Sutra 1.36: This Little Light of Mine

Samadhi Pada: Yoga of Being in the Now

1.36 Visoka va jyotismati

• visoka = free of suffering and sorrow
• va = or
• jyotismati = concentration on the inner light

Continuing our "mini-series" of Sutras 1.32-1.39, brings us to sutra 1.36:

- Sutra 1.32 introduces the idea of single pointed focus which is the theme for this miniseries.

- Sutra 1.33 provides four locks and four keys to work towards peace in relationships and internal calm.

- Sutra 1.34-1.39 provides oars to help row towards the path of peace

- Sutra 1.34 the oar of breath

- Sutra 1.35 the oar of the senses

- Sutra 1.36 the oar of light 

Sutra 1.36 focuses on using the oar (or anchor) of your own inner light. Hands up if you can remember all the way back to Sutra 1.3 which we tackled in February (I couldn't and had to scroll back to find/read it)! Sutra 1.3 says that at our core we are divine. For a visual, each and every one of us holds a bright, shiny light inside. It's very easy to see this in babies and very young children who radiate this light from simply being. However, as we grow, we start to develop stories and opinions and beliefs that tend to enclose and conceal this light. Our light never stops existing, but the challenges and setbacks in life and in the world can sometimes make it very difficult for us to make out and recognize our authentic, magnificent, shiny, bright true selves. Sutra 1.36 tells us we can still the mind and move away the layers that may make us believe we're small by focusing all of our attention on this light within. 

This week's meditation does exactly this and comes from a meditation I experienced in Guatemala called "Go to Glow" So, like last week, grab some headphones, find a comfortable spot to sit and press play (to download a copy of this meditation, on your desktop click the arrow in the square on the right)

Your challenge for this week is to do one (or both) of the following things - practice this meditation at least once a day for the next 7 days and/or pull out your baby album and look over your baby pics. Trust me when I say that I know how truly difficult it can be sometimes at different times in life to believe that you have anything shiny and bright within. But, I promise that the lightness and radiance reflected in the pictures of you as a baby is still there. We all hold within us a unique light that only we can express into the universe. Your job (sometimes the most difficult one) is to recognize it, so you can shine it!  

Sutra 1.36 Or concentration on the inner light 

that is free from suffering and sorrow.