In Anusara® yoga there’s a term called “Inner Body Bright.” We’ll get into the specifics of that in a moment, but first I want to invite you to think of it in a way that has far reaching impact…
Consider this: The more you light up yourself, the more you light up the world.
You might be thinking, “Well, that’s obvious.” Or you may be thinking something along the lines of, “Huh?”
Either way, let me expand that a bit.
First of all, ‘light’ is sort of a vague term that’s used a lot when trying to describe things most of us can’t really see. However, if you consider that everything is made up of energy, and that high frequency energy is light, that helps to define it a bit more.
It’s also helpful, for me at least, to remember that there are plenty of people who actually see energetically. I have several friends who can tell you the colour of your aura, which I think is pretty cool, but haven’t yet figured out how to do myself.
At the same time, even if you aren’t able to ‘see’ these energetic plays of light, you can feel them.
Getting back to my main point…
When you illuminate your mind, your heart, and your body, you feel good. When you feel good, that radiates out in everything you do; your thoughts are more peaceful, your expressions more joyful.
And as you experience these lighter feelings, they ripple out, affecting those around you. Beyond that, on an energetic level, as you bring these vibrations of goodness into the here and now, you contribute to raising the frequency of the planet as a whole.
Pretty cool, eh?
Inner Body Bright: Practicing Enlightenment
One of the things I love about Anusara yoga is that the physical instructions also carry the intention of the overarching philosophy.
Take “Inner Body Bright” for example.
If you sit there and think to yourself, “Inner Body Bright” what does it feel like?
Physically there is a natural spaciousness that comes from within, allowing your breath more freedom and clarity. You grow taller, again from the inside, and your heart feels lighter as it lifts. You might feel a sense of interconnection between all the cells of your body as you imagine them shining with health and contentment.
Mentally this instruction brings an ability to expand. It invites you to open your mind and allow a big picture perspective to inform your experience. Your eyes are more attuned to beauty.
Emotionally “Inner Body Bright” creates an ability to move towards harmony. It can subdue the intensity of feelings if you’re caught in a struggle, or allow more flow if things are stuck. It invites you back into a centered state of being.
Spiritually this concept of illuminating from within is loaded with meaning. When you practice lighting up your inner body you are literally becoming enlightened. It might not be the end-all-be-all nirvana that great Masters have attained, but it’s definitely a start.
You can think of it as a practice of enlightenment, because each time you CHOOSE to turn towards the light and allow it to expand within you, you raise your own vibration and shift the frequency of energy all around you.
So what happens when you practice Inner Body Bright?
Well, your experience tells its own story. You might like to journal and explore this idea further. You may have done this already if you are a student of Anusara yoga.
Personally, I often visualize myself lit up from the inside. In my asana practice it can be as simple as a sparkling spaciousness. Beyond that, in my meditation practice and every day life, sometimes I pulse each chakra in rainbow colors of health and vitality.
Sometimes I imagine pure white light shining in every cell of my body and surrounding me as a brilliant energetic field. Sometimes it’s a diamond pillar of light that connects me with the core of the earth and the heart of the sky.
Anytime I feel stuck (angry, fearful, impatient, hurt, etc.) or there is a part of me that is shadowed, I turn my inner gaze toward that part of me and lovingly bathe myself in light.
Is it always that easy? No. But it is absolutely an improvement in attitude and helps me get back to my truth.
Always when playing light games like this there is a connection to something bigger.
So, ultimately, the practice of Inner Body Bright is a deliberate aligning with the expansive consciousness that holds us all in luminous love and invites us to express ourselves creatively as we dance in this divine play of life.
May your own personal practice of being human be a joyful dance in the light, and may you grow the light that already lives within you.
By doing so, may you enjoy the ripples of luminosity that reflect and light up everything around you!