guruji

.

It is the teachers who gift the practice of yoga to the next generation

god bless them and keep them true.

....

let me sit by your feet.

let me sit quietly by your feet and close my eyes.

Solid in the heart centre like a cold dark stone I am.

nothing comes in

nothing goes out

I’m tired from holding it up

terrified to put it down

let me sit by your feet and breath in the warmth of you.

your stillness sooths me like a mothers lullaby .

my tortured tangled mind unravelling

I have travelled so far and still I stand blocking my own way

awkward.

for to be truly present in your presence,

would surely unleash such intensity of emotion.

collapsing the structure that holds me.

holds me together

nothing I would be

transparent.

let me sit by your feet and absorb the rhythm of your breath

cradled in silence

I am as I am

not more not less.

let me sit quietly at you feet,

long

after your feet have gone.

with loving respect

Dena

His light went out and the world grew dim,

the time had come,
and though I had told myself I am not sad,
each of my cells is heavy with aching.

I have closed the window on the world and turned inward to feel you..

I dare not cry
still a silent stream of tears lines my face,

I am ok, for I am with you always
The best of me is the result of you

.

Parampara

is knowledge that is passed in succession from teacher to student. It is a Sanskrit word that denotes the principle of transmitting knowledge in its most valuable form; knowledge based on direct and practical experience. It is the basis of any lineage: the teacher and student form the links in the chain of instruction that has been passed down for thousands of years. In order for yoga instruction to be effective, true and complete, it should come from within parampara. Knowledge can be transferred only after the student has spent many years with an experienced guru, a teacher to whom he has completely surrendered in body, mind, speech and inner being. Only then is he fit to receive knowledge. This transfer from teacher to student is parampara. The dharma, or duty, of the student is to practice diligently and to strive to understand the teachings of the guru. The perfection of knowledge – and of yoga — lies beyond simply mastering the practice; knowledge grows from the mutual love and respect between student and teacher, a relationship that can only be cultivated over time. The teacher’s dharma is to teach yoga exactly as he learned it from his guru. The teaching should be presented with a good heart, with good purpose and with noble intentions. There should be an absence of harmful motivations. The teacher should not mislead the student in any way or veer from what he has been taught. The bonding of teacher and student is a tradition reaching back many thousands of years in India, and is the foundation of a rich, spiritual heritage. The teacher can make his students steady – he can make them firm where they waver. He is like a father or mother who corrects each step in his student’s spiritual practice. The yoga tradition exists in many ancient lineages, but today some are trying to create new ones, renouncing or altering their guru’s teachings in favor of new ways. Surrendering to parampara, however, is like entering a river of teachings that has been flowing for thousands of years, a river that age-old masters have followed into an ocean of knowledge. Even so, not all rivers reach the ocean, so one should be mindful that the tradition he or she follows is true and selfless. Many attempt to scale the peaks in the Himalayas, but not all succeed. Through courage and surrender, however, one can scale the peaks of knowledge by the grace of the guru, who is the holder of knowledge, and who works tirelessly for his students.