The second Niyama is "santosha" which roughly translates into "contentment." In a world always trying to get us to do more, buy more or be more, being content with who you are can be an act of rebellion.
On my mat, santosha shows up as moving my body in ways that feel good today. Meeting my body where it is and letting go of how I previously did a pose creates contentment in the present moment.
Being content with my writing life means:
~ Enjoying the process regardless of the outcome. I can have goals of publishing and sharing my work, but it is not the main reason I write. My contentment is not reliant on getting published. It comes from showing up to the page daily which is just another way of showing up to myself.
~ Keeping the inner critic at bay by keeping my hand moving. Writing is a separate process from editing.
~ Calling myself a writer now instead of waiting for some arbitrary milestone to make me feel legitimate. I write therefore I am a writer.
~ Letting my schedule, mood, energy lead the way instead of forcing myself into a rigid quota of time spent or words written.
~ Being my own biggest fan. Writing what I would like to read. Not letting negative comments get me down. Focus on the people who resonate with my words. Being okay with not being everyone's cup of tea.
Contentment is an inside job. I have to be happy with who I am and not constantly seek outside validation. It is not an exuberant, constant joy. It is a steady commitment to meeting myself, my body, my relationships and my writing where they are in this moment.
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