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Divine Light Invocation

Karen Casey-Smith — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 23:47:59 +0000

Swami Sivananda Radha

The Divine Light Invocation is a concise, powerful way of bringing Light not only into your own life, but sharing it with others. It’s a standing meditation that combines body, breath and mind for healing yourself on all levels.

Truly the Light is always there, but to identify with it and recognize the Light within is transforming. I believe the benefits only increase with continued practice. It seems to me to be very heart-centered. I felt such an affinity for this practice from the first time I used it, I wanted to share it. I was very kindly given permission to post the Invocation instructions and Swami Radha’s picture here.

The Divine Light Invocation was given to us by Swami Sivananda Radha, a highly respected spiritual teacher, and to my mind, a pioneer. From her bio we learn that Swami Radha was among the first Westerners and first women to bring yoga to the West. She was 44 when she went to India after having a powerful visionary experience of her guru. This was in 1955. She left everything and traveled to India to meet Swami Sivananda. In February 1956, she was initiated into sanyas, a commitment to a life of selfless service and renunciation, and was asked to return to Canada to start an ashram and many centers of Light. Her remaining forty years were spent passionately committed to the teachings.

She founded Yasodhara Ashram and the Radha Yoga Centres, as well as Timeless Publishing, which has published her ten books on yoga. She also founded Ascent Magazine, which has blossomed into an international yoga magazine. Her book, The Divine Light Invocation, is the classic guide for this practice. Read it for in-depth instructions and the extended story of the origins of the practice.

Many blessings to you all.

Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.

The Divine Light Invocation Instructions

Stand erect, feet shoulder width apart. Keep your eyes closed and focus them on the space between the eyebrows. Lift your arms above your head at the same time as you smoothly and gradually tense the whole body while you inhale. (Your arms should be kept straight and the tension maintained throughout the body.) Hold the tension and the breath. Make the following affirmation to yourself silently, (with all the concentration possible):

I am created by Divine Light.
I am sustained by Divine Light.
I am protected by Divine Light.
I am surrounded by Divine Light.
I am ever growing into Divine Light.

Then slowly lower your arms as you exhale and relax. Keep your eyes closed and use your imagination to see yourself standing in a shower of brilliant while Light. See the Light pouring down upon you, flowing into the body through the top of your head, filling your entire being.

Now without raising the arms, keeping them at your sides, tense the body and inhale. Hold the tension and the breath. Mentally repeat the Invocation:

I am created by Divine Light.
I am sustained by Divine Light.
I am protected by Divine Light.
I am surrounded by Divine Light.
I am ever growing into Divine Light.

Slowly exhale and relax. With your arms at the side of the body, concentrate on feeling a warm glow of Light suffuse your entire body, outside as well as inside. Acknowledge silently to yourself:

Every cell of this, my physical body, is filled with Divine Light. Every level of consciousness is illumined with Divine Light. Divine Light penetrates every single cell of my being, every level of consciousness. I have become a channel of pure Light. I am one with the Light.

The Divine Light Invocation is an exercise of will, as well as an act of surrender. Be receptive to the Light and accept that you are now a channel of Divine Light.

Express your gratitude with deep feeling. Have the desire to share this gift with someone you wish to help. Turn your palms forward.

You can now share the Divine Light with any friend or relative. Keep your eyes closed and visualize him or her standing before you. Mentally open the doors of your heart centre and let the Light stream forth toward the feet of this person. See the Light encircling this person and spiraling up in a clockwise direction, enveloping the body completely. See the spiral moving high up into the sky, taking his or her image along with it. Finally, the person merges into the source of Light and becomes one with the Light. (You may even lift your head, following the spiral of Light, keeping your eyes closed.)

When the person has passed from your view, relax and silently give thanks for the opportunity to help someone in need. (You are now ready to begin all over again, putting others into the light in the same way.)

Consejo de las Rosas

Karen Casey-Smith — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 20:22:43 +0000

Consejo de las Rosas is my newest flower mandala, my first new one in quite some time. It was created from my own photograph. I’ve been feeling the pull to create one for awhile now. From time to time, I need to remind myself not to put off doing the things I love, no matter how busy I think I am! Maybe that’s best said, take time to do what you love especially when you think you’re too busy. Actually, some great advice from a dear friend is, do what you love first in the day. You truly do get more accomplished when you do things in that order. It really works; I know it does. Try it, and see for yourself if it’s the same for you.

The name, Consejo de las Rosas, means Council of the Roses in English. I’ve been learning the beautiful Spanish language. It seems to convey the feeling of the mandala so well. I love these roses. They’re the deepest of reds, with petals like fine velvet, and a heady fragrance. Don’t you love it when you’ve been smelling the roses and the scent gets on your nose so that you catch that fragrance again and again as you go about your day? Ahhhh!

Each mandala carries a unique energy. This one is a heart centered connection, and calls the many parts of yourself home where they are unified, renewed and empowered, connecting the energy field to all light. This is best of all places to be, and to act from.

One of the lovely things about these mandalas, in fact all mandalas, is how they can draw you in to focus and still your mind, allowing you to reconnect to the timeless “you”. They can be healing, balancing, and transforming. They are a visual meditation.

Be sure and click on the picture to see a larger version. Thanks for looking! I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed making it.

Heart Sutra Mandala

Karen Casey-Smith — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 17:14:09 +0000

In the Heart Sutra mandala, all things are interconnected, all things point to center. It’s about light and awakening.

The chakras are represented by rainbows of color, with light moving through and illuminating them. Lotus flowers are a symbol for awakening to the spiritual reality of life. The six pointed star is the central image in the heart chakra. The heart chakra is the middle chakra in a system of seven. It symbolizes the two polarities of body and spirit as interpenetrating in perfect balance. The triangle pointing upward symbolizes matter rising into spirit. The downward triangle represents spirit descending into manifestation. The chain in this symbolizes the illusion that the way to the center, to enlightenment is barred and difficult to attain.

This mandala seemed to have named itself. Even while I was making it, I just found that I was calling it by this name. At that time I hadn’t read the Heart Sutra. Perhaps it doesn’t illustrate the sutra literally, nevertheless no other name seems right. Though I’m not a Buddhist I have a longstanding interest in, and appreciation for, the teachings.

All my mandalas, whether they’re drawings or from photographs of flowers, are created intuitively. The elements in the images aren’t consciously chosen for their symbolism. The meaning is revealed when the mandalas are completed. I hope you find the mandala a beautiful meditation.

The following is the mantra, in Sanskrit, for the Heart Sutra and one translation for it by George Boeree, Ph.D. It’s said to be the mantra that removes all suffering.

Gaté, gaté, paragaté, parasamgaté. Bodhi! Svaha! Which means… Gone, gone, gone over, gone fully over. Awakened! So be it!

For anyone who might be interested, I’d like to share a video of the heart sutra and mantra being sung by Imee Ooi, with wording added to help you understand what you’re listening to. Thanks to fastzone for the video. As he says, stay peaceful.