Reclaiming the Light Within
By: Jessica Sarter
When we “fall back” on November 2nd, we don’t just adjust our clocks. We adjust our bodies, our minds, and our energy fields. For many of us, it brings that familiar heaviness: fatigue that creeps in earlier, motivation that fades, and moods that shift with the setting sun. But yogic philosophy reminds us that light isn’t only something that rises in the sky. It’s something that rises within us.
As the days grow shorter, it’s natural to crave brightness. I feel it too. But what I’ve learned through years of practice is that the radiance we miss in the outer world also lives inside us. We call this inner sun the Manipura, or the solar plexus chakra. The solar plexus is the cluster of nerve networks right above your abdomen, which in yogic philosophy is thought to be the center of willpower, vitality, and transformation. When this energy center is strong, we feel awake, confident, and full of life no matter what’s happening outside. When it’s weak, we can feel dull and unmotivated. But the good news is that it’s up to you how you experience this time of transition!
In yoga, we often talk about the connection between the outer world and the inner one. Just as the sun gives life and warmth to everything around us, we too carry a spark of that same vitality inside. When the light outside begins to fade, it can serve as a reminder to check in with our own energy and how we’re tending to it.
One of the most effective ways I’ve found to lift my energy during this time is through a simple morning practice. In Kundalini Yoga, the early hours before sunrise, known as Amrit Vela, are considered sacred. The world is quiet, the mind is clear, and prana flows freely. I don’t always make it up that early, but even ten minutes in the morning light can completely shift my mood and mindset for the day. Mornings are busy, and that’s okay. Hopefully you have at least a few days a week that you can devote to a full kriya, but when you can’t, even committing to a small window of practice will yield wonderful results. Here’s one of my favorite short sequences to awaken your inner sun.
Breath of Fire: Use this breath, a rapid inhale and exhale through the nose, to power up your body and envision your solar plexus lighting up as you do. (1-3 minutes)
Ego Eradicator: Extend your arms up in a V-shape with fingers curled tight into the top of the palm and your thumbs pointing toward the sky and continue with Breath of Fire. Visualize your inner radiance expanding through the arc between your thumbs and moving out into the universe.. (1-3 minutes)
Morning Mantra: With your solar plexus activated, you can now sit gently in easy pose and chant “Ra Ma Da Sa Sa Say So Hung.” This healing mantra connects you with universal light and balance and beautifully matches the energy of the morning. (3-11 minutes)
These practices always energize my students, and I highly recommend incorporating mantra into your mornings. Let your first words of the day be something that sounds and feels beautiful!
But just as important as activating light is learning to rest into darkness. Darkness has its own kind of magic. It asks us to slow down, listen deeply, and move from doing into being. When we align with this rhythm, we stop resisting change and begin to feel its wisdom. The trees aren’t mourning their leaves, they’re conserving energy. The animals aren’t sad about shorter days, they’re instinctively resting. We can do the same, moving in harmony with the seasons rather than fighting them.
I’ve come to love winding down my evenings with movement and mantra.
A basic spinal series before bed has become my favorite ritual. It gets all the kinks out of my back and shoulders and helps me settle into a much more comfortable, restful sleep.
After that, I move into meditation. My personal favorite is Kirtan Kriya, a soothing practice that uses the sounds Sa Ta Na Ma, representing the cycle of birth, life, death, and rebirth. I find it deeply grounding, especially this time of year. You can find wonderful versions online with beautiful music to guide you through. It’s the perfect way to wind down and shift your energy from doing to simply being.
Instead of resisting the darkness, try honoring it. Light a candle, breathe deeply, and feel the peace in stillness. I love to burn incense in the evening, because the scent cues my body and mind that it’s time to unwind and brings a sweetness to this sacred time.
Kundalini Yoga teaches us that we are beings of both radiance and rest. Our vitality comes not from constant movement but from balance. By embracing both, we come into harmony with ourselves and the natural world. So as Daylight Savings ends, remember that the sun may set earlier, but your inner light is always shining. Through conscious breath, movement, and meditation, you can illuminate your world from the inside out.
Join us for Sunset Sadhana Express: Kundalini for the Twilight Hours, offered Monday through Thursday from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Practicing together as the sun pours through the studio windows is a beautiful reminder that twilight, too, can be a time of illumination and renewal.