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Natural Awakenings Central New Jersey

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Rosie's Corner- Santosha: The Second Yogic Niyama

Mar 01, 2020 07:24PM ● By Nicole Zornitzer

By guest contributor Nicole Zornitzer

Santosha, otherwise known as contentment, invites us into contentment by appreciating a calm center, a heart that is open in gratitude and practicing the paradox of “not seeking.”  As Deborah Adele graciously explains in her interpretation of the yamas and niyamas, people in the West are always getting ready to live. We are raised to look forward to the next event, the next milestone, the next thing in life. How many times have you found yourself saying “I can’t wait for…”? This society lives in a state of seeking the next event that will make us happy. This removes us from the present moment and appreciation for what we have now.

Wanting what we don’t have causes us to feel inadequate. On the contrary, if we are all purely in the moment, the moment is complete exactly as it is, for good or for bad. Life and each moment in life is teaching; it’s the definition of evolution. If we embrace the idea of entering this world with a predetermined path, then everything we experience was meant to help us gain further knowledge for the life after this life. Removing our sense of lack takes effort, commitment and perseverance.  

As the owner of a wellness studio, I am lucky to have a platform to express my feelings in a more public manner than most. I believe that honesty and vulnerability encourage others to become more honest in their own lives, understanding that we are not alone in struggles. I am in a constant state of self-evaluation, self-study and self-improvement. We all face challenges or difficulties. Sometimes we manage them well and other times we don’t, which is okay. How we grow from each event helps mold our future and is the key to growth.  

Contentment is such a wide concept and we all have different interpretations of it. In recent times, I decided to measure my level of contentment on how I felt at the end of each day. When I rest my head on my pillow at night, am I relaxed? Did I do my best? Did I encourage someone to evolve? Did I challenge myself in my occasional narrow view of reality? When I am clear-minded and living in alignment with my sankalpa (intention) in life, I feel whole and content in my universe.

As each day comes, I know I am one step closer to my North Star. He has guided me through each step of my life, and I am grateful for all of the hiccups, challenges and difficult moments in my world. I am content; I am practicing the philosophy of santosha; I am finding contentment of the heart. And now, I welcome you to do the same.

Nicole Zornitzer, ERYT 1000, yoga therapist, founder of Niyama Yoga & Wellness Studio in Randolph, New Jersey. NiyamaYogaStudio.com.



In-Print Yoga Local Insights March 2020
Tick Talk

Spring officially sprung on March 21. We have turned our clocks ahead. We are looking forward to warm winds, sunny skies and the smell of fresh cut grass. The daffodils and tulips have recently bloomed and we are just starting with the yard work that comes with the warmer weather.  Sadly, another season has started ramping up.  Tick season.

•             The best form of protection is prevention. Educating oneself about tick activity and how our behaviors overlap with tick habitats is the first step.

•             According to the NJ DOH, in 2022 Hunterdon County led the state with a Lyme disease incidence rate of 426 cases per 100,000 people. The fact is ticks spend approximately 90% of their lives not on a host but aggressively searching for one, molting to their next stage or over-wintering. This is why a tick remediation program should be implemented on school grounds where NJ DOH deems high risk for tick exposure and subsequent attachment to human hosts.

•             Governor Murphy has signed a bill that mandates tick education in NJ public schools. See this for the details.  Tick education must now be incorporated into K-12 school curriculum. See link:

https://www.nj.gov/education/broadcasts/2023/sept/27/TicksandTick-BorneIllnessEducation.pdf

•             May is a great month to remind the public that tick activity is in full swing. In New Jersey, there are many tickborne diseases that affect residents, including Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, Powassan, and Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiosis.

•             For years, the focus has mainly been about protecting ourselves from Lyme disease. But other tick-borne diseases are on the rise in Central Jersey. An increase of incidence of Babesia and Anaplasma are sidelining people too. These two pathogens are scary because they effect our blood cells. Babesia affects the red blood cells and Anaplasma effects the white blood cells.

•             Ticks can be infected with more than one pathogen. When you contract Lyme it is possible to contract more than just that one disease. This is called a co-infection. It is super important to pay attention to your symptoms. See link.

https://twp.freehold.nj.us/480/Disease-Co-Infection

A good resource from the State:

https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/tickborne.shtml

 

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