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But what if I looked at my situation the same way as those tourists? And since the grass is always greener, what if I threw in the possibility that they even envied me. After all, I live in a city that they were spending their hard-earned money just to visit! As I considered a new perspective, I surpassed acceptance and went all the way into gratitude -- for the beautiful day, the beautiful view, the blessing of my circumstances.
This shift reminded me of samtosa, a Sanskrit word that describes modesty and a feeling of being content with what we have. Samtosa is one of the five niyamas, which refer to the attitudes we adopt toward ourselves. (There are also five yamas, which instruct us on how to relate to the outside world.) In his book "The Heart of Yoga," Desikachar explains that the real meaning of samtosa is to accept what happens. "It is about ourselves -- what we have and how we feel about what God has given us."
Now, sometimes we feel like God (or The Universe, fate, Higher Power or whatever you want to call those forces larger than you) has given us a plate of cold, lumpy mashed potatoes. Or, as I used to say in a particularly dark era of my own life, "I feel like God has me in his rifle sights."
At that point, any suggestion that I needed an attitude adjustment was highly offensive, and rightly so. There were so many things wrong with me, inside and out, that to say I needed a shift in perspective was missing the point. I needed, yoga, medication, a new spirituality, intervention and compassion, to name only a few of the lifesaving measures that (mercifully) came into my life. Eight years later, I have enough going for me that I can afford the luxury of contemplating one of the niyamas.
So, if you are at the bottom of a canyon that appears to have no way out, I would not expect you to ooze with samtosa after a simple reading of today's Yoga Bits. Instead, I recommend you let yourself be still and safe, breathe, ask for help and then let it come. Eventually when the crisis subsides and enough in your life has improved, you may find yourself at the bottom of a different canyon, noticing what is right in front of you and feeling blessed.
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