Namaste (Indian greeting for hello or goodbye). The meaning behind Namaste is, the divine light within me salutes or bows to the divine light within you.
Happy autumn
I am working on Santosha, the Sanskrit word meaning contentment or gratitude. Patanjali who is the father of modern yoga, gave us an 8-limbed path – a set of yamas (the don’ts/restraints) and niyamas (the do’s/rules). One of the niyamas is santosha – contentment/gratitude. Santosha means looking to yourself and your own innate goodness for happiness; because that is the only place you will find it. Santosha also means being present.
Uni Arizona researchers advise us not to underestimate the power of a simple jumpstart to happiness. Their research shows that as little as a forced smile not only releases stress-fighting neuropeptides and mood-lifting serotonin in the brain, it activates a chain reaction of happiness around us.
Carlos Castaneda (Peruvian American author) said: We either make ourselves happy or miserable. The amount of work is the same.
HH the Dalai Lama said: Physical comforts cannot subdue mental suffering, and if we look closely, we can see that those who have many possessions are not necessarily happy. In fact, being wealthy often brings even more anxiety.
Rather than wishing for things to be different in your life, accept and appreciate the reality of what is. Do we really need things to be different to be happy? Choose to be happy now. Cultivate santosha by making gratitude a daily practice. Notice the moments you are happy, even if they seem to be few and far between. Keep a gratitude journal. Remind yourself often, “I have enough. I am enough”