More Light

"Sunrise" by Krugg6 on Flickr

I wake up early in the morning, usually at 4:45 latest 5:15. When you get up that early, you can't help but notice the sunrise. For a while now, by the time I get on the computer at 7:00, the sun is still very low. I need to turn on the light and there's no need to pull the curtains. One unexpected pleasure of waking up so early though, is that I have gotten the chance to experience the sunrise happening earlier and earlier. It gives my heart such a lift when at 6:15, light is peeking around the curtains. And right now, the curtains are all open and I need no lamp to see. I know I'm not the only one who gets a little sad when daylight savings time ends as winter rolls around and the days get shorter. They say from that point, you lose a minute of daylight until December 21 (winter solstice). It's pitch black before 5:00! So I can't be the only one who gets excited when the days start to get longer. I love the fact that by 5:30PM, I'm only thinking about closing up the curtains and drawing the blinds . . . there's still light out.

Light is, I see, so important to me. Especially the natural light given off by the sun and, to a lesser extent, by fire. It helps me emotionally in incalculable ways. An earlier sunrise and a later sunset means summer and the accompanying warmth is close by. Although I'm a winter baby, I need warmth--not the warmth of a heater but the warmth of the sun--to feel well all around.

On another note, I was lying down doing the final relaxation of my yoga routine. There I was focusing on taking deep breaths--inhale . . . exhale. It was very still. I could hear my guys sleeping in the other room. Isn't it interesting how we breathe the correct way when we are sleeping? Deep, full, cleansing breaths without even thinking too hard about it? It made me think about how much power resides in our unconscious states or in a state where our thoughts are not cluttering out mind . . . interestingly enough, I read about the Niyama (Codes for Living Soulfully) called Shaucha or Purity today.

"Shaucha, cleanliness, is the first niyama. Not only external cleanliness, like having a shower, brushing your teeth, etc., but purity of actions, purity of mind from evil and distracting, unnecessary thoughts and from bad, haunting memories."

Excellent article that I've been reading daily for the last few days: The Ten Living Principles--Yamas and Niyamas.

Sunlight is . . . pure. Enjoy more light and more love today.

"Suncatcher" by Ecstaticist on Flickr