10/07/2025
Today is guru purnima - the first full moon after the summer solstice. A festival celebrated by Hindu, Buddhist, Jain and yogic traditions to honour the gurus - those teachers, mentors and spiritual guides who have illuminated our path.
We give thanks to all of the teachers who have passed down yogic wisdom and knowledge, bringing this gift to the world.
In past times,this knowledge was preserved and passed down sometimes at great cost, as colonial systems suppressed and criminalised lineages and traditions. A lot of knowledge has been lost.
The yogic knowledge that we do have - through spiritual texts and through practices that have been shared with us and with our yogic ancestors, are so full of clear and practical guidance for living, for being and for evolving. Whether we are seeking ethical frameworks, physical techniques, or devotional inspiration, yoga holds so much.
A truth that spans across time, tradition, lineage and school, is that the heart is a deep deep teacher and intuitive guide.
It is now pretty well acknowledged that our gut plays a key role in our health and our overall functioning, via the gut-brain axis. The gut and the microbiome are understood as being another brain - the 'gut brain'. Research is now showing that there is a dynamic relationship between the gastrointestinal system and cardiovascular health. This is the 'gut-cardiac' axis. And this leads us to the third brain - the 'heart brain', or the 'emotional brain'.
Therefore cognitive, emotional and instinctual knowledge are all of tremendous and equal value - our bodies hold so much wisdom and knowledge - and it is NOT just about intellectual knowledge.
We are all teachers. We are all gurus.
So let's celebrate the knowledge that we all hold. Let's cultivate a more balanced view of intelligence - moving away from old, harmful hierachical ways of valuing knowledge and of 'gate-keeping' and knowledge hoarding. Let's celebrate the knowledge and wisdom of the body; Let's remember and give thanks for ancestral knowledge, including our shared ancestors of nature - earth, rock, river, sky, sun, moon.
On this full moon, let's listen in to our hearts. Therein lies your guru🌝