The Pink Light and Big Feelings with Mayra Clay

A child who “won’t talk” about feelings isn’t being difficult, they might be protecting themselves. I’m joined by meditation teacher and author Mayra Clay, whose work centres on helping children and families find a kinder, clearer way to understand emotions and speak about them without fear. We start with the real-life moments that sparked her children’s book, The Boy and the Pink Light, inspired by what she noticed in nursery settings and by her own experience of loneliness growing up. 

Mayra explains the pink light as a simple, gentle practice that symbolises love and acceptance that begins within. It becomes a shared family language: first surrounding yourself with a bubble of pink light, then extending it towards others. We also dig into why many of us learnt to hide tears or minimise feelings, and how that shows up later as stress, people pleasing, or emotional shutdown. If you’re a parent, carer, or anyone working with children, you’ll hear practical ways to model emotional honesty, from saying “I’m grumpy, I need five minutes” to naming sadness without making it a crisis. 

We then shift into Mayra’s meditation path, the Bright Path Ishayas, a set of techniques grounded in gratitude, compassion, appreciation, acceptance, and praise. Mayra shares how these practices can be done with eyes closed or even in daily life with eyes open, and why a consistent routine can feel like stress relief and a return to inner peace. We also cover the nuts and bolts of self-publishing a children’s book, including learning the Amazon Kindle process and building a wider presence online. 

If this conversation helps you, subscribe to Balm to the Soul, share it with someone raising children, and leave a review so more listeners can find these tools for mindfulness, emotional literacy, and family wellbeing.

Transcript

Welcome And Guest Introduction

SPEAKER_01 0:27

So, welcome everybody to another edition of Balm to the Soul. I'm your host, Natasha Joy Price, and I'm an energy healer, an author, and of course a podcaster. And we have a new guest today, and her name is Myra Clay. So, welcome, Myra. Thank you very much for coming onto the podcast.

SPEAKER_00 0:45

Hello, Natasha. Thank you for having me. I'm very, very happy and excited to be here with you today.

SPEAKER_01 0:51

Oh, it's a pleasure. It's a pleasure. So, Myra is a meditation teacher and an author, and her work centers on helping children and families learn a new way to experience and talk about feelings. And she's written a book called The Boy and the Pink Light, which looks amazing. So, talk to us about the book. Um, how did you come to think about writing a book?

SPEAKER_00 1:19

Yes, yes, thank you, Natasha. Yeah, the idea came from I was working in um in the nursery area in um where my boys used to go in primary school. So um so I always be fascinated to be around children because you can see that they are completely present all the time and they are honest as they can be and um beautiful souls and happiness. So yeah, so I was very inspired for that. And um, but but also I started to see that in some situations, um, some children used to come to nursery feeling a little bit oh sad or hiding or be afraid. And I thought that it was something normal because obviously um nursery is a big step for them, is the separation from parents of careers. And because I felt like that also with my I have to two sons. So um, so yeah, so I thought it was something more normal, and um, but with the time, you continue to see some some things, some signs about this, and and uh because for me, obviously, the kids are perfection. So I was like, my heart was like breaking. I was like, no, no, no, this can happen. So yeah, so I felt like oh my goodness, um, I would like to do something about her because um I grew up also um feeling quite lonely because my mom was very

Why The Book Had To Exist

SPEAKER_00 2:55

uh workaholic, my dad was alcoholic. So I've I grew up with lots of very nice nannies, so but uh I was feeling constantly very lonely, not just with my my siblings. So um so I thought, okay, what can I do? What how can I help in that way that maybe continues at home because obviously I work finish when they go back home, uh come back the next day. And I remember um something uh uh really helped me with my healing my relationship with my dad. It was this ancient technique called the pink light. And I found it because through my my meditation, uh through my um practice, so I thought, oh my goodness, I would like to do something a very simple way for kids about the pink light. Um very, very gentle technique. Um, and I in his beautiful is really it's about love, accepting love from everything. So so yeah, that's the that's how the idea came out. And yeah.

SPEAKER_01 4:02

Yeah, and now that's available, the boy and the pink light. So so what is what does the pink light signify? What is the pink light?

SPEAKER_00 4:12

Yeah, this uh signifies love. Um okay. That um we constantly looking for, well, I was looking constantly for love outside, outside me, outside everything, how or making people happy so I can feel happy myself. So it's it's about the pink light, it's about inwards, inwards, loving yourself, accepting yourself, caring for taking care of yourself so I can go out and surrender everyone also with a pink light. First, yeah, surrender with a big bubble of pink light, and then surrender everyone else with a pink light.

SPEAKER_01 4:50

So, really, it's like tools to help children just navigate emotions, which are tough for all of us, aren't they?

SPEAKER_00 4:57

Yes, yes. I remember when I was young that I was afraid to talk about my feelings, not because um they say no, you can talk, but in the sense that how we react, how parents react to you, you're not allowed to cry, no, you can cry, uh, you can feel that. So I remember hiding my feelings a lot of the time, yeah. Also with my friends, a lot of the times. And um, but I was not aware obviously about this situation. No, but with the time and then through life, you realize that it was not helping. Yeah. Because at one point we come and face lots of things.

SPEAKER_01 5:39

Yes, yes, because life's full of that, isn't it? So the more tools that we can give children, and it's a lovely way for parents to sort of sit with children and find a way to sort of talk them through that without the child feeling pressurized, I suppose, and you know, trying to please mum and dad and say what they want me to say. Um, it's a lovely sort of tool for the parents as well, isn't it?

SPEAKER_00 6:10

Oh, I love what you say because um that's that's my my goal. Because children are like as like their perfections, then they are learning what they see, they're learning how the environment is, they're learning constantly absorbing information. So the main thing is if parents heal also, what are they bringing, what they are carrying from their lives, what a beautiful way to connect with your child, also. Yeah, so it's uh

What The Pink Light Means

SPEAKER_00 6:40

it's an invitation for parents, also, uh, straight to parents, and um and what a beautiful thing to talk about as a family. Um, yes. Uh, when you as a grown-up, an adult open up about your feelings of saying, listen, I'm feeling quite grumpy right now. Let me go for five minutes away and then come back to you. Okay, or I'm feeling very sad because of this situation. They see that it's okay, that it's okay, we can go through these situations, or something happened to me, whatever it is there to discuss, even when you are happy, why you are happy. In this moment, you are smiling. So it is very important, very, very important.

SPEAKER_01 7:26

Lovely. So I always I've written a couple of books, and um I always find the process is not start from the first page and finish the last page. It tends to start in the middle and then you sort of navigate around and how am I gonna use this? Is that how you wrote the book? Sort of had this idea, and then or do you write from page one onwards?

SPEAKER_00 7:53

I was very interested because um I had the idea to to write the book, but it was for at least one year that I was with idea with idea. And then one day I remember feeling I don't know, not sad, but I was feeling very something was not right that day. I can't remember. And um, and I said, okay, this is the moment I want to sit down and and share something about me. So yeah, and then I start just writing about this boy, and and and especially for boy, because I have, like I mentioned, I have two sons. So I wanted to to play with the boy and um yeah, in the light. So uh and I just sat and it came so naturally and so honest, and um obviously then after it changed some words because of the I was um my English may sometimes can be very clear, but or or yeah, so yeah, it came like that. I it came like very natural just came out, channeled it, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 9:06

Lovely. So, how did you how did you get it published? How did that all come about?

SPEAKER_00 9:12

So I said I shared to my husband, um, this is what I would like to do, and um just to help one person maybe is just a game for me. So he's like, but I don't know obviously where to go, how can go because I don't have that, I didn't have the experience. So uh he's like, why we don't work, um why we don't open uh around publish it um company, and um, and

Modelling Feelings As A Family

SPEAKER_00 9:38

I know that Amazon sometimes they do these um courses, we can do a course and we can be more like um have more information about it, and how can we do our own publish it? And and and we did this long course on on Amazon Kindle, and um and from there we we just went through um the way you just uh publish it in on Amazon and and then very nicely came out on um Waterstones Online, Fowless Online. So I was like, this is so lovely. So it came, yeah, it came very, very natural, very organic. Um and then um I managed to open my website and find a company that they can print it also in hardcover because on Amazon it's just available um in a paperback. So yeah, it came very naturally, very um.

SPEAKER_01 10:35

It's lovely, just just happened. But I think probably it's needed. I always think there's it when it's needed, it just arrives, doesn't it? And you might not feel that after going through all of that process, but it has arrived, and I think it's much needed too for children and parents actually at the moment. Definitely.

SPEAKER_00 10:59

Yes, yes, you mentioned it's needed, it's needed that we find something, whatever it is out there for you that you like to do, but we find something that reminds us constantly that who we are. We are a perfection of souls of love and and compassion, and yeah, so yeah, yes, I love that.

SPEAKER_01 11:19

So let's talk about um well, good luck with it all, first of all. But I think I think it looks amazing, but let's now talk about your um meditation because that's quite an unusual meditation, it's not one that I've seen before at all. So it's the bright path isharing. Is that did I say that right?

SPEAKER_00 11:43

Yes, yes, yes. Yes.

SPEAKER_01 11:46

So talk to us about that because I was reading a little bit about it, and it's not something that I've come across before.

SPEAKER_00 11:53

Yeah, yeah. I mean, before I learned, I never um had the idea that yes, it's um they are very, very um simple uh techniques based on love, gratitude, compassion, and appreciation. Praise. Um what I love about these um techniques, about this um meditation that we call it also the the ascension of the shyas, is that they are very simple, they are very gentle, and um we can you can practice with the eyes closed and um also with your eyes open just to be engaged with the wall because what how important it's just to be engaged with the world. And um, and for me personally and for my husband, it's been so helpful and and it's been amazing to be very present um with our with our children. Yes. So, yes, um it's a very, very gentle technique, and you just learn them in uh in a weekend. It's like a course, we call it the first fair. And um this these techniques they can take us to to a place of stillness, of silence inside us. Um in and they help us to constantly empty the glass, like um stress reliefs um in a very, very gentle way. I try in my past so many, many types of meditation or course, self-courses. Uh my mom used to take us to psychologists because of she was afraid about us having problems uh because of my um my dad being an um uh alcoholic. So I grew up really with a lot of things, and I remember that one time I was living in Milan by that time when when now when with my husband, I remember she called me and said, I find now the perfect meditation for you. And I was like, I don't want to do anymore. I feel really alone, and um and then and I obviously, and I say to I lied to her and say, I my my life is perfect right now, but actually it was not because I was um having lots of problems with my now husband. We used to fall off from my security, feeling afraid, anything. So I it happens I went back to to Mexico to visit my family for a month, and my mom said, Okay, now is the time, and I can I can tell you that of course is happening very soon here. So, and I went, All right, I'm going to do it, but that's the thing that I want to do in my life. I just am tired of this, and um, and I did it, and I remember feeling so free, I remember feeling so comfortable. I can allow myself

Writing And Self-Publishing The Book

SPEAKER_00 14:55

to feel anything that I want to, and I noticed that the teachers that were sharing this um this um uh meditation, they were talking about their own experience. They were not talking about something else or oh, do that, or you did, or see like this. They were talking about exactly what these techniques help in their own life and their own experience. And something that really resonated with me. So, yeah, what a beautiful way to talk about experience, not to change anything about anyone else. It's just about you, uh, in the sense that if it helps you, maybe help someone else. So I went back to Milan, and my husband's like, what's happening to you? We are not fighting us. So, and then we went back to Mexico after a few months for a holiday, and my mom organized another course because he wanted to do it too. And yeah, since then we've been in this together, and it's helping us so much, so much in a different ways of our lives. And um, we've been doing this meditation for really what 25 years. I completely lost the track of how long, but it's very been very, very amazing journey.

SPEAKER_01 16:19

It sounds it, and it's about how you feel within, basically. Yes, your your inner peace, basically.

SPEAKER_00 16:28

Totally, yes, yes, yes, it's just about your experience discovered and and practice and then doing it, yeah, because we can do we can practice something, but if you dedicate maybe 20 minutes in the morning, and if depending on your life, your work, and everything, if you you can do it like 20 minutes in the afternoon and then before going to bed, it's amazing. And then, like I said, you can do it with your eyes open when you are driving, when you are cooking, it's just a very gentle way of to do uh things. Um, this meditation, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 17:05

Um, yeah, it sounds lovely. So, do both you and your husband teach this?

SPEAKER_00 17:11

Or yes, yes, yes. When we um when our older son was, I think, six years, no, six months already. We decided we wanted to to share this teaching also, uh, because of seeing as uh how amazing helped us. Uh, so we did uh uh the training course to become a teacher um that was in Spain by the time, and um so we we took our little boy with us and uh went for the venture and we did our um um our course, and yeah, it's been amazing. Yeah, you just need to to do the course to become a teacher.

SPEAKER_01 17:58

Yes. So that's called the bright path is sheas. I've never heard about it, but it sounds amazing. I will have to keep my eye open. Now I've heard about it, I'll probably notice the courses around. Yeah, yeah, sounds amazing. So um, I know you do your meditation every day, but is there anything else that you do spiritually every day that sort of really keeps you centered and balanced?

SPEAKER_00 18:35

No, it's actually that uh to do just your media yes, because like I mentioned before, this meditation is constantly remind about uh the gratitude, uh gratitude, love, compassion, acceptance, praise. So for me that includes everything everything that you need, yes, it's it's um yeah, I constantly remind myself, okay, be grateful who what is going on, and be grateful what is and it's helping me to see life differently in the sense things happen, things are going to happen, we like it more. But how we approach things now, how we okay, okay, this is happening. I feel grateful, but um okay, I'm going to see it in a way that is going to help me to grow

The Bright Path Meditation Explained

SPEAKER_00 19:27

up, it's going to help me have more one more experience. So for me, it's the key for everything.

SPEAKER_01 19:33

Um just looking at those experiences as lessons, what can I take from that? Yes.

SPEAKER_00 19:40

Yeah, yeah. And um, our teacher um are constantly reminding us is about our own experience. Uh um, he is constantly remember um that is that it's not about you, it's about you, but how can you also be open and be constantly in service with to the world? Because it's very easy to go and think about me, me, me, me, but it's um how can you also be about what is out there for for everyone else too?

SPEAKER_01 20:11

Yeah, lovely. So, I have you plans for another book?

SPEAKER_00 20:17

Yes, I I uh I've been writing a few things, um ideas, uh, but then it's I can see a little voice inside me say, I do you think it's going to be okay? Yeah, do you think it's going to like? Do you think people is going to get so it's just little little things of of this little voice that I can see that is um up there, but but I would love to, I would love to get another book out there um and and do it again with my friend that she did these amazing illustrations and we had so much fun together, and she's amazing. I personally feel that she's so talented, also, and um, and we work together, she got me ideas, and I got her ideas. So hopefully, hopefully something comes. I don't know where. Yes, we're not we're not pressurizing you, but no, um, but I will yeah, I really like um, yeah, I hope.

SPEAKER_01 21:16

Okay, so you mentioned a website before, so where can people have a look at your work?

SPEAKER_00 21:22

Yes, it's um my website is maidaclate.com, and um, yeah, there you can find about where to find the books and also their um exercises of the pink light to do it, but also um if you go to the brightpath.com, there is also um I think it's on the session of uh exercise where you can find the pink light. Um let's say for grown-ups, that the more yes, the the practice. Um, so yeah, those two um website are are good to visit if you want to find more or have more information.

SPEAKER_01 22:04

Okay, and I'll put those up underneath the episode so that um people can find you and um and presumably the books on Amazon as well, if people go on Amazon.

SPEAKER_00 22:15

Yes, at the moment it's on Amazon, a paperback and um Kindle and audiobook, and but her cover is um available at the moment through my website. Yes.

SPEAKER_01 22:26

Yes. Okay, wonderful, Mara. Thank you. It's lovely to speak to you and hear about your influences and your how you came to write the book. That always fascinates me how people get to that point. So lovely to lovely to meet you and good luck with the future.

SPEAKER_00 22:44

Thank you, Natasha. Thank you for having me. It was lovely to to speak to you too. Nice to meet you.

SPEAKER_01 22:50

So if you've enjoyed listening to Mara and I chat about her book, please like and share. You can also subscribe to the podcast, and I will speak to you all soon.