By Swami Prajñananda

I was waiting at my gate at the airport when a young mom came by with her toddler leading the way. Wobbling, walking and crawling around, the toddler came up to the different people sitting at the gate. 

She was very curious and full of life. And completely adorable in her pink onesie and white and pink shoes. But what made the biggest impression was her undeniable light. She emanated from the inside out. And everyone who saw her was affected. They too began to smile and shine.  

You know this feeling. It is important because so often we are missing it. In fact, a lot of the people waiting at the gate weren’t looking very radiant. They looked bored, preoccupied, some annoyed or worried. But when they saw this toddler, in an instant, their feeling changed. 

While this girl was certainly full of light, the change for each person came from the inside. It’s an instantaneous shift because the light is inherent to you. When you are at your best, you glow from the inside out. 

What is this glow? Yoga describes that your light shines from its source inside, your own inner essence, called your capital-S Self. Your own Self is the essence of who you are. It is the source of your joy, light and peace. 

We can see this pure essence shining from a child so easily. Yet this light is present within you as well, even when you don’t feel it. You know this is true for when you do feel the light and the joy, it is natural, effortless. You don’t question it. You are simply being you. 

Yet you don’t feel this way all the time. Why? The problem is you tend to look in the exact opposite direction of where your light is located. It is quite the paradox. You want to feel the light, the peace, the joy, yet you look away from where it is sourced — inside. 

This is why you look for things that will make you feel good. It could be spending time in your garden, taking a walk, time with a dear friend or family member, cuddle time with a pet or alone time with music or a good book. Whatever that thing is, the point is that it makes you feel — or you hope it will make you feel — a certain way. 

While this is important, why settle for feeling this way only some of the time? Why not go for all the time?  Your own essence is so great! The whole point of yoga and meditation is to help you realize your own greatness all the time. 

Gurudevi explains it this way: 

Gradually you grow into the greatness that has been hidden within for so long. Your inner light begins to shine. Let it shine, let it shine, all the time.

Gurudevi Nirmalananda, “No More Negativity”, August 2022

What a promise! This is the promise of yoga — that you grow into your own Self. 

Your essence is always there; it is who you are. Yet, as Gurudevi says, your greatness has been hidden within for so long. It’s like you put all your greatness in a little box and stored it in the basement. You tuck it away behind the shelves and a stack of other boxes. Once you leave the basement, you forget all about your box of greatness. 

Without remembering, you feel like something is missing. So you look around, go outside, go to your neighbors, to the store, to the park, but you just don’t feel satisfied. You lost the essence of who you are. But the thing is, it’s not lost, it’s right in your own home, right inside. 

However, your greatness is not limited to a tiny box; it is all of who you are. Your own Self is so close to you, all you need to do is turn within. It is so simple, yet it is not always easy. For you are so habituated to looking outward. You had good training in this. So what you need now is some re-training — how to look in the other direction.

This is the whole point of yoga and meditation. And this is the reason to have a teacher, a Guru who can support you in growing back into your greatness again. With the help of such a guide and utilizing the practices they give, you are fully empowered. You get to choose what you focus on and who you feel yourself to be. This is a great freedom that you expand into every time you choose you.