Can-Guru

A couple of weeks ago, a woman I don’t personally know wrote that my FB page is ridiculous, that I think I am some sort of a guru.

A week later, I was talking to a friend I haven’t spoken with for quit a while. She told me she’s following my FB page, and added with much joy: “you’re a guru! I can’t wait for your new blog to come out!”.

Isn’t it funny? Funny that they both used such a “big” word, one in a negative way and the other, positive.

Is it good or bad to be a guru? What is a guru?

When I went to study to become a Yoga teacher, I chose to practice and study with Tssipy Negev, one of the pioneers of yoga in my country. She was 67 or 68 years old at that time. I didn’t know her personally, and when I entered the studio, I was immediately impressed by her. By the end of that first day I thought to myself: "Wow. That woman is a true guru".

By the end of studying and practicing with her for two years, I still held to that observation.

Why?

Because she was impressive, held a special space near and around her, had abundance of kindness and insights to gift and share, had penetrating loving eyes, made mistakes like everyone else, wasn’t too proud to look at her own mistakes and try to act differently, apologized when an apology was required, not hiding her flaws, teaching us but also learning with us all the way, seeing our true essence and empowering each and every one to their own qualities and gifts.

She was sharing everything she knew, learned and developed over the years in all areas – yoga poses, the flow of a lesson, breathing techniques and philosophy, yogic philosophy, the psychological bridge between the basic technique and in to enlightenment, and most important, she taught us to develop self-kindness and self-compassion.

Does that describe a typical guru? I guess not. But for me a guru is someone just like that.

Someone who’s creating a change, someone who’s willing and eager to share, who wants others to enjoy the benefits of what he or she are already knowing and implementing in their life or trade, who is not afraid of loosing their power by sharing, who isn’t perfect, who doesn’t need to be uplifted from the crowd and doesn’t need to be worshiped.

Someone who is filled with joy when his or her listeners/ readers/ students are empowered, gets happier, gets a more fulfilling life, gets better at their trade or gets anything more out of what the so called guru had to share and gift.

If this was the definition of a guru, then I accept the challenge of becoming one!

If my words make someone’s day better, help someone to create the slightest change, inspire someone to meditate, being kind to themselves, having more ease, having more peace, having anything out of it, you can call me guru as much as you like 😉, I’ll keep going!

And if you’ve read this far, please feel free to tell me what you’d like to know more about, to get more input or practice. I’ll do my best to contribute!