Why Contentment Beats Happiness: Embrace Santosha for a Fulfilled Life

There’s one thing everyone is searching for, right along with a solid crow pose: happiness.

We’re all a bit like Indiana Jones, engaged in the ultimate treasure hunt. After all, if we’re happy, we “have it all”, or so we’ve been told.

Think back to the last time you felt happy. Maybe you finally achieved a straight handstand, treated yourself to a new yoga mat, or landed a promotion. Those are all wonderful reasons to be happy!

But now think about how long that feeling lasted. Was it a day? An hour? Or maybe just a few moments before you wanted more? If you’re like most people, it’s likely that you quickly set new goals towards happiness whether it be a press to handstand, a new set of blocks to complement your mat, or another career goal.

It can be a vicious cycle, and if you’re like me with a bar of chocolate, the feeling of happiness can be as fleeting as the last bite, leaving you craving more.

So, if happiness isn’t the answer to a fulfilled life, what is? This is where Santosha, a key principle in yoga philosophy, offers an alternative perspective.

Discovering Santosha: The Power of Contentment

In Patanjali’s Eight Limbs of Yoga, a renowned text centered on yoga philosophy, there’s a concept called Santosha, or contentment, nestled within the second Niyama. Santosha invites you to cultivate a state of contentment in all areas of life, realizing that, in the present moment, you lack nothing. It’s about acknowledging that we already have everything we need and choosing to enjoy the journey without being overly attached to the destination.

This doesn’t mean giving up on goals or dreams; it’s about finding joy in the process. Both ambition and growth can thrive alongside gratitude. When you approach your practice or life from a place of contentment, you’re free to challenge yourself without being dependent on any particular result.

Happiness Versus Contentment

The difference between happiness and contentment is simple but profound: happiness is often tied to external events (like nailing a pose for the first time or buying something new). In this case, you give the outside world power to decide how you feel.

For example, when the teacher cues Pincha Mayurasana (also known as forearm stand) in a yoga class, your personal experience may be based upon whether your pose is as “perfect” as everyone else’s.

Contentment, on the other hand, is an inner state which you cultivate for yourself. It’s about focusing on the present, finding peace within yourself, and trusting both where you are and where you’re headed. Imagine holding Pincha for just five seconds: contentment lets you celebrate that small, consistent win, knowing it’s part of your upside-down journey.

It’s a balance between effort and surrender that you can improve while feeling at ease with where you are now.

Practicing Santosha (Even When it’s Hard)

Contentment sounds lovely in theory, but how can we cultivate it in practice? Here are a few simple ways to tap into Santosha when happiness feels out of reach:

• Shift Your Perspective with Gratitude 🙏 
  Whenever you feel the urge for “more,” take a moment to list everything you already have. Start with things you may take for granted—your ability to move on the mat, a supportive friend, a moment to just breathe in your day. Often, what seems small turns out to be life’s greatest gifts.
• Spread Kindness 🧡
  Hug a loved one, compliment a coworker, or smile at a stranger. Small acts of kindness have a ripple effect, brightening not only someone else’s day but yours as well. Kindness, after all, is free, and its impact can be profound.
• Savor the Glimmers ✨
  Glimmers are those small, joy-filled moments available right in front of you: the first rays of sunshine in the morning, a shared laugh with a friend, or the smell of freshly baked bread. Take a moment to appreciate these everyday delights—they’re little reminders that life is full of beauty.

In a world often focused on “more,” contentment brings us back to “enough.”

By embracing Santosha, you can find joy in the journey, balance effort with surrender, and trust that fulfillment is already within reach.

Are you curious about exploring Santosha, the Yoga Sutras and diving deeper into Yoga philosophy? Click here to grab my “No Bullshit Yoga Philosophy” course and dive into this ancient wisdom in a no-bullshit, easy to comprehend way!