A Special Guru

The full moon in July is a significant and beautiful time in the yoga tradition. It is the sacred festival of Guru Purnima, or full moon of the Guru. It is a time to honor and offer gratitude to the wise and compassionate beings who have been our teachers and guides for us on our respective spiritual journeys and in our lives. It is a time to express our devotion to the masters, saints, sages, teachers, and awakened ones who have lit the path before us and left their footprints and voices for us to follow.
 
The guru is not necessarily a yogi or swami who wears a long robe, sits in lotus, or a priest or rabbi or shaman who have chosen a spiritual path. They can be …

The word Guru means “one who removes the darkness (of our ignorance that we are just this body- Avidya),” one who shines the light for us, leading us to the awakening of our true divine nature, or Self. This catalyst for enlightenment can come in the form of a wise teacher, or an unassuming, “ordinary” person. Sometimes the Guru shows up as an experience or event that serves to wake us up.

When one really learns how to look and deeply listen, one can find the presence of Guru everywhere.
 
In India, it is said that Guru, God, and Self are one in the same.  Guru, in the biggest sense of the word, is the universal wisdom principle that shows up sometimes in the form of a teacher or saint who acts as a conduit for Divine Love.  That teacher becomes the mirror for us to see that this divine essence dwells within us. Hence, God, Guru and Self are different facets or colors of the same jewel.

It is my honor to say that one of my students is that jewel and specifically during Covid has been a light in my Tuesday Zoom- Chair Yoga class to help keep everyone showing up. This is Grammy Hegarty who continually shows up for her practice, her Self and others with a smile, a twinkle in her eye,  a gentle arm movement and sometimes a funny comment.  She does what she can with lightness and wit even when the mind and heart might be buzzing and heavy.

So much can be learned from each other if we take the time to slow down and celebrate the little moments of life. Grammy was part of my first ever Heartful Yoga Art Making workshops where I laid out some groundbreaking work in combining yoga & art into an integrative process to help us find freedom, peace creativity and wellness to be taken from the mat, onto canvas and into the world. At that time she was 91 and direct me on what she could and couldn’t do ….  Before we knew it, the little moments turned into years. They add up to what would be a lifetime and Grammy celebrated her 100th Birthday last week with loved ones near and far. She continues to dance with Lila in everything she does including her painting .

Happy 100th Birthday Grammy

and thank you for shining your light! 

xo DANI