We lost our power due to the storms this past Monday, but this time it was at our home and not at the studio.
I am at a place in my spiritual journey that I believe when I am in need of a teaching. situations arise to help me learn. What did I need to learn from this recent power outage? Let me back up just a bit first, just so that we are all on the same page, Santosha is the Sanskrit word for contentment, peace, gratitude. OK, moving forward again.
The power was out......contentment and gratitude? Sure, we have a small generator (our power goes out enough to have invested in one) so the fridge and freezer were connected. In fact we ran a power line to the neighbors fridge and they expressed gratitude. The TV wasn't on, yeah happy dance! The house had a nice calm about it. The temperature had dropped considerably, so sleeping was comfortable. Yes, my husband did have to get up every few hours to put more gas in the generator and it was my job to wake him up when I didn't hear it humming anymore. My maternal instinct of sleeping with one ear opened kicked in again. Small price to pay.
The next morning it was a beautiful day so I opened up all the blinds to let the sun just flood in. Did my normal morning routine and left for the day. By the time I got back home later in the afternoon, the power was back on. Gratitude for having a generator, no TV, that it wasn't hot & sticky, that I have a wonderful husband, that the storms could have been a lot worse and it wasn't pitch black when we woke up. Santosha is about putting a more positive spin and situations in your life. We may not like what is happening, but it's not the end of the world is it.
Weathering a power outage for less than 24 hours is not that intense, so let's take this a step further. What if someone in our life is ill and needs serious medical care? Do they have health insurance, gratitude. Do they have a support system to help them, gratitude. Family and friends who are by their side, gratitude.
Practicing Santosha doesn't mean that we have to like what is happening at the present moment, To quote Deborah from her book The Yama's & Niyama's "Santosha invited us into contentment by taking refuge in a calm center, opening our hearts in gratitude for what we do have, and practicing the paradox of "not seeking".
Nothing I did, say or think could change the fact the power was out, in the grand scheme of things it was a very minor adjustment to a very blessed life that I have. If this way of thinking is new to you I highly suggest to read Deborah's book, take it slowly and.....just breathe.
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