The image of the lotus flower is synonymous with Yoga. We see so many beautiful designs and photos, poses and mudras using its name, the images (yantras) of the chakras and of course the beloved mantra: Om mani padme hum – may the jewel of the lotus unite us all. What is it that makes this flower so loved? Of course, it is exquisite and delicate, a gorgeous child of mother nature certainly. But why the lotus and not a rose, a lily or a daisy? The answer is simple. It is where the lotus flower originates, where it grows and how it comes into the world.
The lotus flower builds its roots in the darkest, murkiest of swamps. The sludge of the bog is where its seeds are planted. As it grows, it is completely unphased by its surroundings as it sees the light of the sun glistening on the top of the water and that is its only desire. To move towards the light. As it reaches the top it slowly blossoms into a thousand petals sharing its love with the world. Completely untouched by its surroundings of darkness and mud, its pale and vulnerable petals open to the sun and to all who gaze at its beauty. While, it never forgets where it comes from, its roots buried deep down it is the perfect symbol of the light and the dark.
The light and the dark are intertwined. The one needing the other just as much. For without the dark there is no light. We look to the lotus as a symbol that despite the odds, despite where we have come from, what we have been through or what we are currently facing – there is always a light. Even if we can’t see the light, just knowing it is there is enough. Trust that the light is always there for you. Trust in your capacity to bloom. Allow yourself the vulnerability of the petals delicately balanced atop the water. Allow yourself to look back at where you have come from, and then continue to grow towards the light – it is waiting for you. It is always waiting for you.