it’s this love that exists always… can we connect, appreciate and be content with the natural perfection of that, between us, as the wider web today?
#love #santosha #onlineyogacourse #virtualwellness #remotework #entrepreneursofinstagram #digitalwellness #virtualwellness #virtualevents #zoom #selfcare #mentalhealthsupport #release #powerfulchange #youareincontrol #youhaveachoice #community #weareinthistogether #womensupportingwomen #strongertogether #onlineyoga #vinyasa #hatha #onlineyogaclasses #homeyoga #yinyoga #viniyoga #yogaforall #yogaeverywhere #yogafamily #margatehasmore #yogateachermum f#yogalondon #yogatherapy #yogatherapykent #kentwellnessguide @inspiremekent