Written by Aviva Tulasi
Explore “Our Radiant Peace” at our next Friday Night Yin on February 17th at 6:15 pm. Join us In Person or Online.
The Art and Yoga Retreat, The Heart of Hope: Wisdom from the Garden is on March 11. Registration is through NC Botanical Garden. Sign up HERE.
In our last blog, we explain the experience Santosha or Saṁtoṣa. Santosha is the unconditional joy, permanent serenity, that resides within. Santosha is being satiated and satisfied allowing one to rest in one’s own Self and radiate peace all around.
It is a practice rather than a final achievement. The only way to abide in santosha is to be content with who we are and to experience that we are enough just as we are.
The freedom we seek doesn’t come by satisfying objects or cravings. Santosha involves inquiring about the roots of desires. What do you really need? What do you need to maintain the body? What do you need to release pain that keeps you in the past? What will help you feel complete?
Instead of seeking intense big moments of joy, practice Santosha by actively seeking little moments of joy in your life. Perhaps you notice how beautiful the expansive sky is or you linger in the warmth of your bath or maybe you savor the smell of your favorite tea.
Vimala McClure in Ethics of Love suggests that you practice Santosha by:
Recognizing past patterns;
Willingness to feel contentment
Being loyal to myself;
clarifying my choices;
Choosing to own my power to heal myself
Accepting myself and choosing my own ways of being
Meditation, contemplation, helping and serving others
Focusing on the non-material benefits of life
Willingness to live in the present
Acts of kindness and generosity
Try building the internal sense of joy by pausing during your day to remember the feeling of being in pure joy. Eventually, you won’t need external reminders to experience Santosha. The more you notice the little things, the more the peace within shines.
Meditation is a tool to cultivate Santosha. As you meditate, you naturally withdraw the senses and experience the peace within. Meditation brings you closer to your experiences allowing you to integrate your inner construct of completeness throughout your life.
Dogwood studios offers group meditation sessions to support your meditation practice. When you meditate in a group session, you share the collective positive energy. There is no requirement to share your experience. Meditation is your time to be still and enjoy pure joy.
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.