Yoga Practice 108 - Remember the 5 Observances or Niyamas

The 5 Niyamas or observances are Shaucha or cleanliness, Santosha or contentment, Tapas or discipline, Svadhyaya or self study, and Ishvarapranidhana or Self-surrender. I have briefly touched upon each of these in prior posts....Be Regular or Tapas (post 101), Be a Witness or Svadhyaya (post 104). I mentioned Shaucha in the post "In Search of a Teacher" and touched upon Ishvarapranidhana in post 102where I talked about the Namaste mudra...the aspect of surrendering the ego to the heart, the seat of the soul. If I think of Santosha or contentment literally, my Eastern upbringing suggests that it is as an acceptance of things that I don't like, but cannot change - accept it, it is your karma, destiny. But my Western life experiences contradict this view with a now popular belief "Yes, we can". So, I prefer to think of contentment as the ability to experience a state of calmness. I welcome your comments on this subject. Some additional thoughts I have about Shaucha is that cleanliness in a broader context to me means nuturing, maintaining and sustaining all spaces like one would a temple. From taking care of the body - teeth, hair, skin, nails etc, to your home, to the city you inhabit, the environment, planet earth and the Universe!