Get Your Glow On

Turning On the Body You Drive

During my adventures and times of meditation, I am granted the time to do my own practice of stretching, energy movement, and self-massage. As I have mentioned before, I have moved and massaged (others and myself) so much over the last 15 years that I can almost see what’s happening beneath the skin: muscles squeezing together, fascia being wrung out, flossed, and rehydrated through movement and touch. Of all the things I’ve explored in life, dance and massage are the ones I’ve returned to again and again. Over the years, hundreds of hours of movement and touch have taught me to feel energy, understand the body, and witness that subtle glow — not because I had to, but because I was drawn to them, captivated by their magic.

As I've mentioned in the post Honour The Powers Within, I see a type of glow when I start dancing, when I dance I witness a kind of inner light — a glow that radiates through me and even touches the world around me, as though dormant energy is waking up and transforming into something vibrant and alive.

Over the years, I’ve come to understand that we humans carry a natural glow. Some creatures — like fireflies, jellyfish, or the tiny plankton in tropical seas — shine visibly in the dark. Our light is more subtle, often too faint to see with the naked eye, yet it’s always there, radiating from within.

Years ago, while in Jamaica for a friend’s wedding, I visited the famous Luminous Lagoon — a place where the water itself glows at the slightest touch. It honestly felt like stepping into a scene from Avatar. When I dipped my hand into the water and watched the ripples shimmer as our boat moved forward, something inside me clicked. The glow reminded me of the same radiance I feel when I dance, massage, or guide energy — a light that awakens within me and even within those I touch.

Now for context and clarification, the bioluminescence at the Luminous Lagoon is different from the glow within our own bodies. The lagoon’s light comes from countless tiny plankton called dinoflagellates. When the water is stirred — by a hand, a splash, or even a boat — these organisms release a bluish-green flash, a natural defense mechanism that turns the water into liquid starlight.

Humans, on the other hand, radiate a much softer light. Our cells produce tiny bursts of photons during metabolism — a constant shimmer too faint for the naked eye, yet always present. One glow is dramatic and visible in the night, the other is quiet and hidden, but both remind us that life itself carries light.

🔬 The Science of Our Glow

• All living things, including humans, emit tiny amounts of light as a byproduct of cellular metabolism.

• When our cells use oxygen to process food into energy, they create free radicals (highly reactive molecules). These interact with biomolecules in the body, producing photons of light — teeny pulses invisible to the naked eye.

• Scientists in Japan actually photographed this “human glow” with ultra-sensitive cameras in a study (2009). They found:

  • The face glows the most, especially around cheeks and forehead.

  • The glow fluctuates with our circadian rhythm — it’s dimmest in the morning and brightest in the late afternoon.

  • It’s not the same as infrared heat — it’s actual visible light, just about 1,000 times weaker than what our eyes can detect unaided.

Here is a video I found that explains this in more detail:

Just as the lagoon’s glow depends on the purity of its waters, our own radiance depends on the clarity of our inner environment. When the waters are clouded by toxins or neglect, the light begins to fade. But when we care for the ecosystem — whether it’s the lagoon or our own body, mind, and spirit — the glow returns, bright and alive.

Part of what I've been working on is creating practices to teach others how to awaken the glow within themselves and others, either through movement or by massage.

One day soon — once I’ve shaken off a bit of the camera-shyness that found me after losing Pan last year — I’ll be sharing video tutorials to guide you through these practices. As a little sneak peek, here’s an AI-generated image of the major muscles of the back. Take a moment to gently touch these areas on yourself: start at the neck, move down into the traps, then follow the lines toward the psoas and lumbar. Breathe into the pressure, and notice how your body responds. The more you understand your own muscles and how they release, the more naturally you’ll be able to work with your partner’s body too (a tip for both healing and play 😉).

The Glow Stick Effect

Sometimes, when I stretch, I’ll hear or feel a joint crack, or sense a release deep in the fascia. In that instant, it’s as though a wave of relief washes through me — my body feels lighter, freer, and strangely luminous. To me, it’s the same sensation as cracking open a glow stick. At first, everything feels tight, contained, compressed. But with one simple snap, light floods through, glowing from within.

Scientifically, those cracks are often the sound of tiny gas bubbles in our synovial fluid releasing under pressure — a natural reset that restores mobility and relieves tension. But what fascinates me most is not just the sound or the science, but the feeling: as circulation and energy flow return, my body hums with vitality, and it feels like light is pouring out from the inside.

When that energy is released, it may not create a visible glow like the waters of the Lagoon, but it transforms you from the inside out. The tension melts, circulation flows, and suddenly your inner light shines through. You see it in your eyes, you feel it in your breath, and others notice it in the way you move and carry yourself. This is the glow of relief, presence, and vitality — your own bioluminescence, awakened.

I use this metaphor in my Year of the Snake JEMM. Before the dance begins, participants are each given a glow stick. As they crack it and watch the light unfurl, they’re reminded of their own body’s potential. With every stretch, twist, or release, our energy can be “cracked open” in the same way, glowing through movement, breath, and presence. The glow stick becomes a symbol — a reminder that we don’t need to add light from the outside. We already shine. We just need to release what holds it back.

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The Luminous Lagoon, with its shimmering waters, reminds us that light exists everywhere — sometimes visible, sometimes hidden, but always present. Just like those tiny plankton, our bodies carry a subtle radiance, waiting to be released. Through movement, stretching, massage, and conscious breathwork, we can “crack open” the tension that dims our light, letting our inner glow shine outward.

So today, I invite you to find your own ways to awaken that radiance. Move your body in ways that feel freeing, breathe deeply, and touch yourself with intention. Watch as energy stirs, tension melts, and your own inner light begins to ripple, just like the glowing waters of the lagoon or the spark of a glow stick coming to life. Get your glow on — not just for a moment, but as a daily practice of honouring the light that already lives within you.

Okay Radiant Being, have a great day and may your light allow others see the world as the magical place it actually is! Much love to you!

One Love!💞🦋