Hello and a warm welcome to Insight Timer.
I'm Rahul Singh.
Before Diwali,
We do something quite beautiful.
We clear our homes.
We open cupboards.
Clean forgotten corners.
And remove things we no longer need.
We make space.
And when the cleaning is done,
We light the diyas.
Small flames that bring warmth and light into our homes.
But perhaps there is another kind of cleaning we need.
Not around us,
But within us.
Because over time we collect things that cannot be seen.
Old disappointments.
Worries that keep returning.
Words someone said that still hurt.
Mistakes we haven't forgiven ourselves for,
And expectations we've carried for so long that we've almost forgotten how heavy they feel.
Sometimes we don't realize how much we're holding.
Until we give ourselves permission to put something down.
So today,
In the spirit of Diwali,
We are going to make a little space within.
We'll recognize one thing that's been weighing on us.
Practice loosening a hold on it.
And welcome something meaningful into the space we create.
We won't try to change everything.
Just one small act of letting go.
And one small light to welcome in.
Find a comfortable position.
You may sit.
Or lie down somewhere quiet.
Allow your hands to rest naturally.
And if it feels comfortable.
Gently close your eyes.
Begin by noticing your breathing.
The gentle movement of air entering your body.
And leaving again.
There is no need to breathe in any particular way.
Just allow your breath to find its own rhythm.
Feel the surface supporting you.
Notice the weight of your body resting against it.
Bring your attention to your shoulders.
And allow them to soften a little.
Relax your jaw.
Let your hands rest.
And allow the muscles around your eyes to become less dense.
Whatever has been happening in your day.
You can set it aside for these next few minutes.
There is nowhere else you need to be right now.
Now imagine walking into a familiar room in your home.
It's a room you've lived in for some time.
Over the years,
Things have accumulated.
Some are useful.
Some remind you of happy moments.
And others have simply remained there.
Long after they've stopped serving a purpose.
Imagine looking around this room.
There's no need to clear everything.
You simply notice what has been taking up space.
Our inner world can become like this room.
We carry memories because they matter.
We hold responsibilities because we care.
But sometimes we continue holding things long after we've done everything we can about them.
Perhaps there's a situation you keep worrying about.
Even though nothing more can be done today.
Perhaps there's a conversation you replay.
Wishing you had said something differently.
Maybe someone disappointed you.
And the hurt still appears when you least expect it.
Or perhaps you've been carrying a quiet disappointment in yourself.
I'd like you to gently ask yourself.
What is one thing I've been carrying that I would like to hold a little less tightly?
Don't search for your deepest pain.
Choose something manageable.
Something that has been occupying more of your thoughts or emotional energy than you'd like.
When something comes to mind.
Simply acknowledge it.
You don't need to explain it.
You don't need to find a solution.
Just Recognize.
This is something I've been carrying.
Now notice how your body responds when you think about it.
Perhaps there's tension in your shoulders.
A heaviness in your chest.
A tightening around your stomach.
Or perhaps you notice very little.
Whatever your experience.
Allow it to be as it is.
And now,
If it's comfortable,
Bring a little attention to your hands.
Imagine that the worry or disappointment you've been carrying is a small object resting in your palms.
Something you've been holding for a long time.
You might gently curl your fingers inward.
As though you're holding that object.
There's no need to grip tightly.
Just enough to notice the feeling of holding.
And consider how often your mind has been doing something similar.
Returning to the same worry.
Revisiting the same moment.
Trying to change something that has already happened.
Or searching for an answer that may not yet be available.
For a moment,
Notice the effort involved in holding on.
Now,
Very gently.
Begin to uncurl your fingers.
Allow your hands to open.
Let your palms soften.
And imagine placing that burden down in front of you.
You don't need to push it away.
You don't need to make it disappear.
Just place it down.
Feel your hands resting without having to hold anything.
Notice the difference between holding something and allowing your hands to be empty.
Stay with that feeling for a few moments.
There's nothing you need to do next.
Perhaps you feel a little lighter.
Perhaps the worry is still present.
Or perhaps you notice that some part of you wants to pick it up again.
That's alright.
The purpose isn't to make a difficult feeling disappear.
It's to discover that you can give yourself a little space around it.
You can return to a responsibility when it's time to act.
You can acknowledge something painful without revisiting it at every opportunity.
And you can give yourself permission to rest even when some things remain unresolved.
Take one comfortable breath in.
And as you breathe out,
Silently say.
.
.
For this moment,
I can put this down.
Feel your hands again.
Open.
Resting.
No longer needing to grip.
Now imagine returning to that room in your home.
The room hasn't changed completely.
There are still things that need attention.
But you've cleared one small space.
And perhaps that is enough for today.
As evening arrives,
You place a small clay diya in that cleared space.
You bring a flame towards its wick.
And slowly the diya begins to glow.
Imagine the warm golden light.
Notice the gentle movement of the flame.
The soft glow spreading across the space around it.
A diya is small,
Yet even a small flame changes the atmosphere of a room.
And there is something meaningful in this Diwali tradition.
We don't clear our homes simply to make them empty.
We clear them to make room for what we wish to welcome.
So now,
I'd like you to consider What would I like to welcome into my life?
Perhaps it's peace.
A little more ease in the way you move through your day.
Perhaps it's forgiveness,
Not necessarily towards someone else,
But towards yourself for being imperfect,
For making mistakes,
Or for not knowing what you know now.
Perhaps it's gratitude.
The ability to notice what is good and meaningful,
Even when life is not exactly as you hope.
Or perhaps it's hope.
The quiet willingness to believe that something worthwhile may still lie ahead.
You may choose any quality that feels meaningful.
Steadiness.
Kindness.
Patience.
Courage.
Or simply a little more joy.
Choose one.
Let the words settle gently in your awareness.
Now imagine that the Diya represents this quality.
Each time you look towards its flame,
You're remembering what you want to make room for.
Not another task.
Not another expectation.
Just something you would like to nurture in your life.
And silently,
In your own way,
Offer yourself this intention.
I honour what I have been through.
I put down what I am ready to put down.
And I make room for what matters now.
Rest with those words for a few moments.
You don't have to feel completely different for this moment to matter.
A little more awareness,
A little more kindness.
A little less resistance.
These are meaningful beginnings too.
Now,
As you sit beside the imagined Diya,
Bring to mind one thing in your life that you genuinely appreciate.
It may be a person who has shown you kindness.
Someone who makes you feel understood.
A familiar place that brings you comfort.
Or a simple moment from recent days that made you smile.
Choose something real,
Something that matters to you.
Allow yourself to remember it.
The feeling of being there.
The people,
If anyone was with you.
And what made that moment meaningful?
You don't need to be grateful for every experience.
Some things are genuinely difficult.
Some losses leave a lasting mark.
But our difficulties don't have to be the only things we notice.
There can be sorrow and love,
Uncertainty and moments of peace.
Disappointment and reasons to remain hopeful.
Just as this little diya brings light into part of a room without removing every shadow.
We can welcome something good without pretending everything is perfect.
Now before we bring this meditation to a close,
Think about the quality you chose to welcome.
Peace.
Gratitude.
Forgiveness or whatever felt meaningful to you.
And ask yourself one final question.
What is one small thing I can do to make room for this in my life?
If you chose peace,
Perhaps it means giving yourself an evening without revisiting a worry you cannot resolve tonight.
If forks forgiveness,
Perhaps it means responding to an old mistake with a little more understanding.
If you chose gratitude,
Perhaps it means telling someone how much you appreciate them.
And if you chose hope,
Perhaps it means taking one small step towards something that matters to you.
Let your intention be simple,
Something you can genuinely do,
Not someday,
But perhaps today or tomorrow.
And here's a small ritual you can carry with you.
When you light a Diya this Diwali,
Take just a moment before moving on.
Remember the one thing you've chosen to hold a little less tightly and remember the quality you're choosing to welcome.
If you're not lighting a diya,
You can do the same whenever you pause beside a lamp or a small light.
It needn't be a grand ceremony,
Just a quiet reminder.
This is what I am putting down for now.
And this is what I am making room for.
Now slowly begin returning your attention to your surroundings.
Feel the surface beneath your body.
Notice your shoulders.
Your hands resting comfortably.
And the natural movement of your breath.
Imagine the Diya one final time.
Its flame is still there,
Small steady and quietly giving light.
You may still have worries to face,
Decisions to make,
And things in your life that need time,
Patience,
Or care.
But you don't need to carry all of them in every moment.
You can put something down and return to it when the time is right.
You can remember the past without living inside it.
And you can take a new step without knowing exactly where the whole path will lead.
When you're ready,
Gently open your eyes.
May this Diwali bring warmth into your home,
Kindness into your relationships,
And a little more peace into your heart.
And remember,
You don't have to clear away every difficulty in your life to welcome a little more light.
