Yoga Life

Gabrielle Bangay

संतोषादनुत्तमसुखलाभः ॥ २.४२ ॥ saṃtoṣād anuttamah sukha-lābhaḥ || 2.42 || Sutra 2.42: From contentment unsurpassed happiness is gained. For me, of all the sutras in Patanjali’s yogaśatsras, verse 42 (from the 2nd pada) holds so much potential for transformation. Those close to me know I’m going through one of the most challenging times in one’s life, and yet, when I sit with myself, I’m grateful for all of it. Being content with what we have or experience in life is not about bypassing or suppressing the bad and turning towards things we desire or find pleasing. It’s about attuning to it all with equal-ness. It’s about recognising we have more to be thankful for than we realise, if we only wiped clean the lenses of our perception. It’s about realising the chase for the “next best thing” will never truly satisfy the yearning of the soul. It’s about seeing life wanting to be noticed. Right now. In all its glorious and mysterious ways. And isn’t that just marvellous. Instead of a fleeting moment of happiness, we can cultivate a constant baseline of internal joy (sukha) and access that sweet state of bliss we all seek. So, the next time you (the charioteer) are pulled left and right from one sense object to the next, reign in the senses (those headstrong horses) and take a moment to count your blessings, sitting with existence itself