Aparigraha & Santosha. A Love Your Life Story.

Found this gem on Pinterest!  For a while now, I have been half-ing things.  It is very cathartic and one quickly learns there is so very little that we actually need.  I've gone one step further with this mantra and broken it into step.

1.  Stop buying anything that isn't necessary.  If you have it, use it!  Enjoy it!  Celebrate it!  When something is necessary (and you get to choose whatever justification you want for considering it so, no explanation needed) buy or make exactly what you want.  Don't cheap out.

2.  Toss half your stuff.  You don't have to be extreme here.  Start by getting rid of things that are garbage.  If something makes you feel good, keep it.  If things are bound by past experiences that no longer serve you, let them go.  Perhaps it can become another man's treasure.

3.  Learn contentedness.  Just make the choice to be content.  Gratitude helps with this immensely.  Make peace with the present moment.

4. Reduce half again.  Over the last couple of years I have spent time living at the Satchidananda Ashram in Virginia.  While there, I slept in a single bed, had one dresser and a third of the closet space.  It felt so freeing to live like that!  Then and there I began to recognize how stuff weighs us down and keeps us from moving on in our lives.  So whether or not you want to invite new experiences or just create more breathing space, keep what you love, keep what you deem to matter and let someone else enjoy the rest.

5.  List 4 essential things in your life, DO THESE FIRST.  STOP DOING THE NON-ESSENTIAL! This really struck a chord with me.  How often has the day gone by and I never got to the things that truly matter to my well-being and happiness!   I made a list and deemed these to be the most essential:  Asanas, Pranayama, Meditation and Water.   Interesting that apart from a mat and a cup, these take up no space!  How would I feel in 30 days from now if I infused my body with these 4 things?

6.  Clear distractions.  Hmm, this I will continue to ponder.  Can there be a fine line between what society is convincing me is essential but is really a distraction?  Have I become addicted to doing when I should be being?  What about the clutter within my mind?

So to whoever, out there in Cyberspace, that originally pinned this mantra AND to everyone that pinned it until it found its way to me, THANK YOU.   Less can be so much more!  Thank you for provoking these thoughts.  Contentedness and non-attachment are sweet partners.