Santosha

As a treat before taking off for the holiday, my teacher worked with me on my drop backs. After weeks of practicing backbends, I felt I still wasn’t prepared to be dropped back, but Peachie Kilayco (above) is the type of teacher who rewards students who are diligent and practise hard. Of all my teachers, I think she knows me and my practise best. She has spotted my enemy poses and helped me overcome them while introducing me to new and challenging postures. I also love the nuggets of information she shares while calling out the poses during our Led classes as well as the neck massages she gives during Savasana.

After Peachie lifted me up from the Wheel I was struck by a rush of elation, almost euphoria. Peachie explained that the backbend is a “happy pose” which invigorates and releases endorphins into the bloodstream and along with inversions and such postures as the shoulder stand or headstand alters the flow of blood, lymphatic drainage and cranial sacral fluid. This increases the availability of oxygen and glucose in the brain required for the production of norepinephrine, dopamine and serotonin collectively known as the feel-good neurotransmitters.

But I was still silly-happy days after my practise. In fact, I’ve been feeling supremely serene lately. I came to realise that I may be experiencing contentment or santosha which is cultivated by finding happiness with what you have and who you are according to the eight limbs of Patanjali. Santosha is one of five niyamas in the eightfold path of yoga. Niyama is inner discipline and responsibility. The other niyamas are austerity, purity, study of the sacred text and living with an awareness of the Divine.

It’s nice to know that yoga has positively affected my life on both a physical and emotional level.