The Light in You

In the presentation that launched this 30-day practice, for my part on meditation, I spoke about two things that seemed like fairly radical ideas.

The first was to underscore that quieting your mind is a challenge, and that’s normal. It’s normal that a new thought crosses your mind every 1.5 seconds on average, and it’s normal that every new thought is a psychological release.

The second thing I said that felt like a radical idea was about “Namaste,” and what it means, and why we say it in the first place.

Namaste means, “The light in me sees and acknowledges the light in you.”

The light in me sees and acknowledges the light in you.

Today I’d like to ask you to focus on the first part of that phrase. The light inside. The light in each of us.

It felt radical to say this on the first day of this year’s WOTVS conference, and it’s why it still feels radical to write it today – because we never do this.

Right?

We never focus on what’s “light” or “divine” in each of us. But I think we’re missing something important when we skip this part.

Yet the ancient yogis – who seemed to know a thing or two – prioritized it this way. The light in me (first) sees and acknowledges the light in you.

I think we need to do exactly this. I think we’re at a point where we need to remember that there’s something “light” and “divine” inside each of us, and we need to see that, first, in order to better see the light in others.

I don’t know about you, but I’m looking for that in the people I meet. I’m looking for their light, for what’s special and unique about them. I think I’m better able to do that because I took some time that day, during meditation, to remember that there’s a light in me too. In that way, I’m better equipped to find it in someone else.

So today, let’s go a little off book and do something we almost never do. Just for these few minutes today during meditation, let’s turn inward and look for the light inside.

Can I tell you what I think is going to happen?

Our objections and our thoughts – those invasive whirling dervishes – are going to jump into action. They’re going to whirl away at saying, This is weird. Or, I don’t have the hubris for this. Or whatever.

Let them whirl. See their objections. Notice them. Find them interesting, even. And then let them tucker out.

Then. Then! Turn to the focus of the meditation that I’m suggesting today. Turn to focus on the light within.

It’s juicy in there. I promise.

The more we do this, the more we see. The more often we do this, the more often we remember this light. And the more able we are, then, to see it in someone else.

I hope it helps somehow. Please let us know. We’re curious.

Namaste. The light in me sees the light in you.

Cathy