Guru & the Guru Disciple Relationship.

Guru Poornima takes place during the full moon in July each year in which the connection with one’s source of inspiration in life is celebrated, reinforced and highlighted.

A guru is someone who emulates to us how to live life in accordance with the natural laws of life, of how to live according to dharmic principles. They help us to purify and balance ourselves out, to find, connect with and express our positive nature. A guru & disciple relationship is a very personal one to each of us. This relationship comes in other forms also.

At the beginning of our life our mother is considered as the first guru. It is from her that we receive all of our initial impressions of the world. She makes the first imprints either consciously or unconsciously but these form the basis of our personality.

As we grow and expand our sphere of connections our peers and friends especially become our source of learning and expansion. These formative years and defining relationships are our teacher.

Growing up, adolescence and developing intimacy with others. Here our teachers, mentors, guides and role-models are the dominant forces that influence and shape us.

Then we come to a spiritual Guru. One who is able to perceive our true nature and essence. One who understands the laws of karma & dharma and who is fully in touch with reality at many levels. A guru is a special soul that has evolved and lives to uplift and help others connect with their spiritual nature. A guru is recognized as such a person and to meet one and derive from that relationship is truly special.

Having a guru doesn’t mean that I no longer have a mind, personality, ego, decisions to make or a life to fully live. It means to live life with inspiration and purpose. This takes practice, perseverance and faith. An ongoing yogic practice know as sadhana builds the foundation and supports the growth of this relationship.

It helps to create a condition of body and mind which is conducive to spiritual awareness and the attainment of spiritual awareness. I feel very fortunate to have found a guru, someone who epitomises the fullness of human potential and is both real as a human and also beyond human.

During Guru Poornima, we try to connect with the energy field of the guru known as the guru tattwa, which is spiritual in nature. The cosmic energies are conducive to higher awareness during this time. The word guru does not mean teacher or propagator.

The word guru means ‘by whose grace we are able to remove the darkness from our life’.

A guru represents truth, bliss or oneness and beauty. This is called Satchidananda.

Auspiciousness is feeling the force of the divine in your life, recognizing and experiencing grace. Truth is walking the path with courage to face yourself. Beauty is the outcome of effort and grace, it is the culmination of perfection in action, excellence in character – what the guru embodies and represents for a disciple.

The force of my guru in my life is very tangible. His ongoing presence serves as a reminder of my dharma and path as an aspirant. The fact that I teach and share yoga is a by-product of this lifelong effort. The yoga practices and disciplines he has imparted, simplicity in living and motivation to continually improve are always with me. The teachings he imparts are there to help me stand firmly on my own two feet, no matter what life circumstances I encounter.

It is an unending relationship which I will always cherish.