Contentment (Santosha)

“By including contentment as an active practice rather than a reaction to events around us, peace of mind does not rely on external circumstances, which are always changing in ways beyond our control. Contentment requires our willingness to enjoy exactly what each day brings, to be happy with whatever we have, whether that is a lot or a little. It’s fairly easy to practise contentment in the beautiful moments and joyous experiences of our lives. But this second Niyama in Yoga asks us to be equally willing to embrace the difficult moments. Only when we can be content in the midst of difficulty can we be truly free. In our relationship with ourself, when we accept things as they truly are at this moment, not as we want them to be, we are practising the Niyama santosa

(Paraphrased from Judith Lasater)