Maybe we are like this...

(Katy Perry ft. Skip Marley - "Chained to the rhythm")

Santosha

(Article copied from "The Santosha Project" 

- http://diannebondyyoga.com/the-santosha-project-sp/)

Discover the Rebellious act of Self-Love

While you and I may not live in the same place, share the same upbringing, lead the same lifestyle, or have the same body – there are definitely a few things we have in common. You and I both want to feel happy, safe, secure and content.
Unfortunately, society tells us to search for happiness and contentment in all the wrong places. We are constantly bombarded with messages that tell us we are not good enough. Instead, we are lead to believe that happiness can be attained through some type of physical possession or external achievement.

But the truth is: long lasting happiness is not a commercialized product and it cannot be purchased in a store. Similarly, reaching that perfect weight will not magically remove all of life’s problems.

Santosha Changes Everything

Finding long lasting happiness seems impossible because you are mistakenly trying to change yourself. Right now, in this present moment, you’re likely holding on to something about yourself or your life that you do not like. In response, you are probably trying to change it or find something outside yourself that can be used to make these changes possible.

But the truth is – you can’t change something while you are holding on to it….

That’s the beauty of Santosha. Santosha, or contentment, is an invitation to let go of the things that negatively affect you and that which is holding you back from living to your full potential. Through letting go rather than holding on, you can effectively making room for more positive things to enter into your life.

The practice of Santosha allows you to:

Develop unshakable confidence

Stop the cycle of disappointment from failed resolutions

Discover happiness and contentment in your life now

Develop a focused and balanced mind

Reveal the multitude of beautiful and positive things that are already in your life

Create a more positive and fulfilling future

How can I get me some of this Santosha?

It’s simple, you can develop Santosha through practice, just like all of the other yamas and niyamas.

So how do you start practicing Santosha? Let’s break Santosha down to it’s three main ingredients (imho):

• Surrender – Letting go of the things that no longer serve you
• Gratitude – Accepting that you are “perfect in your imperfection”. There is no such thing as perfect. Learning to appreciate what you have is the first step to manifesting more positivity into your life
• Self-Love – The asana or physical yoga practice, is the time you dedicate to yourself. By blocking out the rest of the world, you begin to focus on your physical body and your mental/spiritual self. Self-love also reinforces Surrender and Gratitude. Unite all of these principles together by dedicated your yoga practice to self-love.

If you can make these three things a regular part of your meditation and asana practice, you will be most of the way there. (Stay with me- I can help)

Introducing the Santosha Project

The Santosha Project is a self-paced immersion into Santosha.

Let’s face it, we all need a little help from in our lives and in our practices. It’s a great honor to help you grow in your practice and in your life.

Allow me to be your personal guide through the practice of Santosha.

I have designed three modules to guide you down the path to Santosha. Working through each of these dedicated modules will help you develop a life long Santosha practice so that long-lasting happiness can be yours…forever.

Module 1: Santosha and You

Gain a deeper understand of what Santosha is, how it works, and where the practices intersect

Define what Santosha means to you and where it fits into your life (without changing anything!)

Explore creative ways to practice Santosha that will work for you

Begin tracking your immersion experience with the help of the Santosha Gratitude Journal

Module 2: The Gratitude Practice

Create more clarity in your everyday life

Discover helpful strategies to help you change the way you think about yourself and practice improving your self-esteem

Explore unique strategies, techniques and activities that invite you to harness the skill of radical self-love

Module 3: Integration Through Asana

Put the tools and strategies explored in the first two modules into action

Incorporate Santosha, Gratitude and Radical Self-Love into your yoga practice

Get out of your mind and into your body by learning to move comfortably and freely in your own body

Develop a new level of appreciate for all the ways in which you are enough!

The Santosha Project Includes…

Get ready to uncover the secret to long lasting happiness and start living an empowered and fulfilling life… without changing anything!

By taking part the Santosha Project you’ll receive:

• Introduction to Santosha Presentation and Video – download the self-paced presentation and video as a long term reference into the practices and principles of Santosha. This presentation and intro video translate the mythical and philosophical niyama into a practical, real-world tool that you can use in your daily life.
• Guided Meditation Practices – download Dianne’s guided meditations practices to explore the depths of Santosha, the practice of Surrender, Radical Self-Love and Gratitude. Once downloaded, these guided meditations are yours to keep! Return to them anytime you need reconnect!
• Illustrated Gratitude Journal – The Santosha Gratitude Journal was created specifically for this immersion course. Your illustrated Gratitude Journal includes unique prompts, creative expressions and brand new strategies to help you make gratitude a part of your everyday life. Use the journal daily to get the most out of your Santosha Project immersion.
• Brand New, Dedicated Yoga Practices – download over 4 hours of yoga practices designed by Dianne Bondy using the Yoga For All framework. Each practice is designed to help you integrate Santosha and the principles of the immersion into your own body and everyday life. Explore new ways of moving, breathing and practicing yoga that feel good and liberating within your body. These downloadable yoga practices are yours to keep!
• Access to Private Facebook Group – Join our private group to get chat with Dianne and the other participants of the Santosha Project. Our community will help you along the way!

By the end of this immersion course, you’ll gain a whole new, life-changing perspective on happiness and contentment! Let go of the need to improve and try something new. Through the lectures, prompts, guided meditations and yoga practices included in the Santosha Project, you’ll learn to abandon your old ways of thinking, while making space for your best year yet!

My Perfect Week

Hello butterflies!

Time to re-focus on my goals...
time to give it my best...

time for A PERFECT WEEK!

I challenge myself to make one week absolutely perfect:

• keep my room clean and organized

• eat right, healthy and with mindfulness

• pray and meditate every night before sleep

• keep my blogs updated every day

• give it my maximum concentration and effort at work

Days one and two (Monday and Tuesday) have been very good.

Until now I've been a good girl 

=)

Monday:

perfect perfect...

glass of milk, green grapes, baked camembert with potato salad, banana, coffee with milk, another banana, an apple, a praliné, another glass of milk

took a 5 km walk in one hour, and walked the dog another 20 min. 

prayed a long prayer before sleep

had fun working and blogging

Tuesday:

quite perfect...

glass of milk, green grapes, crêpes with confiture, banana, coffee with milk, another banana, dried papaya, three cola fizzy bonbons, another glass of milk

cleaned the bathroom (is exercise for me) and walked the dog 30 min. 

will pray and meditate before sleep

I love my work colleagues! And my blogs

I notice I'm missing some vegetables in my diet. 

Will have potato-leek-gratin tomorrow. 

Wednesday:

the most perfect day

big bowl of müesli with raspberries and white chocolate, orange juice, potato-leek-gratin, nectarine, banana, two apples, coffee with milk, two cola fizzy bonbons, a small glass of milk

Wednesday Workout: weights, abdominal exercises, general strength and endurance, 00:08:30 minutes going lightly on the cycle

relaxed on the bus with music, 

will pray before sleep and take sleeping pill 

- I feel too active and need to come down a bit.

Love, love, love, 

and great feelings all around. 

Thursday:

more relaxed, but all good

two small pieces of tarte tatin, a handful of raspberries, carrot soup, Kaiserschmarren, Mentos White chewing gum, a praliné, coffee with milk, a small glass of milk

walked the dog (Grisu), a bit over an hour

the whole day was very relaxed, 

meditated after work while waiting for the bus

(5 min. "loving kindness" meditation on CALM), 

listened to soft music in the bus

My work colleagues are wonderful. 

So much love and support. 

Good vibrations all around.

Friday:

all relaxed

Red Bull Energy Drink, a handful of green grapes, a plum, spaghetti with basil pesto, peppermint chewing gum, coffee with milk, a piece of brezel with cheese and a slice of egg, tutti frutti chewing gum, another coffee with milk, orange juice, more chewing gum, two carrots

took a few rounds around the hall, but very slow. It was a calm relax day. 

The whole day was calm and relaxed. 

Had a long good talk with my friend Michael from Nigeria.

And of course good atmosphere at work, 

and also getting along great with everyone else today. 

More good vibes. 

Saturday:

absolute relax, but wonderfully perfect

Latte Macchiato, caramel cookie, Chai Latte, self-made berries milk (milk, frozen berries, and a bit of honey), three carrots, self-mixed smoothie/juice (from orange juice, frozen strawberries and frozen raspberries), three spoonfuls of nougat cream, milk with honey, a netarine, a tomato

took a long walk/stroll through my town

Had the most relaxed and stressless day, 

slept a short nap in the afternoon, 

and had a bubble bath later. 

My flatmate is such a nice lady. 

This is only getting better day by day. 

Sunday:

conscious indulgence (overly sweet day)

four slices of bread with nougat creme, a sip of cola, a glass of milk, two broccoli patties and three "mixed vegetables"-Sticks, a cup of  chocolate "paradise cream" (a sort of pudding made with milk), two "Cornetto" ice-cream cones, a sip of cola, a small glass of milk, some muesli with raspberries and white chocolate, a spoonful of nougat creme, five "mixed vegetables"-Sticks

only but took the walk to church and back

Had a very, very relaxed Sunday.

A nap in the afternoon

and playing games with a friend

in the evening.

Love God, and people. 

Have a wonderful friend in Michael, 

who visited me today.

---------------

It was a perfect week!

But...

it's hard work trying to be perfect all the time...

So, I am leaning towards 

"SANTOSHA"

- BEING CONTENT YET UNSATISFIED...

(Text taken from www.camillestyles.com)

Each morning before diving into our yoga practice, we’d sit in a heated room on our mats and have a discussion led by yogi and author, Baron Baptiste. While every talk seemed to open my mind to new ideas, Day 3 was by far my favorite. That’s when Baron introduced us to the idea of Santosha.

He said, “Santosha means to always be content and yet unsatisfied.” The idea that I could be content and unsatisfied at the same time felt very foreign, yet powerful. While on our mats, he was referring to not holding attachment to the fullest expression of a pose, or feeling as if we need to get to that expression. We could be content with whatever pose we were in, even if it wasn’t right.

But off the mat and in my everyday life, Santosha meant so much more. You see, I was used to letting my setbacks motivate me, rather than spend time being content about where I was in the moment. Whether I wanted to be faster on my bike, perform better at work, or — to be blunt — lose more weight, my happiness often hinged on achieving certain goals. I knew that I’d benefit from practicing Santosha and allowing myself to be content in those moments that I felt unsatisfied and wanted more for myself.

Eternal waves of the perturbed mind

Hello butterflies!

WE ALL KNOW UPS AND DOWNS IN LIFE...

the eternal waves of the perturbed mind.

We can try and calm the storm

(meditating, taking tranquilizers, leading a quiet life)

or learn and ride the waves

(just accept life as it is and enjoy the rollercoaster). 

Calm the storm, 

or learn how to surf... 

ENJOY THE WAVES

Fasting

Hello butterflies!

Light as a butterfly 

I want to become...

While Christians soon end their fasting time with the celebration of Easter, I am only but starting my fasting practice tomorrow. 

Not zero fasting but fruit and smoothie fasting. 

First a week to see how my body reacts, 

then maybe continue. 

Will keep you updated. 

Crisis and catharsis...

Hello!

Saturn is passing through my 10th house 

- the work house - 

until 2017 and I'm strongly feeling the effects. 

Life at my current workplace is getting tougher and tougher, 

to the point that I've accumulated a lot of sick leaves already 

(because of physical and psychic exhaustion and debility) 

and even got to the point of wanting a different job 

and even applying for a different job. 

Saturn, you are causing trouble. 

But I guess that's what you do. 

I bow to you. I surrender. 

I am a humble woman. I need to earn money.

I need my job, and my company needs me. 

Please take away all my negativite thoughts about my current workplace. 

Let joy return to my everyday tasks. 

Life isn't always about running away from problems. 

Sometimes it means taking them and transforming them. 

Saturn, help me. 

Help me through this negative phase. 

Help me evolution. 

I know you're not essentially the "bad guy". 

You're here to make us stronger, stand taller. 

I WILL make it through this. 

My Yoga Diary - Continuing Yoga

I slipped back into bad habits...

... stopped my daily yoga after three weeks...

... now trying to get back!

Here's my second and third week

from my previous attempt:

Day 8: I practise around midday time, somewhere between waking up and brunch. Lots of yawning, feeling sleepy. Didn't notice my tiredness while I was sitting on the computer before. I am glad and grateful for the simple sequences. After yoga, I have a green smoothie and go back to bed for a nap. 

Days 9 - 13: I practice the "Lazy Dog" sequence without much news.

Day 14: I've postponed my practice until the evening today. I feel not very motivated and tired. So I stop the video after about ten minutes and then just do my two favorite postures on my own before shavasana. Notice a little pain in my leg at "Happy Baby". Defintely not my best day. 

Day 15: I get home really late and tired after a long hard day. No time or motivation for yoga. Just want to sleep. 

Day 16: I practise in the early evening hours. Not the best time, outside noises are disturbing. Also, my own perfectionsim is getting the better of me today. I feel disgusted at myself for my plumpness and because I still only do the "Lazy Dog" course, and even that I can't do perfectly. Ah, accepting oneself and one's own kleshas! It's not easy! Especially when you're a fat elephant like me!

Day 17: I have to take care when I'm on morning shift to not keep postponing my practice until I say "ah, it's too late now anyway"! I feel good today. It's easy to just "be there", in the movements. 

Day 18: Was looking forward to my practice today and enjoying it. I heard you should not shower right after yoga, so I shower just before and enjoy the refreshed feeling. By day 18, I know the course almost by heart and that is comforting. It's easy getting into the asanas, but also this course - the "Lazy Dog" - is "just right" for me, right now. Less shaky around the postures, feeling more confident. Slight pain in my leg, but not to let that bother me - it's habitual and will be gone again with time. 

Day 19: As I feel healthy and motivated and it's day 19, I want to do the "Good Dog" course instwead of "Lazy Dog". I can follow the course without major problems, but I make adaptations for my state of health, i.e. my leg that hurts. After Vrksasana, it hurts a lot - just can't put all my weight on that leg! I then go with less effort on the right leg and the rest of the course goes quite fine. 

Day 20: I go back to the "Lazy Dog" sequence for day 20. Feeling calm and confident with the familiar asanas. 

Day 21: Skipped

I then skipped because doctors found out the reason behind my chronic pain in the right leg - a herniated disc in my lower back pressures on the sciatic nerve. I then concluded to stop yoga for a while until I could be sure to not hurt my back more with any posture. 

That seems to be fine, though. Yoga should be rather helpful than giving me pain. So, with the thumbs up from my docs, I'll restart.