संतोष
Santosha
Contentment
Definition
Santosha is the practice of contentment: an attitude of acceptance and satisfaction with what is. As the second niyama, it represents not passive resignation but the active peace that arises from not being at war with the present moment.
Etymology
The term comes from sam- (completely) + tuṣ (to be satisfied, to be content). Santosha is the state of complete satisfaction, not because all desires have been fulfilled, but because dependence on their fulfillment has been transcended.
Context in the Yoga Sutras
Patañjali mentions santosha in Sutra II.32. Sutra II.42 describes its fruit with remarkable simplicity: saṃtoṣād anuttamaḥ sukha-lābhaḥ — “From contentment, supreme happiness is obtained.”
This statement is radical: the highest happiness comes not from achieving or acquiring, but from being content. The commentator Vyasa notes that all worldly pleasures combined do not equal even a fraction of the happiness of one who has established santosha.
Practical Application
In daily life:
- Begin the day recognizing what is already well
- When automatic complaint arises, ask: what can I appreciate here?
- Distinguish between real needs and manufactured desires
- Celebrate what is enough instead of lamenting what is lacking
In difficult circumstances: Santosha does not mean denying pain or pretending everything is fine when it is not. Danilo Hernández clarifies: it is accepting what we cannot change while working on what we can. Peace comes from releasing resistance, not suppressing reality.
In success and failure:
- Do not depend on outcome for wellbeing
- Recognize that external circumstances fluctuate; contentment is internal
- Enjoy achievements without clinging to them
In comparison: Much of modern discontent comes from comparing ourselves to others. Santosha is the antidote: my path is my path, with its unique challenges and gifts.
Relationship with Yoga Practice
In āsanas, santosha transforms the practice. Instead of struggling for postures that don’t come, the content practitioner works with what they have today. The Bihar School of Yoga teaches that this attitude paradoxically accelerates progress: without the tension of resistance, the body opens more easily.
In prāṇāyāma, santosha means not getting frustrated when the mind wanders or the breath doesn’t flow as expected. Each session is complete as it is.
In meditation, santosha is essential. The mind that constantly seeks deeper experiences never rests in the present moment. The content meditator can sit without agenda, accepting whatever arises — and precisely that acceptance opens the door to deeper states.
The relationship between santosha and the yamas is clear: one who is content does not need to steal (asteya), accumulate (aparigraha), or seek compulsive satisfaction (brahmacharya). Contentment is the root of ethical conduct.