You might have heard a lot about Diwali this week in the news. Diwali is the Hindu festival of lights which celebrates the triumph of light over darkness. The main day for this celebration this week was Saturday the 8th with many people lighting candles, sparklers and fireworks to celebrate new beginnings, the lifting of spiritual darkness and the presence of hope for the future. We certainly need hope in the somewhat crazy world we live in but what if anything does this mean for our yoga practice?
Yoga literally means to yoke or unite our individual self with the higher ultimate cosmic reality. The practice of physical postures, breathing techniques , meditation and yoga nidra all bring us closer to the opportunity to connect to our higher selves. I often talk about our inner light and it is symbolised by a steady candle flame or bright star. ( though there are many other personal symbols you could use) In Diwali when we think of the forces of darkness and the triumph of light over darkness we can see that this could well be our own personal triumph over darkness. In reality this might mean when we are struggling to let go of our busy mind and our need to control we find peace in yoga nidra or meditation connecting to what is really important, the gift of life itself and the breath that sustains it.
So perhaps you could spend a little time lighting a candle and sitting quietly with it ( even if the mind continues its business) just sitting with the breath and gently returning to the breath or your candle when distractions occur. Distractions themselves are not failures but opportunities to practice anew for each time we notice we are drifting we can bring ourselves back to the light.
