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| It has become apparent to me that I want to look for some kind of spiritual advisor. I don't know what this looks like or if I can even find it in the context of yoga. But what I want is a yogi who is well steeped in yogic philosphy with whom I can discuss my prayer life, teaching, and my practice on a regular basis. Am I basically describing a guru? Regardless of what this person is called, does this kind of thing exist and how do I find them? (I suspect the answer is to pray but I wanted to check in with some others as well, as an extention of the prayer). |
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| Well... I think you need to think about what you want, in particular what sort of questions you want answered, and go looking in the sorts of places you'd find somebody like that. This is a good place to look if you're looking for somebody with a yogic slant. If you want somebody with a Christian slant go to church, buddhist, go to a temple, etc.
Personally, I find that these sorts of people come when your ready and not before. In the mean time you might have to keep muddling through these sorts of things on your own. Maybe you could post some of the questions your dealing with, and see who gives you the best answers. |
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| aaron wrote: It has become apparent to me that I want to look for some kind of spiritual advisor. I don't know what this looks like or if I can even find it in the context of yoga. But what I want is a yogi who is well steeped in yogic philosphy with whom I can discuss my prayer life, teaching, and my practice on a regular basis. Am I basically describing a guru? Regardless of what this person is called, does this kind of thing exist and how do I find them? (I suspect the answer is to pray but I wanted to check in with some others as well, as an extention of the prayer).
comment: It is obvious that aaron has become aware of this because a) she has questions which could not be answered automatically or non automatically by persons currently she dealt with. b) and, they were also not answered in the prayers she has done so far.
Therefore, the answer is a) NOT to pray the same way more b) either change the way of prayer c) Or, to find another instruction which can answer the questions.
So, she wants to a) find teacher who can answer her questions first b)and, wants to know how such a teacher can be found.
This is, in my opinion, she should do: a) Keep happy state assuming that all questions can not be answered at one time, or in a limited amount of time until all questions are answered. b) then find a resource whom she can personally relate to by seeing, listening, or talking, or attending classes, for a sufficient length of time, so that the resource satisfies her in terms of eligibility to answer her questions or at least part thereof. c) ask the questions to resource, and practice accordingly for sufficient length of time d) and continue this until all questions are answered.
pariprashnena parisevaya upadekshyanti te dnyanama yoginas tatvadarshinah....ShreemadBhagavadgita...3200 B.C.
due to proper service of a teacher, and proper query with the teacher, they shall provide the knowledge to such a student.
Peace |
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| These are both good responses to my inquiry.
I'm not exactly certain what it is I am "looking" for. I have started teaching this year and it has brought up a lot of questions/thoughts in my own practice. It's forcing me to get clear about my objectives and thoughts on yoga and how it shapes my life. My practice has evolved into a way for me to stay connected with a higher force, something larger than myself. It is becoming a channel to stay connected to God, actually. I currently have people in my life with whom I discuss my prayer and spiritual life. I talk to them about my practice and God but I don't really think they understand...because they are not practitioners themselves.
I am also interested in how faith and self study intersect and come into play in a practice. In my thinking and from what I do know about religious/organized faiths, most people check in with a spiritual advisor when they believe they are receiving direction from God. I'm not saying I'm having visions...far from it. Just that going it alone in spiritual matters can be difficult...borderline dangerous. Wars are started because people believe God is telliing them it's okay and that he is on their side. In my studies, in the classes I go to, there is so much emphasis on asana. I don't hear much discussion about the self sudy aspect. And more specifically, who helps people on their self study journey?
Neel,(by the way, I'm a 'he', not a 'she') you wrote something interesting...
"Keep happy state assuming that all questions can not be answered at one time"
This was good for me to see. I can be impatient and sometimes when what i think I want becomes apparent to me, I get disappointed when I don't have it by the next afternoon. I think I'll write that phrase on a sticky note and place on the bathroom mirror.
Keep the good responses coming... |
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| aaron - 2006-02-02 9:36 PM
I'm not exactly certain what it is I am "looking" for. I have started teaching this year and it has brought up a lot of questions/thoughts in my own practice. It's forcing me to get clear about my objectives and thoughts on yoga and how it shapes my life.
This is a good thing, and part of the learning cycle. First there's doubt, then insight, then doubt, then insight, and so on. You've just been given a new set of questions to work on because you've finished looking at the current set.
My practice has evolved into a way for me to stay connected with a higher force, something larger than myself. It is becoming a channel to stay connected to God, actually. I currently have people in my life with whom I discuss my prayer and spiritual life. I talk to them about my practice and God but I don't really think they understand...because they are not practitioners themselves.
Which is a very hard thing to deal with. I started coming to this board because I didn't feel I was getting good answers from my teachers. I've also been at this for a while, and I've already answered a lot of the easier questions myself, which makes it harder for people to answer my questions, since they've moved beyond the "What are the 8 limbs?", and "What's meditation about?"
True, sincere yogis are very very rare, so most teachers don't have to deal with more than the basics. Here's a good quote from the Gita "Among thousands of men, only some work for perfection; and even of those who have reached perfection, and who are assiduous, only some know me truly. "
I am also interested in how faith and self study intersect and come into play in a practice. In my thinking and from what I do know about religious/organized faiths, most people check in with a spiritual advisor when they believe they are receiving direction from God.
Yup, always helpful to have another person to bounce questions off. At least to do a basic sanity check.
I'm not saying I'm having visions...far from it. Just that going it alone in spiritual matters can be difficult...borderline dangerous. Wars are started because people believe God is telliing them it's okay and that he is on their side. In my studies, in the classes I go to, there is so much emphasis on asana. I don't hear much discussion about the self sudy aspect. And more specifically, who helps people on their self study journey?
Well, there are a couple of good guidelines. First, you should check with various texts to see if you're falling far outside basic guidelines. You should find some texts that really make sense, and study them until they become second nature. Second, you can do a basic sanity check as see if you're doing something really dangerous. In the case of basic sanity checks you can post things here, or find some people you trust and send them some PMs if it's a little too personal. Third, you can attempt to cultivate friends from the local yoga classes, who may not be at exactly the same place, but at least understand the terrain. They can give you some outside subjectivity to balance out the internal stuff.
Sometimes it's fine just to notice something, and see what happens as a result. Keeping a journal can be good for this sort of thing. |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 5098
 
Location: Somewhere in the Mountains of Western NC | Aaron,
"When the student is ready, the teacher will appear". Spiritual inquiry is crucial at this stage. Keep your mind open to any and all possibilities, for when you inform the universe, the universe will indeed give you what you seek. "Seek and you shall find, Knock and the door shall open, Ask and it will be given". Neel is right, be happy and content that your answers will not be answered at one time...in fact, you should be relieved,  |
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| aaron - 2006-02-02 7:36 PM
... In my studies, in the classes I go to, there is so much emphasis on asana. I don't hear much discussion about the self sudy aspect. And more specifically, who helps people on their self study journey?
The Unitarian church is all about the personal spiritual journey. (Unitarian Universalism is not a Christian denomination, although some Unitarians are Christian.) If you have a local Unitarian church, drop in to a Sunday service or other open time and talk with the minister about your needs ... there may be some person or group there that is right for you.
(I belong to a Unitarian church but haven't go to services for a couple years ... but right now I am attending a weekly "mindfulness hour" at the church, which is in fact meditation instruction and practice.) |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 2479
 
Location: A Blue State | Cyndi - 2006-02-02 10:50 PM
Aaron,
"When the student is ready, the teacher will appear". Spiritual inquiry is crucial at this stage. Keep your mind open to any and all possibilities, for when you inform the universe, the universe will indeed give you what you seek. "Seek and you shall find, Knock and the door shall open, Ask and it will be given". Neel is right, be happy and content that your answers will not be answered at one time...in fact, you should be relieved,
Good advice, I agree completely.
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 2479
Location: A Blue State | aaron - 2006-01-31 12:23 PM
It has become apparent to me that I want to look for some kind of spiritual advisor. I don't know what this looks like or if I can even find it in the context of yoga. But what I want is a yogi who is well steeped in yogic philosphy with whom I can discuss my prayer life, teaching, and my practice on a regular basis. Am I basically describing a guru? Regardless of what this person is called, does this kind of thing exist and how do I find them? (I suspect the answer is to pray but I wanted to check in with some others as well, as an extention of the prayer).
If you look around, you may find that some yoga classes/centers do include discussions
of yogic philosophy. Some classes that I attend devote 15 or 20 minutes to discussion of
the Yoga Sutras before asana practice. These discussions touch upon all the things
that you mention. And I know that some sets of students have their own discussion
groups where they spend more time on these issues.
In terms of finding a person, see Cyndi's post just above.
In some cities, you will find Vedanta Centers at which these philosophical discussions
are held. A number of these stem from Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekanananda. They
worked together in India, and Vivekananda travelled through the west at the turn of
the last century.
Some of the posts above also allude to the question of how you might integrate yoga
into your own particular religious system or how you might generate a religious practice
from your yoga practice. Yoga has its roots in vedic thought and its philosophy is integral
to Hinduism. However, yoga doesn't deal with deities or the processes of propitiating or
supplicating them; in that sense, it is not a religious practice per se, any more than prayer
is in itself a religious practice. You can adapt it to your own conception of the divine.
Yogic philosophy does embody certain concepts of nondualism (or self-realization)
that are ultimately incompatible with religions that imply a fundamental separation of
man from god. But one is free to accept or reject that part of yoga without rejecting
the rest of it, and quite a number of Xtians practice yoga without compromising their
particular religious vision.
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| Arron- I currently have people in my life with whom I discuss my prayer and spiritual life. I talk to them about my practice and God but I don't really think they understand...because they are not practitioners themselves.
There must be some understanding people in and around your studio. I would think that you would have lots of ‘spiritual kinship” and understanding from the students and teachers in your studio.
If you are looking for a ‘Guru”, take them for what they are worth once you feel you have found one. Ultimately, the real ones tell you that they can teach you nothing; it is all within yourself. They all seem to say, “try to enjoy your journey because it is a rocky course and it’s all up to you to navigate, hopefully with a smile upon your face…”.
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| I can identify with your feelings aaron. In an iyengar class yoga philosophy isn't really covered this part is left up to the individual. The yoga sutras are a great starting point as well as the Gita. Right now I am investigating integral yoga (Shri Aurobindo) and find that this philosophy and way of living makes the most sense to me. I can understand wanting to talk about these things but I personally feel that practice of quietening the mind is more beneficial. As far as my practice goes I start with invocations to patanjali " yastyaktva rupamadyam prabhavati jagataha........" and "yogena cittasya padena vacham....." and finish my asana/pranayama practice with the Gayatri mantra. I also do the sun salutations reciting the 12 names of the sun god. Every now and then I devote time to chanting the Yoga Sutras. Most importantly I have tried to personalise my practice to suit my nature. |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 8442
| Damien - arent' you getting philosophy from your teachers at higher levels? We get a lot of it as we progress and certainly a ton of it in teacher training. What I am hearing from BKS - the dvd's fromn Colorado and what my teachers bring back when they visit India - is that he really does want philosophy and spirituality in our teachings. |
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| We do get some as it is interspersed through class but its not very in depth. We have been given the Yoga Sutras to read but there has been little discussion of them. We also do some chanting of the sutras but not very in depth. Maybe its just an australian thing but there seems to be a reluctance on delving deeper into yoga philosophy. God is a bit of a dirty word it seems. Its amazing how a concept of a 'higher' being can really get some peoples backs up. In any event I feel that I will quench some of my spiritual thirst when I go to India. |
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spiritual advisor
