Look on the Bright Side

Another week has passed and it seems like it has come and gone so quickly. Time feels as though it moves at a snail's pace here, but at the same time the days and weeks are suddenly behind you before you realize.

This week marked the Indian festival of Diwali - a celebration of triumph of good over evil, light over darkness. And what better way to mark the occasion than by huge fireworks displays?! Every night as the yoga students headed to bed, Indian families joined together outside of their homes and lit fuse after fuse. There were small pops and huge bangs and fireworks that shot out of cones and ones that you could swing around on ropes. It made the fourth of July feel like child's play. And while Diwali, like many holidays at home, seems to revolve around the laughter and excitement of all the things that are occurring in the streets, the holiday has spiritual significance as well. This "festival of lights" refers not just to the pyrotechnic displays, but to the celebration of the inner light residing in all of us. It is a way to remember that our strength and beauty can develop into something that has the ability to overcome darkness in all of its forms.

This seemed to be the theme this week, as in conference today, my teacher, Sharath, discussed the meaning of the word "guru." Commonly translated as teacher, the actual breakdown of the word means "one who dispels darkness", and it is through devotion to your teacher and the teachings, that you will find a guide in this journey from dark to light. Today we were reminded that there is a brightness within each one of us, and as that develops we, in turn, allow ourselves to turn away from the dark - from the negativity that accompanies greed and anger and ego. But for most of us, finding this brightness and allowing it to shine is challenging. Sometimes we need a little help, even if we're afraid to ask for it. It is a long and difficult process - it can take a lifetime (some would argue longer) - but with help we can accomplish it, and along the way there is so much to learn and absorb, so much knowledge and wisdom to be gained.

I love this notion of inner light - and always have. Most of the faiths that I have studied use the analogy of inner light in some way - and I love it that yoga, as well as its teachers, carry on this tradition. It provides a connection between all of us, no matter what race or religion, age or gender. We are all on the path to finding our personal spark of light, working hard in order to allow it to well up within us, and then once it is developed, allowing it to shine brightly, emanating as a beacon that perhaps, with much discipline and devotion, might inspire someone else to brush aside the darkness with their own small, but brightly burning flame. And even though our paths may diverge and there may be many stops along the way, we are all beginning from the same place and traveling to the same destination. We're all making our way through this world just trying to look on the bright side.

Happy Diwali to everyone. May your days be filled with laughter and joy, your nights with peace and comfort and may your inner light shine more brightly than you ever thought possible.