***How To Let Your Authentic Light Shine

Long ago, when your life was new, there was a light that shone brilliantly and freely within you. You carried this creative, loving, joyful spirit with you into this world. This light and power within you was your energetic life force.

Time passed.

You learned the ways of the world.

You began to hide your light.

We all grew up learning the rules. Not wanting to suffer the consequences of misbehaving, we obeyed. Often, we were encouraged not to have our own ideas, emotions, or even our own voices. We learned to hold in our pain and our anger as we ignored, suppressed, and denied the truth of what we believed. Connection with inner spirit, intuition, and gut feelings gradually became more distant as we learned to distrust our bodies and ourselves. We were told, in one way or another, to be less than who we were. Less playful, less noisy, less questioning. Not to shine too brightly. Perhaps we were criticized for our tears and our moods. We were taught to be proper daughters and sons. Instructed to be nice girls- obedient, quiet, clean, moral, and proper. Trained to be strong sons - invincible, unemotional, and stoic. We were taught to fit in, be normal, dutiful, sensible, smiling, caring, and productive at all times. While none of this conformity and adaptation is wrong, how might life be different if we had been encouraged to bring our own authentic ideas and individuality to life?

Bowl of LightnIn Hawaii, storytellers are called “Maolis” which means Light Carriers. These storytellers have a tale about the oppression and deadness of our spirits. The Maolis say:

“Each child born has, at birth, a Bowl of perfect Light. If he tends his light, it will grow in strength and he can do all things - swim with the sharks, fly with the birds, know and understand all things. If, however, he becomes envious, jealous, angry, or fearful, he drops a stone into his Bowl of Light and some of the Light goes out. Light and the stone cannot hold the same space. If he continues to put stones in the Bowl of Light, the Light will go out and he will become a stone himself. A stone does not grow, nor does it move. If at any time he tires of being a stone, all he needs to do is turn the bowl upside down and the stones will fall away and the Light will grow once more.”1

1. Willis, Koko. Tales of the Night Rainbow. Honolulu: Rainbow Publishing.

Visualize Your Bowl of LightnSit in a comfortable position, and gently close your eyes. Taking in several slow, deep breathes, allow a slow relaxing of your body. Taking in another deep breath, relax the mind, and let everything go. As you relax, find yourself in a deep, quiet place inside.

From this quiet place allow the image of your bowl of light to form. Remain open to any image that may come to you. With gentle and interested curiosity begin to see the details of this bowl. What is the size and shape of your bowl? What material is your bowl made of? Is there a color to your bowl?

Notice if there are any rocks at the bottom of the bowl. If so, how many rocks are there? What are the characteristics of the rocks? Is there any light shining through? Or is some (or all) of the light blocked? How much, if any, light shines from your bowl?

Take a few minutes to be with your bowl of light, observing the various details. Offer an accepting and welcoming “hello” to your bowl of light, receiving the bowl of light exactly the way it is. Notice if any feelings or emotions originate from this place. Continue offering compassionate and loving support toward your bowl. If it feels right, you might try asking it to share with you what it represents. Perhaps you might ask if there is anything you could do to allow your beautiful light to completely fill the bowl and radiate outwards?

When you are finished dialoging with your bowl of light, redirect your focus back to your breathing and allow your mind and body to feel relaxed. Take as much time as you need to come back into your physical body. Open your eyes slowly when you are ready.nn