You throw a pebble into the pond and watch the ripples move outward from the center point. Although the pebble may have been small to begin with, it holds within it the essence of a pebble and so is able to spread its energy far beyond itself.

The pebble does not try to be something it is not. It does not hide behind labels. It does not try to convince itself or others that it is anything other than a pebble.

With our human thinking minds comes much greatness and creativity and also a clouding of our essence.

Your essence is a never-dimming light at the center of your being. Surrounding it are all of your experiences, beliefs, stories old and new, expectations – yours and others.

Imagine for a moment this bright light shining deep inside of you. Connect to the light with a deep and unwavering trust in its existence, even if you cannot feel it, even if you cannot find words to label it.

When you begin to recognize the clutter for what it is, you can begin to peel back the layers to reveal your essence. You begin to learn what you value most and what you want to contribute to the world. You discover your essence, just as the pebble knows its own.

When you know your essence (mine is love), you know. You can feel its presence in your physical body and it becomes part of how you live your life. It resonates through your thoughts, words, and actions, and in doing so your essence spreads to those around you.

In my life, yoga has been one of the tools that has helped me to more clearly see my essence. When I am on my mat, so much of the clutter melts away and I am able to experience, if only for a brief period of time, the essence of my being. With that experience held in my heart, I can step off my mat and begin to do the work of releasing what I no longer need, lifting the cloud that surrounds my light.

And then my light shines brightly into the world, illuminating the light of other by the power of love.

With Love,