THE YAMAS & NIYAMAS SERIES - SANTOSHA

Sara West
Mar 28
2 min read

Santosha: The Practice of Enough

There’s a quiet kind of power in contentment. Not the performative kind that says, “Just be grateful!” when life feels hard—but the kind that whispers, “Right here is enough.”

In yoga, this principle is known as Santosha, one of the niyamas in Patanjali’s Eight Limbs of Yoga. Often translated as contentment, acceptance, or satisfaction, Santosha is a gentle returning—to this breath, this body, this moment—as it is.

Santosha in the Sutras

In Yoga Sutra 2.42, Patanjali writes:“Santosha anuttamah sukha labhah”From contentment, supreme happiness is obtained.

But this isn’t about forcing positivity or denying pain. Santosha isn’t a bypass. It’s not about pretending things are okay when they’re not. Instead, it’s an invitation to stop the constant reaching, striving, and comparing, and to rest for a moment in the truth of what is.

The Myth of “When I Get There…”

Most of us were raised to believe that happiness is something we’ll find later—after the next achievement, the next milestone, the next version of ourselves. It’s easy to fall into the rhythm of “not yet.” Not thin enough. Not calm enough. Not successful enough. Not spiritual enough.

But santosha says: What if you’re already whole, even as you grow? What if you don’t have to earn peace?

As Ram Dass reminds us:

“We’re all just walking each other home.”

There’s no race. No finish line. Just this shared human experience—and the choice to meet it with presence instead of pressure.

Contentment Is Not Complacency

It’s important to say this clearly: Santosha isn’t complacency. You can hold gratitude and still want change. You can accept what is, and still move toward what feels more aligned.

Santosha simply means we stop punishing ourselves in the process. We stop withholding peace until we’ve “arrived.” We let joy, breath, and rest be part of the path—not just the destination.

Practicing Santosha in Daily Life

Santosha isn’t a feeling you chase—it’s a state you choose to return to. Gently. Repeatedly. Some simple ways to explore it:

Pause and feel into the moment. Even in chaos, is there something small to anchor you? A warm drink, a soft light, a breath.
Say thank you for something tiny. Gratitude doesn’t have to be grand. Notice the little things: clean sheets, a kind smile, your favourite mug.
Rest without guilt. Let yourself be still. Not because you’ve earned it—but because you’re allowed.
Soften your expectations. Of yourself, of others, of life. What if this moment didn’t have to be perfect to be enough?

Santosha in the Studio

At Wild Soul Studio, we honour santosha in every class and treatment—not by insisting you feel grateful, but by giving you permission to be.

Come as you are.Tired, joyful, heartbroken, curious.On your mat, in your body, in this breath—you’re enough.

You don’t need to fix anything to belong here.You don’t need to strive to be seen.You are already whole.

So this week, if the world feels heavy or fast or not quite enough, pause. Place your hand on your heart. Breathe.And ask gently: Can I let this moment be enough, just for now?

Not forever. Not perfectly. Just here. Just now. That, too, is santosha.

With warmth,

Sara 🙏