August Newsletter
As I write this, it is July 29, the day of Guru Purnima in the Indian tradition. (The observance follows the full moon in July rather than a fixed calendar date.) When I first began teaching yoga, Guru Purnima held tremendous significance for me. At the time, I was actively involved with my guru, Lee Lozowick, and I was enjoying a close relationship with my primary asana teacher, John Friend. Those years brought rapid growth and a profound sense of living close to the mystery of the Divine. My spiritual life felt immediate and intensely alive. It was a heady season, full of lessons that humbled and empowered me in equal measure.
Over the years, my relationships with both teachers, as well as the lineage streams they represented, have changed more times than I can count. Some chapters came to a close. Others evolved in unexpected ways. My understanding of the teacher-student relationship has grown alongside those changes. Through it all, I remain deeply grateful for what I learned under their guidance and for the ways those experiences continue to shape my life and teaching.
Both of these men possessed remarkable charisma, yet each of them returned repeatedly to the same essential teaching. The guru is a principle. The guru is a function. The guru is not a person. That insight can be difficult to recognize amid elevated seats on the dais, devoted followers, ceremonial protocols, and the many cultural expressions that surround spiritual teachers. Human beings have a remarkable capacity to confuse the symbol with what the symbol points toward. As history repeatedly reminds us, that confusion can (and does) create real problems. Perhaps that is a reflection for another day.
My own understanding of the guru principle has continued to evolve. Yoga philosophy, Jungian psychology, and my study of Christianity all seem to point toward a similar truth. We benefit from guides who awaken us, challenge us, encourage us, and accompany us for a season. At the same time, each of us must learn to recognize wisdom through our own direct experience. Authentic teachers invite students into a deeper relationship with life itself, where understanding grows through practice, honest reflection, community, and grace.
The longer I practice and teach, the more I find myself bowing to the mysterious presence that shines through extraordinary teachers, trusted friends, dedicated students, beloved books, the natural world, my precious pup, and the ordinary moments of everyday life. I encounter that same presence whenever two or more gather with a sincere desire to learn, to heal, and to be transformed. This year, Guru Purnima invites me to honor the relationships that have shaped me, the experiences that have deepened me, and the countless ways the sacred reveals itself in and through ordinary life.
If you are reading this, you are part of that living community. Your presence, encouragement, questions, and companionship have enriched my life and teaching in ways you may never fully know. With remarkable patience and generosity, you have called me, again and again, to wake up more fully to who I am and to the life I want to live. I bow to you with deep appreciation and respect.
Jaya Guru! Or, as I understand it these days, victory to the forces that awaken, reveal, and illuminate.
As always, I would love to hear how you are doing. Please let me know what is unfolding in your life and what questions you have about any of the upcoming programs and offerings.
