Mantra “Peace lives in the space I create within.”

Opening Reflection
*”For the next hour, let go of chasing some perfect destination or the version of life you think you ‘should’ be living. Just sit where you are tonight, breathe, and feel life moving through you — the quiet pulse in your veins, the rhythm in your bones, the truth in your heart.

In the Yoga Sutras, the Eight Limbs of Yoga include the second Niyama, Santosha — along with Saucha, Tapas, Svadhyaya, and Ishvarapranidhana. Santosha teaches us that peace is not hiding somewhere in the future. It is here, in this imperfect, beautiful moment.

Contentment is not giving up or settling. It is meeting your life exactly as it is, with open eyes and an open heart.”*

Topic 1 – The Two Gardens
Metaphor: Two gardeners, each with the same size plot. One spends his days comparing and wishing for different flowers. The other tends with love, appreciating what blooms. One is restless, the other at peace.
Reflection: Contentment is less about what you have and more about how you see it. When we nurture gratitude, the garden of our life thrives.
Quotes:
“Contentment is not the fulfillment of what you want, but the realization of how much you already have.” – Anonymous
“When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.” – Lao Tzu
“The yogi feels the lack of nothing and so is naturally content.” – B.K.S. Iyengar

Topic 2 – The Bottomless Bag
Humor Setup: “You know, when I give therapy, I’ve noticed one of the leading causes of shoulder pain is carrying a purse that could double as a survival kit. We hold onto so much we never really need — in our bags, and in our hearts.”
Metaphor: Imagine carrying a magical Mary Poppins–style bag that can hold anything. Over the years, you’ve filled it with all sorts of things — past hurts, future worries, self-criticisms, other people’s expectations — most of which you never actually use. Yet you carry it everywhere, letting its hidden weight slow you down. The truth is, you don’t have to keep any of it. The moment you choose to empty the bag, you discover you’ve had the space for joy, peace, and lightness all along.
Reflection: Much of what burdens us isn’t essential to who we are — it’s just what we’ve collected along the way. Santosha invites us to look inside, thank what we’ve carried, and gently set down what no longer serves us. That’s when we move freely through life.
Quotes:
“We suffer more in imagination than in reality.” – Seneca
“Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself.” – Paulo Coelho
“We forge the chains we wear in life.” – Charles Dickens

Topic 3 – The Lighthouse Effect
Metaphor: A lighthouse doesn’t move to chase lost ships. It simply stands steady, shining its light, guiding others through the storm.
Reflection: Even when our own life feels messy, we can still be a source of hope and calm for others. Contentment strengthens that light within us.
Quotes:
“It may be that you are not yourself luminous, but that you are a conductor of light.” – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
“True wealth is the accumulation of experiences which silver or gold cannot buy.” – David Scott

Topic 4 – The Stone in Your Shoe
Metaphor: Walking with a pebble in your shoe — you can ignore it, but the longer you do, the more it hurts. Removing it takes a moment, but frees your whole journey.
Reflection: Sometimes the thing disturbing our peace is small but constant. Santosha calls us to notice and address what keeps us from being fully present.
Quotes:
“Where there is anger, there is always pain underneath.” – Eckhart Tolle
“The wound is the place light enters you.” – Rumi
“A scar is proof that healing has occurred.” – Unknown

Topic 5 – Riding the Waves
Metaphor: Imagine a surfer sitting on their board, waiting for the perfect wave. The sun is warm, the sea sparkles, and countless waves roll past — each one offering a chance to ride. But the surfer lets them all go, holding out for something bigger, better, perfect. By the time that “perfect” wave arrives, they’ve missed hours of joy they could have had. In life, we do the same — waiting for the perfect job, the perfect partner, the perfect moment — while so many beautiful opportunities pass us by.
Reflection: Santosha teaches us to ride the waves that come, to find joy in the ones we have now instead of waiting for an ideal that may never arrive. The joy is not in perfection; it’s in showing up fully for the ride.
Quotes:
“Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.” – Unknown
“If you seek peace, be still. If you seek love, be yourself.” – Unknown
“Joy is not in things, it is in us.” – Richard Wagner