Hi Reader!
This week, a simple interaction reminded me of how differently we can perceive the same situation based on our conditioning and beliefs. I was heading out to work in my rock shop, wearing super grubby, paint-splattered clothes and an old red bandana. My (once “dirtbag rock-climber”) son-in-law jokingly called out, “Oh, I thought you were a homeless person!” Meanwhile, my two-year-old granddaughter, June, looked at me with pure curiosity and said, “Amma, watcha doin’? New clothes!”
It was a humorous moment but also quite profound. We were all observing the same version of me, yet our interpretations differed vastly based on our own lenses and experiences. This natural tendency often appears in our relationships—projecting our conditioned beliefs onto others rather than meeting them with open-hearted curiosity and compassion.
In my book Naked in the Now, I discuss relationships and different techniques that can help you restore and rejuvenate them—or at least find your own peace.
Why dedicate so much of a book about inner transformation to the topic of relationships? The answer lies in the profound impact these connections have on our experience of life.
As I write in my book, “Our journey to being naked in the now is an inward voyage we can (and ultimately must) take alone, but many of us spend significant time with others along the way. The quality of our relationships can profoundly affect our life, either alleviating or increasing our suffering.”
Each week, as I sit to create this newsletter, I reflect on the goings-on. I pay attention to synchronicities and funny little vignettes (like the one I shared at the start.)
This week, the subject of relationships kept coming up! I told a dear friend going through a very tough situation that I wanted to share a healing meditation with her. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to me, my publisher created a series of videos about the very same ancient healing technique I wanted to share with her! It’s called “The Pink Light Technique.” This practice can serve as a beacon of love, guiding us through turmoil and estrangement in our relationships.
When a relationship feels strained, distant, or coming to a close, it’s easy to feel helpless and adrift in a sea of uncertainty. Yet, the Pink Light Technique offers a lifeline—a tangible practice that simultaneously shifts our mindset back to love.
Like many others in Naked in the Now, this technique is not a quick fix or a magic pill. Instead, it’s a gentle reminder that love is always within reach, even in the midst of turmoil. By enveloping ourselves and others in the warm glow of the pink light, we open the door to healing, understanding, and reconciliation. We move past our entrenched conditioning to a neutral space of greater openness and compassion.
Another note: The “pink light” practice is not about condoning hurtful behavior or bypassing valid emotions. Rather, it’s about looking beyond the surface turbulence to the shared humanity that unites us all. It’s about choosing love over resentment, even when that path is difficult. And we also always do it on ourselves–wrapping ourselves up in the pink light of compassion, too.
Curious?
Listen to these short video clips of excerpts from Naked in the Now called “How we can heal with the Pink Light Practice.”
• Part 1: https://www.facebook.com/reel/1816369672177796
• Part 2: https://www.facebook.com/reel/1785217038637272
• Part 3: https://www.facebook.com/reel/487066047086535
The practice:
1. Sit for a moment and come into this moment. Close your eyes. Notice the ground beneath your feet and the chair beneath your seat.
2. Now, draw your attention to your breath. Allow yourself to feel the breath traveling in the nostrils, down the throat, and into the belly. Soften your cheekbones, relax your shoulders, and let your eye sockets go.
3. in your mind’s eye, picture a loving pink light radiating from your heart, encompassing you. Don’t worry if you can’t visualize a pink light. Some people do, and some people don’t. It’s the intention that matters. Mentally say, “There is a pink light coming from my heart encompassing me entirely.”
4. Now, bring to mind a loving image of yourself. It could be something that happened this morning or ten years ago. Any small moment will do. It doesn’t matter how or why you felt loved, just that you did. If you can’t think of any, imagine yourself as a baby newly cradled in loving arms.
5. Once you’ve touched into a loving image of yourself, place that image in front of you outside the pink light sphere, then picture yourself spreading the pink light around the image. When the image is covered, let it go.
6. Now, we will move on to working with others. We will start with someone easy to love at this time—a partner or child, perhaps (or even a pet)—imagine them in front of you, outside the pink light sphere. Imagine them in a loving memory—a sweet moment. Then, in your mind’s eye, picture yourself covering that person with the pink light (as if you were icing a cake). Cover them, and then let them go.
7. Now, naturally, allow the image or idea of someone else to come forth. Often, each member of your immediate family or close friends will come to mind. Just see who shows up. Remember them in a loving memory when possible. (If you cannot remember this person in loving memory, simply picture them before you. If you cannot do this, bring them in, standing at a distance or facing away from you.)
8. Next, bring in anyone with whom you still have an emotional charge or discomfort. (Follow the instructions above.) Again, attempt to remember them in a loving memory. If you can’t, you can place them at a distance; if the person is difficult, you can imagine them as innocent babies.
9. Cover them in pink light and let them go.
10. Allow anyone else to show up in your mind’s eye (whoever comes into your awareness is okay, whether you know them or not), cover them with the pink-loving light, and let them go. People who have passed might come to mind. That’s okay. Wrap them up in pink light and let them move on.
11. Finally, when no one else comes to mind, return to the loving image of yourself. Cover that image of yourself in pink light, then let it go and open your eyes.
Pink light allows us to put ourselves in a safe and loving space with others. Please use the technique innocently and without conditions. It is miraculous!
Smiles,
https://marijkemccandless.com
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“Watcha doin’ Amma? New clothes!” |
P.S. My book launch is almost here! I am hopeful to reignite some release day energy. If you already have the book please leave a review on Amazon and Goodreads! Just a few words or only a rating is fine! If you don’t have a copy yet, the second print run is out. It’s a great time to order one! Thank you for all your love, support and encouragement!
Kirkus Reviews endorses Naked in the Now!
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