One night, a 5 year old child looked up at the stars and exclaimed, “God’s home! All God’s lights are on!”

Yoga teaches us to see God’s Light in one another. Look into the eyes (the window to the soul) and see the Divine Light shining through. Yes, you are seeing that God is home.

In the ultimate state of Self-realization, you see God is home wherever you look. Just as you might see the light of the sun shining through several skylights and windows of your home, one God shines through many eyes. It’s blissful to see this way.

When we greet each other saying “Namaste” with our palms together over our hearts, we are acknowledging that we see the Divine in one another. It’s a practice that brings out the Truth. We are cultivating our ability to see the Truth. The Truth was always there. The Divine was always there.

My favorite quote from last month’s contemplation article is: “Yoga makes you able to settle deeper into your own Beingness, so your essence shines into the world like the full moon lights up the night.”

Your Beingness is your Essence. Your Beingness is who you really are. Your essential nature is not your doingness. You may define yourself by what you do, but that isn’t who you really are. If you get caught up in doingness (busyness), your light grows dimmer. First settle into your Beingness, then your light shines naturally from within —whatever you do.

That’s a good tip for the holiday season: a time when it’s very easy to get caught up in too much busyness. That’s how we get depleted. Our light grows dimmer. You don’t feel like your Self. With the nights growing longer, this is a good reason to keep your energy tank full so that your light can continue to shine more brightly.

This holiday season is a time to experience peace and joy. Peace and joy come together when you experience the Bliss of Beingness. In this month’s contemplation article, Sharing Your Happiness, Swami writes that Svaroopa® yoga is called “bliss yoga” because: “…its purpose is for you to experience svaroopa, the bliss of your own Beingness.”

She says: “If you’re not yet established in yogic bliss, you can access it anytime with just a few minutes of yoga…It happens in every class. In every meditation program.”

So we wish you great peace and joy this holiday season — actually the whole month and forever more! Please join us whenever you can to replenish your bliss reservoir and to keep it full. We want you to keep shining!