From My Mat: Happiness, Contentment & Energizing Your Spirit
Welcome to my series “From My Mat,” where I’m sharing heartfelt themes from my yoga and meditation devotion.
100% written by me, never A.I.
Spending mornings on the beach with my dog, Shanti is one of the ways I observe Santosha (contentment) in my yoga practice.
I wake up each morning next to the love of my life, throw on a bikini and stroll with my border collie, Shanti, on the beach. Some days we walk, some days we swim in the turquoise tropical water. There’s a carefully crafted-to-perfection home-brewed plant-based latte involved.
This is literally the life 30-something me dreamed of--she would be in awe of my life in Sayulita, Mexico. Years ago, this was all on my vision board, all part of my intention setting, new moon wishes and prayers.
With incredible gratitude for this wonderful life, I’ll admit that sometimes I still feel like I need to breathe new energy into my spirit.
If you ever feel restless, or like the days are on repeat, let’s explore what’s actually happening and the ways to revitalize your spirit.
Dopamine and Happiness: What’s Actually Happening
Our brains are wired to crave novelty.
New experiences trigger the release of dopamine --our happy hormone.
Over time, as we become accustomed to these new experiences, the dopamine release fades. We have a natural tendency for our happiness level to return to the same set point after experiencing the dopamine high from exciting life changes.
This is what psychologists call a hedonic treadmill.
It’s why the honeymoon phase of falling in love often settles into a less passionate relationship. Or why the dream job and salary you worked tirelessly for eventually drives you crazy and does not pay enough.
Eventually anything new and exciting can lose its luster once we’ve done it long enough--dopamine fades and we return to our previous happiness set point.*
It’s called arrival fallacy--thinking we will be fulfilled with the next accomplishment, only to be disappointed some time after.
It’s one reason why billionaires obsess over making more and more money, rather than just relaxing and enjoying life.
The the hedonic treadmill keeps going, and so do our thoughts:
“I’ll be happy if...”
“I’ll feel better when..”
And then we create more and more goals and desires for ourselves, chasing the next novelty.
*A quick note, this is not the same as depression, which is a clinically-diagnosed mood disorder, which would show up as lack of motivation and desire.
What Does Yoga Tell Us About Happiness or Contentment?
In the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, we are taught that when we practice yoga, we should observe Santosha, which is happiness and contentment.
Santosha is one of the Niyamas (self-observances) in the 8 limb path of yoga.
Santosha means being satisfied with life and accepting the happiness and joy in our current state.
Santosha reminds us to stay present to experience the joy in the journey of life, rather than chasing accomplishments and outcomes.
Some Practices To Support Santosha are:
Gratitude. A heart-felt appreciation of your current blessings. Often we are overlooking these blessings as we long for achieving more.
Nonjudgement or comparison. Comparison is the thief of joy, and there sure is a lot of “influence” around us.
Connection. Self-care must be balanced with helping and supporting others or we become disconnected and feel more isolated.
Presence and mindfulness. Focusing on what’s happening now vs. what’s to come.
Raising Your Happiness Set Point
When it comes to changes in our mindset, small incremental actions that accumulate over time produce a more lasting happiness than chasing one big desire or life change to the next.
The key to jumping off the hedonic treadmill is to create small novel joys throughout each day and be mindfully present to recognize them. This increases dopamine at smaller increments, which compiles over time, increasing your happiness set point.
Some of what I do to raise my happiness set point (maybe these will inspire you):
Change up my routine.
I’ll drive or walk a different route than usual or visit different stores for the things I need.
I’ll challenge myself to try new workouts or go to different events, just so I can be around new people.
I’ll call a friend I normally don’t reach out to.
Plan a date/family day with my husband, we aim for Sundays.
Read new books of all kinds regularly.
Try new recipes or different restaurants.
Less screen time.
Social media is desensitizing us to the simple pleasures in life by constantly spiking short-lasting dopamine. This actually trips us up on the hedonic treadmill. I have learned through trial and error that the best way to limit phone time is physically separating from it. Otherwise, it’s just too easy to grab my phone to snap a photo or answer a text and get sucked back in. I leave my phone in another room and leave it home when it makes sense.
Do a variety of things that are good for your mental health.
Take walks, get outside, practice mindfulness, meditate, volunteer, dance, spend time with animals, spend time with friends, listen to music, relax and rest--any and all of it!
1:1:1 Formula: 1 activity a week + 1 adventure per month + 1 trip per year!
1 day week, a short half-day activity (example: going to the movies, attending a soundbath)
1 day a month, a full-day adventure (example: I’ll explore a beach 1-2 hours away from where I live).
1 week or more a year (example: a full-on vacation, a retreat, a yoga teacher training!)
Meditation.
Meditate every day, even if it’s just sitting down calmly for 1-5 minutes. You don’t need to be great at it, your just need to start.
To back the ancient yogis, a study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology shows that meditation produces positive emotions that outpace the hedonic treadmill.
Explore Santosha: Deepen your practice with me
MEDITATE WITH ME
If you need help cultivating a daily meditation practice check out my audio meditation library: 100’s of guided meditation tracks on Aura.
WORK 1:1 WITH ME
If you’re ready to deepen your practice by exploring yoga philosophy and meditation, let’s work 1:1 together. I’ll lead you through discussion of yogic principles as we explore techniques of meditation and breath work. Schedule a session.
YOGA IMMERSION IN SAYULITA, MEXICO & TRAVEL EXPERIENCES
Join one of my Yoga Teacher Trainings or retreats to learn the deeper philosophy of yoga and immerse yourself for 2 weeks in a yogic lifestyle.
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Hi, I’m Chel!
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My ABSOLUTE FAVE yoga mats:
The Manduka Black Mat Pro yoga mat is what I took to my first yoga teacher training, that I still use 15 years later! This is my home-use yoga mat! Honestly, love it!
If you are on-the-go, this lighter version is just as amazing. This is the mat I take to all my yoga classes!
