Contentment is like a place of rest

Contentment is like a place of rest. We need it to find inner calm. To fully open ourselves to transformation, we have to break the endless chain of desires in the mind by cultivating and accepting contentment within ourselves.

“A king who has too many desires and always wants more becomes like a beggar. But a beggar who is content with what he has is a true king!”

Swami Sivananda.

संतोषातनुत्तमस्सुखलाभ

saṁtoṣāt-anuttamas-sukhalābhaḥ

(Yoga Sutra 2.42)

From a yoga perspective, you need nothing to be content except your inner attitude. In our modern world we are constantly driven, chasing one desire after another. Yoga asks us to come to rest and encourages us to be content with what is.

This isn’t about forcing yourself to accept things as they are, but about embracing them with kindness without surrendering to them. Of course we should shape our world and make it a pleasant place, just not out of a sense of lack.