There are many underutilized human training tools and environments in our modern world. One of the most powerful ones is the dark. Like all realities that we manipulate, our avoidance of the dark comes with a downside.
Before our species started deeply manipulating nature and hiding from it, one half of the human experience was light and the other half was dark. Today we tend to hide from the dark. We generally prefer to keep our surroundings well lit until we are ready to sleep in our comfortable beds. We don’t spend much time being fully awake and present in a dark environment, especially not one lacking walls to protect us from unknown threats. We have manufactured so much artificial light that we barely experience the stars. How can we find our own inner light and shine bright if we have become dependent on outside light? Without the starlight, who or what will remind us every night of our smallness and our brief moment to shine?
The dark provides a mirror that forces us to look inwards. The constant bombardment of external stimulus today inhibits our personal development. Our greatest strengths and deepest gifts lie within us. The struggles that really matter on the athletic path are our inner struggles to unleash them. Sometimes we need to reach into the dark in order to find the keys we seek. What are we afraid to look at? What are we avoiding beneath our flashing lights? If we constantly distract ourselves, we may have no idea at all. When we throw ourselves into the dark we can know ourselves in the dark. Alone in the dark, the inner obstacles that affect our behavior and hold us back often rise to the surface. In this process we can find our sources of inner light.
The dark also allows us to train in an environment of fear. On some level we’re probably all affected by fear of the dark. We may not be afraid of monsters in our bedroom like a child, but in an uncomfortable environment the dark always adds an edge. The more light we remove, the more our fear mechanisms are activated. Fear of the dark is likely a primal instinct that we evolved to keep us alert to the danger of predators that hunted at night. It appears related to a more generalized fear of the unknown. These are survival adaptations that have protected us for many millennia. Although it does serve to warn and protect us, our fear of the unknown often restrains us from living our boldest and most inspiring lives. Some of the only things we will ever know as certain are change and death, so we might as well focus some of our training on reality.
The dark is a specific tool with its time and place in training and it may not be for everyone. We fear the dark for some good reasons, so it requires careful application. We can certainly build great strength and realize plenty of inspirations training fully in the light. However, for deeper transformations and breakthroughs the dark can sometimes be a very useful training element. We can spend our whole lives paralyzed talking about problems, over-analyzing, looking for perfect solutions, or waiting for others to take the lead. When it's time for action, however, we need to hurl ourselves into the void. Experience in the dark teaches us to trust ourselves and deal with whatever may arise. And when we cultivate the light within we can light up the path for our brothers and sisters.
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