Written by Aviva Tulasi
Spring is just around the corner. We invite you to explore and express the garden of your inner landscape with The Heart of Hope: Wisdom from the Garden Art and Yoga retreat on March 11. Registration is through NC Botanical Garden. Sign up HERE.
Step out of your mind and connect with your heart in our upcoming four-part series: Heart Centered Yoga and Meditation on Mondays 8:00-9:15 a.m. March 6–March 27, 2023 led by Amanda! Please support Amanda’s journey through her internship with Dogwood. ♥️ ♥️ ♥️ Learn More Here.
Try focusing your thoughts on Pure Joy for a moment. You can do this by reading the short meditation below or listening to Sam’s 15 min Love and Light meditation from our video library.
Find a comfortable position and gently rest your eyes. Take a long inhale followed by a long exhale. Notice what is present in your internal landscape. Take another long inhale and a long exhale. Feel the body softening and letting go. Gently inhale and exhale. Let your mind rest on joy. Maybe you allow a smile to come. Inhale and exhale. Joy spreads through your entire being. Stay here for a moment.
I am pure joy
In Sanskrit: Ananda Hum
I am fulfilled because I am surrounded by an abundant source of energy that is always giving. As I allow myself to feel my own light shine, I allow myself to receive endless support. I am loved in my wholeness. I lack for nothing. I am filled with the joy this brings.
How does it feel to be present with your breath and embracing pure joy?
Perhaps you feel satisfied, and for a moment you are not longing for anything. You are content. Life is perfect just as it is.
This is Santosha or Saṁtoṣa
derived from Saṃ- (सं-, सम्-) which can be thought of as completely, altogether or entirely and Tosha (तोष (from root √तुष्, √tuṣ)) contentment, satisfaction, acceptance, being comfortable or mental ease.
Santosha is one of the observances, Niyama, at the root of yoga practices. Verse 2.42 of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali explains Santosha:
From an attitude of contentment (santosha), unexcelled happiness, mental comfort, joy, and satisfaction is obtained.
“Saṁtoṣa is a state of knowing that everything we thought we needed or wanted is already within us.” Rama Jyoti Vernon from Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras Gateway to Enlightenment Book Two
In Sanskrit: santosha anuttamah sukha labhah
Santosha is the unconditional joy, permanent serenity, that resides within. It is not a passing feeling of happiness nor does it negate suffering. It is the recognition that joy exists for the sake of joy. It is the state of balance that results from accepting all that life has to offer. It is the delightful quality of Being. The satisfaction that you don’t need anything to enjoy every moment. It is freedom and fulfillment.
Enjoy pure joy in your life.
A regular meditation practice aids you in this process. Group Meditation is offered in person and online Fridays at 11:25am after Mindful Movement and Yoga. If you rise early, we also offer online Morning Meditation every Tuesday and Thursday at 6am.
Sign up for a group meditation or group yoga class using Dogwood’s Class Sign Up Calendar.
Aviva Chaye Tulasi is a team member at Dogwood Studios. She is a certified yoga therapist (C-IAYT). She applies the teachings of classical yoga to reduce the effects of negative stress and to balance the nervous system. Email Aviva at yogawithtulasi@gmail.com with any questions.
Ainslee Cunningham is a 200 hour registered yoga teacher (RYT) who is deeply inspired and influenced by nature. Ainslee aspires to support people with the mind-body connection of yoga, especially those affected by addiction and trauma. She is committed to exploring how we embody the elements of the natural world and how we can deepen our connection to the Earth’s natural rhythms.
Amanda Dzengeleski is a 200-hour registered yoga teacher (RYT), lifelong student, and lover of movement. She first discovered yoga as a form of mind-body medicine that cultivated a deeper state of self-awareness and personal growth. Using a trauma-informed approach, Amanda empowers her students to move freely and intentionally in celebration of body, mind, and soul. Email Amanda at amandadz.yoga@gmail.com with any questions.
SAM Sather, founder of Dogwood Studios, is a certified yoga therapist (C-IAYT), individualizes the yoga practice with appropriate modifications for participants’ unique bodies and medical histories with a focus on finding calm and improving health. She offers several live, online and in person yoga classes as well as private sessions so you can focus on your needs one-on-one.