Becoming Luminous * Mindfulness Garden Games

Becoming Luminous – this week’s mindfulness focus

Last week we visited the Creatures of Light exhibit at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. I of course knew about fireflies, having chased hundreds of them as a child in Pennsylvania. However, I didn’t realize how many other organisms from sea creatures to fungi give off their own light. There are even bioluminescent algae that light up bodies of water when it is dark. These entities glow for a variety of reasons…attracting a mate, attracting food, and in the case of the fungi, attracting insects that will distribute their spores. But the result is the same, a magical and sometimes eerie glow that is endlessly fascinating to humans.

I don’t know that any of these creatures think much about the fact that they give off light. But it did get me thinking about being luminous and what it would feel like to glow from within, or to look down at my hands and see them glowing. Sadly this isn’t possible for humans, but luminosity has a poetic meaning that is well within our reach.

Be the light you wish to see in the world(1)

We all know people who bring light to the world. How could we more consistently be one of those people? What would it mean for us to shine our own internal light? This week we can mindfully turn our attention to that idea.

There are some obvious common themes, like practicing kindness and acceptance. Most of us are not intentionally unkind, but when we are tired or immersed in our own challenges, it’s easy to ignore all the daily opportunities we have for practicing with everyone. So as a starting point we can simply be attentive to the times we can be kinder or more accepting.

We can also cultivate joy. Yes there is an abundance of sorrow on the planet, but there is an equal amount of joy. We can get stuck in sorrow as a habit or we can choose to consciously shift our attention to joy.

Becoming luminous might also mean re-committing to our spiritual practices, righting a wrong, or speaking up about injustice. The idea of glowing from within might present different images for each of us. However we define it, this week’s intentional focus is on being radiant and lighting up our world.

For more information on mindfulness focus words click here.