What Brings You Contentment?

One of the best attributes of this late summer earth-element energy is the feeling of contentment.

To feel contented is to feel fulfilled. Different aspects of our lives can provide fulfillment and balance the areas that aren't fulfilled.

In a conversation I had with my sister recently, we talked about what brings us fulfillment and how it changes throughout our lives.

We agreed that close, meaningful relationships bring fulfillment, and we marveled at how the work we used to do felt so fulfilling but no longer had meaning for us.

It's interesting to see contentment and fulfillment as fluid and everchanging.

As we age, we have found that the most fulfilling is to be of service and help others find relief. I do that by teaching yoga; she does that by being a great listener and counselor.

So, what currently lights you up and brings the feeling of fulfillment and contentment?

When we share our gifts, we experience a profound sense of fulfillment. Our gifts and talents are clues to our "dharma," a common word in the yoga world with many meanings. I think of dharma as our life's purpose, often related to our gifts. When we express our gifts, we are in our dharmic flow, which often comes easily and naturally.

However, as I said earlier, dharma can change and shift over time. I used to be a professional photographer and was deeply fulfilled by it... until I wasn't.

I felt confused and depressed that it didn't excite me like it once had. I didn't even feel like shooting anymore. What happened??

At that point, all I wanted to do was teach yoga and provide people with the same relief and bliss I felt after class. It took me a while to get there because, at that time, yoga was only offered in studios and gyms.

Now, thanks to yoga becoming mainstream and Harvard Medical School implementing it into its medical curriculum, it's being offered everywhere! More and more of my students tell me that their doctor prescribed yoga to them. This is so hopeful!

One of the main tenets of Vitality's 200-hour yoga teacher training is finding your dharma, what lights you up, and how to bring it forward and live it.

Most of the students in the teacher training never think that they'll teach yoga; they just want to deepen their practice. But once they learn how to teach it, they share it with their family and friends, clients, students, and patients who need relief.

So, if you're in a transitional time and could use clarity on your next steps, consider joining the upcoming 200-hour yoga teacher training. You'll explore what your gifts are and how to express your dharma in the world.

Teaching yoga brings profound fulfillment to so many. It is a career option now needed in schools, hospitals, rehabs, retirement facilities, sports clubs, prisons, housing complexes, community centers, and more. Yoga's popularity is rising, and yoga teachers are being sought everywhere!

From my heart to yours~

Namaste,

Maggie