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Invocation of Divine Light
The Invocation of Divine Light involves four elements: breath, arm position, energy center visualization, incantation. The diaphragmatic breathing continues throughout the routine, with the arms moving to their next position with an in-breath. Each arm position, except the first, includes a position of the hands accompanied by an energy center visualization and an incantation. The first arm position has no incantation; only a mindful awareness of the breath and the energy center visualization. The first five energy centers are located along your spine, with the sixth center just behind your forehead.
Begin in Tadasan, or Mountain Pose. In Sanskrit, tada means thus, so Tadasan actually translates to Thus Pose. This is a mindful standing pose. Feet are no more than hip-width apart. The closer your feet are together the more challenging it is to keep balance. Feet are parallel with each other, toes pointing forward. Stand upright. Hips above ankles, shoulders above hips. Legs are firm, arms are relaxed and hang comfortably at your sides. Equal weight on both feet, weight distributed evenly on the heels and the balls of the feet.
Start to breathe diaphragmatically, moving the air through your nose. Fill your lungs completely, lifting your chest and drawing your shoulders back slightly as you expand your abdomen and draw your diaphragm down. Exhale by contracting your abdomen and pressing your diaphragm up. Realign your shoulders. Try not to let your ribs collapse, but rather, keep your chest high and wide. Inhale by again expanding the abdomen and drawing down the diaphragm. Resist the tendency to contract the ribcage or move the shoulders, keeping your chest broad and lifting your heart. Let the breath be long and steady, about the same time to inhale as to exhale.
Scan your body foot to head, adjust your pose as necessary to keep a firmly grounded and well-aligned Tadasan. Continue diaphragmatic breathing through the nose.
In the first position you are in Tadasan. Your arms are relaxed and hanging free, hands relaxed, palms turned toward your thighs. Visualize the energy center at the base of your spine. Imagine the center as a red square located at the base of your spine. As you inhale, send your breath towards the square. Each breath makes the square brighter and more vividly red. As you exhale, imagine the red light of the square radiating out toward the palms of your hands. With each breath the radiation to your hands becomes more intense and more connected with your hands. Stay in this position for seven very mindful diaphragmatic breaths.
After your seventh exhale, with your next in-breath, turn your palms to face forward. Energize your arms, firming them as you lengthen them, open your palms and stretch your arms energetically toward the ground then slowly move your hands outward from your side until they are in line with the area just above your groin, palms face forward. This is the second arm position. Keep the arms energized and straight. Visualize the energy center located on the spine about a hand’s width above the base of your spine. Imagine the center as an orange crescent moon with the points of the crescent aiming upward. As you inhale, send your breath towards the crescent. Each breath makes the crescent brighter and more vividly orange. As you exhale, imagine the orange light of the crescent radiating out toward the palms of your hands. With each breath the radiation to your hands becomes more intense and more connected with your hands. Stay in this position for seven very mindful diaphragmatic breaths. With the seventh exhale say, “I am created by the Divine Light!”
With your next in-breath, turn your palms to face upward. Energize your arms, firming them as you lengthen them and stretch your arms energetically then slowly move your hands up and out from your side until they are in line with the area about a hand’s width above your belly button. This is the third arm position. Keep the arms energized and straight, palms facing up. Visualize the energy center located on the spine directly behind the area a hand’s width above your belly button. Imagine the center as a yellow triangle with the apex of the triangle aiming downward. As you inhale, send your breath towards the triangle. Each breath makes the triangle brighter and more vividly yellow. As you exhale, imagine the yellow light of the triangle radiating out toward the palms of your hands. With each breath the radiation to your hands becomes more intense and more connected with your hands. Stay in this position for seven very mindful diaphragmatic breaths. With the seventh exhale say, “I am sustained by the Divine Light!”
With your next in-breath, energize your arms, firming them as you lengthen them and slowly move your arms up and out from your side until they are in line with your shoulders, left arm reaching left, right arm reaching right. Turn your palms out and away from you, as if you are an old style trafic cop signaling trafic to stop from both directions at once. Your arms are parallel with the earth and make a straight line palm to palm across your shoulders. This is the fourth arm position. Keep the arms energized and straight. Visualize the energy center located on the spine directly behind your heart. Imagine the center as a green six-pointed star. As you inhale, send your breath towards the star. Each breath makes the star brighter and more vividly green. As you exhale, imagine the green light of the star radiating out toward the palms of your hands. With each breath the radiation to your hands becomes more intense and more connected with your hands. Stay in this position for seven very mindful diaphragmatic breaths. With the seventh exhale say, “I am protected by the Divine Light!”
With your next in-breath, energize your arms, firming them as you lengthen them and slowly move your arms upward until your hands are in line with the top of your head. Turn your palms upward. This is the fifth arm position. Keep the arms and fingers energized and straight. Visualize the energy center located on the spine directly behind the pit of your throat. Imagine the center as a blue sphere. As you inhale, send your breath towards the sphere. Each breath makes the sphere brighter and more vividly blue. As you exhale, imagine the blue light of the sphere radiating out toward the palms of your hands. With each breath the radiation to your hands becomes more intense and more connected with your hands. Stay in this position for seven very mindful diaphragmatic breaths. With the seventh exhale say, “I am surrounded by the Divine Light!”
With your next in-breath, energize your arms, firming them as you lengthen them and slowly move your arms upward until they are pointing straight up. Turn your palms upward and lace your fingers together, palms facing the sky. This is the sixth arm position. Keep the arms energized and straight. Visualize the energy center located in your head directly behind the bridge of your nose. Imagine the center as a violet dot. As you inhale, send your breath towards the dot. Each breath makes the dot brighter and more vividly violet. As you exhale, imagine the violet light of the dot radiating out toward the palms of your hands. With each breath the radiation to your hands becomes more intense and more connected with your hands. Stay in this position for seven very mindful diaphragmatic breaths. With the seventh exhale say, “I am ever growing into the Divine Light!”
Inhale stretching up, gently release the interlace of your fingers, and with the exhale slowly lower your arms back down to your side, returning to Tadasan. This completes one round of The Invocation of Divine Light. Repeat the Invocation (the entire series of positions, visualizations, and incantations) five times.
After the fifth round, stretch your arms upward as you inhale into a gentle backbend, then exhale forward into waterfall. Gracefully lower your self to the ground, then from the relaxation or meditation pose of your preference, meditate for as long as it seems like the right thing to do.
The entire invocation is ...
“I am created by the Divine Light.
“I am sustained by the Divine Light.
“I am protected by the Divine Light.
“I am surrounded by the Divine Light.
“I am ever growing into the Divine Light.”
After your meditation, you may like to end your practice with the following recitation:
“I belong to the Divine Light. I am a child of Immortality, chosen by the Divine. Victory is certain, I can not fail. Even if I should fall I will rise again. I have only to be true to Myself and to the Light. This is the greatest Truth.”
Shanti, shanti, shanti.
Begin in Tadasan, or Mountain Pose. In Sanskrit, tada means thus, so Tadasan actually translates to Thus Pose. This is a mindful standing pose. Feet are no more than hip-width apart. The closer your feet are together the more challenging it is to keep balance. Feet are parallel with each other, toes pointing forward. Stand upright. Hips above ankles, shoulders above hips. Legs are firm, arms are relaxed and hang comfortably at your sides. Equal weight on both feet, weight distributed evenly on the heels and the balls of the feet.
Start to breathe diaphragmatically, moving the air through your nose. Fill your lungs completely, lifting your chest and drawing your shoulders back slightly as you expand your abdomen and draw your diaphragm down. Exhale by contracting your abdomen and pressing your diaphragm up. Realign your shoulders. Try not to let your ribs collapse, but rather, keep your chest high and wide. Inhale by again expanding the abdomen and drawing down the diaphragm. Resist the tendency to contract the ribcage or move the shoulders, keeping your chest broad and lifting your heart. Let the breath be long and steady, about the same time to inhale as to exhale.
Scan your body foot to head, adjust your pose as necessary to keep a firmly grounded and well-aligned Tadasan. Continue diaphragmatic breathing through the nose.
In the first position you are in Tadasan. Your arms are relaxed and hanging free, hands relaxed, palms turned toward your thighs. Visualize the energy center at the base of your spine. Imagine the center as a red square located at the base of your spine. As you inhale, send your breath towards the square. Each breath makes the square brighter and more vividly red. As you exhale, imagine the red light of the square radiating out toward the palms of your hands. With each breath the radiation to your hands becomes more intense and more connected with your hands. Stay in this position for seven very mindful diaphragmatic breaths.
After your seventh exhale, with your next in-breath, turn your palms to face forward. Energize your arms, firming them as you lengthen them, open your palms and stretch your arms energetically toward the ground then slowly move your hands outward from your side until they are in line with the area just above your groin, palms face forward. This is the second arm position. Keep the arms energized and straight. Visualize the energy center located on the spine about a hand’s width above the base of your spine. Imagine the center as an orange crescent moon with the points of the crescent aiming upward. As you inhale, send your breath towards the crescent. Each breath makes the crescent brighter and more vividly orange. As you exhale, imagine the orange light of the crescent radiating out toward the palms of your hands. With each breath the radiation to your hands becomes more intense and more connected with your hands. Stay in this position for seven very mindful diaphragmatic breaths. With the seventh exhale say, “I am created by the Divine Light!”
With your next in-breath, turn your palms to face upward. Energize your arms, firming them as you lengthen them and stretch your arms energetically then slowly move your hands up and out from your side until they are in line with the area about a hand’s width above your belly button. This is the third arm position. Keep the arms energized and straight, palms facing up. Visualize the energy center located on the spine directly behind the area a hand’s width above your belly button. Imagine the center as a yellow triangle with the apex of the triangle aiming downward. As you inhale, send your breath towards the triangle. Each breath makes the triangle brighter and more vividly yellow. As you exhale, imagine the yellow light of the triangle radiating out toward the palms of your hands. With each breath the radiation to your hands becomes more intense and more connected with your hands. Stay in this position for seven very mindful diaphragmatic breaths. With the seventh exhale say, “I am sustained by the Divine Light!”
With your next in-breath, energize your arms, firming them as you lengthen them and slowly move your arms up and out from your side until they are in line with your shoulders, left arm reaching left, right arm reaching right. Turn your palms out and away from you, as if you are an old style trafic cop signaling trafic to stop from both directions at once. Your arms are parallel with the earth and make a straight line palm to palm across your shoulders. This is the fourth arm position. Keep the arms energized and straight. Visualize the energy center located on the spine directly behind your heart. Imagine the center as a green six-pointed star. As you inhale, send your breath towards the star. Each breath makes the star brighter and more vividly green. As you exhale, imagine the green light of the star radiating out toward the palms of your hands. With each breath the radiation to your hands becomes more intense and more connected with your hands. Stay in this position for seven very mindful diaphragmatic breaths. With the seventh exhale say, “I am protected by the Divine Light!”
With your next in-breath, energize your arms, firming them as you lengthen them and slowly move your arms upward until your hands are in line with the top of your head. Turn your palms upward. This is the fifth arm position. Keep the arms and fingers energized and straight. Visualize the energy center located on the spine directly behind the pit of your throat. Imagine the center as a blue sphere. As you inhale, send your breath towards the sphere. Each breath makes the sphere brighter and more vividly blue. As you exhale, imagine the blue light of the sphere radiating out toward the palms of your hands. With each breath the radiation to your hands becomes more intense and more connected with your hands. Stay in this position for seven very mindful diaphragmatic breaths. With the seventh exhale say, “I am surrounded by the Divine Light!”
With your next in-breath, energize your arms, firming them as you lengthen them and slowly move your arms upward until they are pointing straight up. Turn your palms upward and lace your fingers together, palms facing the sky. This is the sixth arm position. Keep the arms energized and straight. Visualize the energy center located in your head directly behind the bridge of your nose. Imagine the center as a violet dot. As you inhale, send your breath towards the dot. Each breath makes the dot brighter and more vividly violet. As you exhale, imagine the violet light of the dot radiating out toward the palms of your hands. With each breath the radiation to your hands becomes more intense and more connected with your hands. Stay in this position for seven very mindful diaphragmatic breaths. With the seventh exhale say, “I am ever growing into the Divine Light!”
Inhale stretching up, gently release the interlace of your fingers, and with the exhale slowly lower your arms back down to your side, returning to Tadasan. This completes one round of The Invocation of Divine Light. Repeat the Invocation (the entire series of positions, visualizations, and incantations) five times.
After the fifth round, stretch your arms upward as you inhale into a gentle backbend, then exhale forward into waterfall. Gracefully lower your self to the ground, then from the relaxation or meditation pose of your preference, meditate for as long as it seems like the right thing to do.
The entire invocation is ...
“I am created by the Divine Light.
“I am sustained by the Divine Light.
“I am protected by the Divine Light.
“I am surrounded by the Divine Light.
“I am ever growing into the Divine Light.”
After your meditation, you may like to end your practice with the following recitation:
“I belong to the Divine Light. I am a child of Immortality, chosen by the Divine. Victory is certain, I can not fail. Even if I should fall I will rise again. I have only to be true to Myself and to the Light. This is the greatest Truth.”
Shanti, shanti, shanti.
Observation, Five Years Later ...
Wow, I sure can make a simple practice seem complicated.
Just breath out to your middle-finger with your arms in each position as you recite the invocation line for each position.
The visualization I use today is different than 2005. I am now visualizing the yantras for the five lights of essense (panchatatvas) instead of chakra yantras. Not an important difference.
Relax and abide in the Divine Light
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ph: 925-238-3032
yogakriy
