Honoring the Undying Light

As I close out 2025, I find myself returning again and again to one simple truth: energy never dies, it only transforms.

Einstein reminded us of this long ago. And when we remember that light is energy, it means something powerful: there is an undying light within every one of us.

This teaching surfaced for me through conversations with my friend and fellow yoga teacher Craig in Kentucky. We spoke about how heavy life feels right now for so many people, in so many ways. Those conversations shaped a class I taught last week, one that held space for grief, uncertainty, anger, love, hope, and exhaustion all at once. It felt like the right teaching to offer as the year comes to a close.

We are living in dark times. Personal loss, health struggles, economic stress, political division, global violence, and a constant stream of overwhelming news. Even the holidays, often centered around light, can feel dissonant when our hearts are tired or grieving.

And yet… yesterday marked the Winter Solstice. From here on out, the days slowly grow longer. The light returns, almost imperceptibly at first. And maybe that’s the invitation, not to pretend everything is okay, but to remember that light exists even when darkness feels dominant.

I wish I had the power to erase suffering. I don’t. But what I do have is the capacity to choose how I meet the world, and to invite others to remember their own agency.

We all carry light. And every interaction we have becomes an opportunity: Will we meet pain with more pain… or with compassion? Will we meet fear with fear… or with steadiness and care?

A student recently reminded me of the Native American parable of the two wolves. One wolf representing love, kindness, and peace; the other representing anger, fear, and greed. The wolf that wins is the one we feed.

Yoga is not about bypassing reality. It’s about staying awake inside it. It asks us to tend carefully to our attention, because what we focus on grows.

A Candle-Gazing Meditation

• Light a candle and sit comfortably.

• Let your gaze rest softly on the flame.

• Notice how it remains present even as it flickers.

• Breathe slowly and repeat: “My light endures.”

• Close your eyes and imagine that flame living inside your heart.

• Sit for a few moments, letting that light feel steady and alive.

As this year closes, may you honor your light. May you protect it. And may you use it to brighten the lives of those you touch, because every act of kindness ripples outward in ways we may never fully see.