Thank You for Bringing Me Here

"Wear gratitude like a cloak and it will feed every corner of your life." ~ Rumi

As November arrives and Thanksgiving approaches, we are reminded to pause and give thanks. But the yogic teachings offer us something deeper than a single day of gratitude. They offer santosha, contentment.

Santosha is one of the niyamas, the foundational practices that guide us toward living from love rather than fear. It invites us to stop warring with reality and accept what-is through a profound shift in perspective.

Instead of seeking joy from external circumstances, santosha teaches us that contentment already lives within. When we stop focusing on what is missing and begin appreciating what is present, something transforms. The narrative of lack becomes the recognition of abundance. From this tender seed of contentment, gratitude naturally blossoms.

This practice of santosha meets us exactly where we are. The beloved teacher Rolf Gates offers a simple prayer that embodies santosha in action: "Thank you for bringing me here."

These six words hold the practice: gratitude for our bodies that carry us through the world, for the circumstances that allow us to show up, for the community that welcomes us, and for the aliveness of the teachings themselves.

As we move through November, let santosha be our practice, and gratitude will feed every corner of our lives.