Light Magic for Dark Times

Harry Potter steps into the darkness, nervously holds up his wand and with the word 'lumos' a steady and sharp light is emitted from the end of his wand, lighting the darkness. A simple, illuminating act of light magic. It's light magic that I want to share in this short article. There is no chanting, unless you want to and no invocation beyond happy thoughts but there are some seriously simple ways that break up a day, connect you to mother earth and father sky in a way that our ancestors knew and we have forgotten as we, all too often, sit bowed in front of a screen. These past 12 months have been challenging for me and I have found that connecting with nature and quietening my mind has allowed positive energy to lift, calm and inspire me, which has been helpful.

I wanted to just share 11 practices, moments of light magic, I hope that one or more of them make you smile and that the smile brings you joy.

1.Light a candle. Any candle will do, scented engages another sense but its not necessary. You will need something to light the candle, matches are best. Where is important, when many of us are working form home its important to find a position that is not 100% work. I can do this in my office with no problem, I just don’t sit at my desk: I stand in front of a tall filing cabinet or sit on the floor in front of a small tray. Before you light the candle think this, for over 100,000 years we have taken fire for granted and the light that it brings. Truly light brought us from the darkness. Go ahead, strike the match, really see the flaring of the match head and the way that the flame jumps to the wick. Then watch the candle flame dance for a full minute. Try to focus on the flame, it’s movement and be present in the moment. Flame really is magic and you are making a connection between this simple act and being present, open and curious. Now you can take the candle to your desk, your kitchen (be safe folks, not near anything super flammable) and occasionally glance at the dancing flame while you work.

2.Rub a crystal, or a smooth rock. There is mythical power in crystals that comes from their connection to elemental earth. I have always collected stones form beaches and marveled at the colours and smoothness. Pick up a stone pr a crystal and rub it between the thumb and fingers: really reach for the sensation that this brings as your skin interacts with the smooth surface and allow your mind to appreciate the texture and calm. The magic is in the moment, the sensation and the connection to something so natural, so simple, so available and portable.

3.Go for a walk outside. A healthy body is to a healthy mind what water is to life. The activity of leaving the house and moving the body is 100% linked to positive mental health. The magic however is found by opening your eyes and your mind to the energy in the world. The shaman, amongst others, believe that there is energy to be found and shared in everything around us. Its particularly strong in open spaces. Have you ever stood in a green space, atop a hill and ‘breathed in the view’? You are breathing in the energy and the magic! I can tell you that this magic exists in the constructed world as well and I find it walking along tenement streets, beside canals and in the downtown. Walk breathe, be present and look around and be curious: what have you not seen before? When you see it just stop for a moment and breathe it in: feel the energy, it’s light magic.

4.Have a moan. I ideally with a friend who also wants to moan. Its important to note that the purpose is not to find an answer from the conversation rather that having a moan lightens situations, it also really helps the brain to process. There’s some interesting neuro-linguistic science in the way that the brain externalizes problems through the most rudimentary of processes, speech. After even the shortest of moans with someone who is not ‘helping you’ they might not even be listening very closely as they moan about their own drama, after even a short moan you feel better right? The brain, sometimes it creates light magic.

5.Write. Draw, doodle. Tablets, smart phones and keyboards are amazingly efficient: transferring touch into record but the creative process, the magic of making something with an object in your hand is often lost in digitisation. As a child a teacher or parent might have been told off for doodling, as an adult I would encourage you to doodle: It stimulates parts of your brain that can be neglected, the part of your brain responsible for creativity and dreaming and the part of your brain that sees and feels the magic.

6.Listen to music. Soulful country, delicate or towering classical, melodic blues, funky jazz, righteous rap or maybe dramatic dance. Find the right genre for your moment: to concentrate, to smile, to dance or to feel alive. Music has a powerful ability to lift, to truly lift the human spirit. Have you ever found yourself pausing in your activity as a particular passage of music arrests you? If you have then that’s the light magic, the energy and the power to stop you in your tracks. Breathe it in and feel alive.

7.Breathe. So powerful, so simple and so taken for granted. Most meditative, mindful, becoming present activities start and build on the noticing and focusing of breathe. You can use a simple approach to ‘wake up the body’ but also to intensify the other sources of light magic mentioned here. Simply straighten the spine, tuck in your chin a little to open the diaphragm and clear the airways and take a few deep breaths. Really feel the breath from the nostrils, in through your throat, down through the lungs to your stomach and maybe the base of your spine. Thinks of the magic moment, the sensation of a crystal in your hand, the dancing flame of a candle, the sights, the sounds, the people around you and imagine all that energy that you can breathe in. If it helps, imagine the white light entering through your mouth or nose and radiating through your body. As you exhale, breathe out any tension, encourage the body to relax, physically relax the muscles, mentally relax the tired mind and if it helps, breathe out any darkness and pain.

8.Stretch. It doesn’t have to be yoga or pilates or tai-chi. There is spirituality and science in stretching: freedom of movement is good for the body and the freedom in movement means that energy can more freely move throughout. Energy or light magic flowing freely through breathe, sight, sounds or sensation is healing and invigorating. Stretching maintains the inner pathways and allows energy to flow. Combine stretching with breathing, that is to reach the extent of a stretch and then with three out breaths to gently allow the constraining muscles to relax and develop the stretch. After even five minutes of light stretching and breathing you will be energized and feel physically more relaxed.

9.Be grateful. As a meditation being conscious of how much we have to be grateful for is powerful but it doesn’t have to be as part of meditation. Just pick up a pen and write down 5 things that you are grateful for. If you are struggling then the first three are that you can hold a pen and write, that you can see and that you can breathe. Taking things for granted removes our ability to feel grateful and benefit from emotional well-being and a connection to the world and maybe our maker. Even in truly dark times man can be grateful for there is always a choice to view circumstances from a positive angle with hope and belief and gratitude.

10.Help someone. It is mostly true that there is someone in a worse position than you. Recognizing this and being grateful is powerful but there is more, reach out and help someone else to feel their genuine gratitude and develop humility. Strive every day to see and action an act of kindness. Opening a door, smiling at someone, listening to someone moan (maybe moan back but observe how it is helping them) offer to share a load. Simple, selfless acts are rewarded with the gift o light magic, the smile from another person, the surprise, genuine thanks are powerful tonics for the soul.

11.Smile often. So simple and so transformation is smiling and thinking about happy moments that it literally lights up the brain with positive connections. Take a pause often and invoke something that has or will make you smile – a memory, a person, a place. Allow the smile to spread across your face, hold it, breathe it in and feel the magic.

Understanding why you are rather than what you are and how you are is a source. Your why is born from values and beliefs and when you connect your why to what and how you do things in your work and life, it brings a connection that is proper magic.

At FOUR ACRES we are on a mission to inspire 10 million people over 3 years to embark on a personal purpose journey.

At Unilever we believe in superior performance through a strong connection to purpose. We also believe that purposeful people thrive and that purposeful actions make the world a better place.

I hope you find some light magic and that you can share it with others and together we can make more people smile.

Adrian Pagdin is an explorer, a sailor, an author, a husband and father of two: business manager at Unilever FOUR ACRES.