Lighthouse
Like a lighthouse, we each contain light and can beam it out.
This light we each carry in our inner heart is the Divine Light in me which honours the Divine Light in you when we say ‘Namaste’. 1
The Basic Practice - candle meditation
Here is a meditation to help your own inner light shine like a lighthouse. It comes from the first yoga book I ever purchased.2
posture set-up
respect your limits, modify where needed
choose a comfortable position
sitting
standing
lying
feel the spine elongated regardless of chosen position
feel dignified
feel a sense of being at ease yet alert
hands could be in prayer or in a relaxed comfortable position
candle meditation
place a lighted candle before you or use the below picture
concentrate on its flame for some time
again, relax
let your body relax
breathe evenly, smoothly and softly
gaze steadily at the flame for a few minutes
then close your eyes
visualize
visualize the flame and its aura in the centre of your chest
sense its radiance spilling out beyond the confines of your body
effect
through practice you can develop this ability ‘to shine’, creating a healing and soothing effect on those around you as you influence your environment by your own positive energy
Explore the Movement - honour you
give thanks to you and your own unique inner light (however you understand it)
you are living a life
you have lots to offer
you are worthy of this life
place hands in prayer
bow to your own heart
Everyday Living & Yoga Practice
Make everyday living a yoga practice. Try shining your light when out for a walk, coffee with a friend or when you need to centre yourself in this crazy world of ours. Life happens and it can often be upsetting. I use the candle visualization to give myself soothing healing time.
Discover Amazing
Take time to contemplate that every human being living (currently 7.9 billion3) carries this light according to yoga philosophy and beautifully told in a vedic fable.4 It is this light that makes human beings special yet no one human being is better or less than the next because of it. In this sense sex, race, intelligence, wealth, etc. is irrelevant. What is significant is we each individually can choose to increase the shine of our inner light like a lighthouse for the betterment of ourselves, those around us and the world.5
Discover and experience for yourself this amazing ability to increase the brightness of your own inner light. Then notice if it truly does create a healing and soothing effect on yourself and those around you.
Namaste
(the Light in me honours the Light in you)
movement is health; health is movement SHINE your LIGHT brightly be in AWE of YOU
Discover amazing treasures in the Archive:
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Disclaimer: Be safe, know your limits and move wisely without causing harm to yourself. Information provided in this newsletter is for you to explore and discover how your body works. It is not to diagnose any medical condition. Please consult with a physician or physiotherapist if you have concerns.
https://www.yogajournal.com/practice/beginners/the-meaning-of-namaste/
https://chopra.com/articles/learn-the-meaning-of-namaste
Dr. Svami Purna, Yoga, A Practical Introduction, Candle Visualization, page 68
https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/
This fable is shared in Rod Stryker’s book, The Four Desires, in the last chapter as follows:
The following fable from the Vedic tradition serves as a beautiful reminder of something essential that is all too easily forgotten.
Many, many centuries ago, God was looking for a place to hide. You see, in those days She was receiving any and all who wanted to have an audience with Her. God’s doors were open 24/7. All you had to do was knock on Her palace doors, wait your turn, and you would be received. It’s no surprise that there was an endless line of devotees and seekers, as well as a lot of people who wanted stuff and who wanted to deliver their prayers directly to Her.
As was Her policy back then, God felt obligated to listen to each request. You can imagine that neither God, the angels, nor any of their attendants had a moment’s rest. There were far too many people to attend to and too many requests to be heard. Some people were asking for their next child to be a girl; others were asking for a rich harvest, for it to rain or to stop raining, for more money, for healing for a sick relative, for help to see the future or to attain some extraordinary power, or that God would relieve them of grief and fear. It all got to be so much that God didn’t have any time to attend to any godly business.
Having determined that something had to change, She convened all the greatest sages in order to discuss with them how to stem the constant flow of those looking to Her to fulfil all their desires and solve all their problems. The first sage suggested that they build Her a new palace at the highest point in the Himalayas, on Mount Everest. “No one has ever scaled Mount Everest,” the sage said. “You will be undisturbed for eternity, and thus the natural order will be restored.”
God shook Her head. “No,” she said. “In a day or two [the ancient teachings tell us that a day in God’s life is equivalent to a hundred thousand years in ours], human beings’ desire and determination will allow them to get to the top of Everest. We’ll need a different plan.”
A second sage offered, “Let’s build your new castle on the moon. Human beings will never get to the moon. There you will have all the quiet and peace you can imagine, and the order of things will be restored.”
God just sighed and said, “No. In two or three days, human beings will find a way to get to the moon.”
At a loss, all the sages fell silent.
“I have the answer,” God said. “I’ll put a small part of myself inside every person’s heart. It will be the last place they’ll look.”
“Do you ever have the urge to improve the world but do not know how? By becoming this flame, this constant positive energy field, you will do the greatest service to the world, to your family and friends, and to yourself.” Dr. Svami Purna, Yoga, A Practical Introduction, Candle Visualization, page 68