How To Practice Santosh (Contentment)

The second discipline of Niyama is Santosh (contentment). Patanjali writes, "By practicing Santosh, one gets incomparable happiness." The aim of yoga is to reach a blissful state and for this one should try to stay content and happy always. Whatever one does daily, one should do with full satisfaction.

1. Progress brings contentment. If one sits idle, doesn't earn and depends upon others in order to fulfill basic needs of life, one shall never feel satisfaction, happiness or contentment. A yogi should try to increase his strength, knowledge, health, look and wealth continuously. Through these achievements, he feels satisfaction. Without action, nothing can be achieved and so action is the root cause of all progress and contentment.
2. Similar things attract. As water in the ocean attracts all types of water from the surface of the land, and as atmospheric air attracts all types of air from the earth's surface, so happiness attracts all types of happiness. He who wants to be a wise man finds other wise men around him and he who wants to be a wealthy man finds wealthy people around him. Similarly, a drunkard finds drunk people, a thief finds other thieves. A poor and dissatisfied man always finds pain and misery surrounding him. A weak man suffers from fear and disease. So a yogi should give up all kinds of weakness and try to increase health, knowledge, wealth and happiness.
3. Fruits of contentment. When a yogi practices contentment, he receives all kinds of happiness. The heart, lungs and all organs and all senses in the body work well in a happy and content man. Blood becomes pure and diseases disappear. Eyes remain bright and powerful. The digestive system works well. A happy man makes all decisions without haste or hesitation. So he marches towards progress and prosperity.

So if you are unhappy and dissatisfied, try to be happy and satisfied immediately. Everything is psychological and a creation of mind only. Only you can take your mind to whatever direction you like. Liberate your mind from unhappiness and depression and practice Santosh.