Active Contentment

There are eight branches of yoga.

The second branch is Niyama, or the five rules of personal behavior: (1) purity, (2) contentment, (3) discipline, (4) spiritual exploration, and (5) surrender to the divine.

Let’s hear what Deepak Chopra says about the second of these:

“Contentment, or santosha, the second Niyama, is the fragrance of present moment awareness. When you struggle against the present moment, you struggle against the entire cosmos. Contentment, however, does not imply acquiescence. Yogis are committed in thought, word, and deed to supporting evolutionary change that enhances the well-being of all sentient creatures on this planet. Contentment implies acceptance without resignation.”

Thus, he distinguishes what I call “active contentment” to “passive contentment,” which is acceptance with resignation.

You may see active contentment as a paradox, like “be in the moment but plan ahead” or how the more still the mind is the more active it is.

Paradoxes are central to the study of wisdom.

Wisdom should be central to coaching, which is what this site is all about.

Om