This time the teaching triggered me. Usually it makes me laugh because I’m living it, learning it and embodying it in the same month my assistant, Wale, schedules it for me.
Santosha – Contentment. Satisfaction. Or enough.
The second of the Niyamas – the way we relate to ourselves – Santosha invites us into a radical relationship with the present moment. Inner steadiness and peace that doesn’t depend on external circumstances.
And I am content with life on the whole.
I have a lot of faith in the shift taking place right now – in nature finding its way, in old structures crumbling, in my family and work life, and the new systems being built in integrity.
And yet. I live in a paradox.
Because there are many things I am not satisfied with.
I feel the pain of environmental damage. Our food and water sources, our forests, our animals. (I was an environmentalist protester as a child when areas of natural abundance were being demolished!) That fire has never left me 🙂
And recently, something happened that poured fuel on a different fire!
I am following the growing conversation around the impact of social media on the growing anxiety levels in children. I watched Childhood 2.0 with my son and felt a mix of anger and heartbreak.
And then 14 year old Leon showed me something.
As an experiment, he opened a Snapchat account as a 14 year old girl.
Within a few days he received hundreds of requests – all from older men. To put it into context, his own account receives approximately one request a week. From friends.
He showed me the sexual requests. And other offerings, including an invitation to a hotel stay, even after ˋshe’ confirmed her age.
My stomach turned!
I, as mamma, was furious and wanted to report them all!
And I, the compassionate human and healer, want to take them to therapy and heal the wound that fulfils itself with the innocence of children.
I sat with both the rage and the compassion. At the same time.
This is the paradox Santosha opened.
Asking me whether I could stay steady whilst my heart was breaking. Not swayed from the inner peace and trust in the bigger picture. Because contentment doesnt come from having everything our own way, but in changing our attitude and relationship with what we have.
My previous teachings on Ahimsa and Aparigraha reminded me of this – to see clearly and act with alignment, while staying open hearted. To give everything I have, and release attachment to the outcome. I’m still dancing with what I saw…
As a child I used to think people who cause harm to nature and others are stupid. Now I know they are either naive or wounded. And when that belief transformed it became my mission to bring awareness with compassion – because that is the healing that actually changes people and the choices they make.
That shift from judgement and rage into peace and compassion is the most alive expression of these teachings for me in this moment. And sometimes it’s easy. And sometimes not.
Not caring less. But loving more!
The practice is to remember that discomfort isn’t something to resolve or avoid – but to live inside of, with grace and peace. So it can transform into clarity and aligned action, with compassion.
In daily life, Santosha can look like:
- Catching yourself postponing your peace until something changes.
- Appreciating what is already here, while still working for what matters.
- Choosing compassion over judgement – for others and for yourself.
- Letting peace be the place you act from, not the reward you’re waiting for.
So as you move through your days, I leave you with this:
Where are you waiting for life to be different before allowing yourself to feel content?
With love in all ways,
Dipika
P.S. If you’d like to explore these teachings further, the love letters on Ahimsa and Aparigraha are now available in the archives on my website.
