om mind
So I had a thought: what if we could be our own guru? (And the
best news is there’s no unkempt beard, questionable robes, dodgy
headwear, brain-washed cult, massive financial donations, or illegal
activities required. Winner!)
Here’s how we might start:
Get into your guts, guru
Your guru would be the one you could turn to when you didn’t know
which way to go. Even if they couldn’t tell you the answer, they’d
at least help you learn to listen for it. Of course, in order to do this
you need to practice being quiet. What do you need to do to hear
the still small voice within? How can you build the confidence in
your inner wisdom, and go with your gut? Pause, breathe, and see if
you can begin to find moments of calm regardless of how turbulent
everything else is.
Make it plausible to pause
When you found your guru you’d often get to spend a big chunk of
time in their presence. (Or at least somewhere close to them.) By
pressing ‘pause’ on your normal life you’d get some headspace to
get to grips with the new path you found yourself on. But here in
the real world we’re rarely given the chance to think about getting
away from it all, let alone actually doing it. So, recognise that there’s
no way you can be of service to anyone who needs you (let alone
yourself) if you’re leaping from one item on your ‘to do’ list to the
other, and find YOUR way of taking time. Even if it’s only for a breath
at a time.
Know where you are and start from there
Any guru would know exactly where you were starting from on this
epic spiritual journey you are about to begin. And you need to do
exactly the same. Have respect for where you are on your own
journey. Your guru would challenge you just enough to get you out of
your comfort zone, but nothing too hard or too fast. Recognise that
you need to learn and grow and thrive, but only at the right rate for
you. No one wants a burnt-out yogi.
Get outside of yourself
Perhaps one of the biggest values of having a source of guidance
who isn’t us is that they’re seeing everything from the outside. They
are our independent witness who is able to spot when, how, and
where we may sneak back into not-so-great patterns when things get
tricky. Can you be that person for you? Are you able to take a step
back and be a curious observer of what’s going on for you, rather
than an active participant in it all?
Celebrate the small wins
If you had chosen your guru well, you may have found yourself one
who fully endorsed ‘having a good time’ (interpret that as you will).
Anyway, the point still stands. Recognise when things are going well
for you. Your chosen guru would undoubtedly tell you when you were
making progress, so be that person for you. Remember – most of the
time there is more stuff going well than there is going badly. We’re
primed to focus on the failures but do your best to override our
pesky programming and give yourself a pat on the back whenever
you can. (Another good reason for working on that shoulder
flexibility in your asana too.)
Do your homework
A guru isn’t just someone to have hanging on your wall with an
inspirational quote, or credit on your social media account. Either
directly or indirectly, they were there to give you things to make
you learn. It’s very clear that you have got to do the work; whether
that’s delving into some books which fire your curiosity, booking
a workshop with a new teacher, or getting on your mat and trying
something different with your practice. So go do it.Create consistency
A guru would give you a central point of focus. Their teachings
would help you find your benchmark for how you live your life; what
you do and how you do it. So be clear about the way you want to
be in the world. Set your inner Sat-Nav so your intention is clear
and unwavering. This isn’t so that you know when you need to
beat yourself up for taking a wrong turn, but you can begin to hold
yourself accountable for how you are doing.Love all the learning
Be open to learning from other people. Any guru would be part of
a lineage; they learnt from their masters, who learnt from theirs,
and so on. Remember that nothing is ever learnt in isolation. Learn
from those who have been on the path before you. Or, for a real
challenge, see what you can learn from people who have been on
a different path to your own. Can you approach their lessons with
a truly open mind and allow their experiences to enrich your own?
Wherever you are, and however much you think you know, try to
keep your beginners mind open to it all. (Even if all it does is confirm
that payment of your savings into an offshore bank account does
not bring about instant enlightenment.)^Join Meg Jackson in southern Spain this October for her ‘Me Me Me
Retreat: A Yoga Holiday That’s All About You’. The sooner you book,
the bigger the discount. Get all the details, and discover where you
can attend Real Life Yoga classes and workshops, at: reallifeyoga.net