7 May 2009
The Love Guru
" Some people mistakenly think that if you have a guru or a master, then you have to give your power away.In my experience, nothing could be farther from the truth.
My experience is that the master helps us to achieve our own power and stand on our own two feet; and this happens as fast as you can take it. In the presence of a master we are able to touch our own wholeness and our own perfection faster. As you get closer to the master, you find less of him and more of yourself. The guru is the mirror. Only in this case, it might feel like you see yourself magnified times one thousand or more. It can be very intense,
" You have to face yourself like never before "
from Sondra Ray’s book PURE JOY
Sondra Ray became my master in 1987 when I first encountered the Loving Relationship Training ( LRT ) Breathwork & Coaching Programme in London & Madrid and also for many years after this first encounter. As a Rebirthing Breathwork pioneer she handed down her craft for the benefit of others. Along the way I encountered other mentors who encouraged me to find my own route and my own authenticity and not one said I must follow THEIR doctrines and their practices. Over a 20 year period I have come to believe that surrender is a passionate act of service. To surrender the ego to a master of any kind is a sacred act. To surrender that you don’t know everything is a joy to behold instead of holding the shame that the ego desires you have. Making mistakes then becomes an amusement instead of personal attack.
Being in therapy, being in recovery is uncomfortable. The challenge of looking in a real mirror in front of you and reciting loving affirmations is more than difficult for most and certainly was for me in my quest for avoidance of self harm. I tried many seminars, workshops and self help processes. One of the most testing ( and I attended at least 3 of these ) was an enlightenment intensive lasting 3 days facing another person for 16 hours a day. When facing the person they ask you only one question " WHO ARE YOU ". In response for 5 mins non stop you answer " I AM . . . "( followed by a thought, fact or statement about yourself ). In order to facilitate this process the intensive is residential where you are fed on healthy digestable food and 8 hours sleep. You do nothing but the process of sharing, surrendering and being. Every hour you walk in silence for 15 mins before returning to the I AM process for the remaining 3 days. This cleansing can place you in a shamanic trance of clarity and emotional release.
As Sondra Ray said " You have to face yourself like never before ".
Bob Mandell, co-author of BIRTH & RELATIONSHIPS with Sondra Ray said " the only guru you need are the results in your life ". This sense of simplicity will tell you what to work on next and whether your present circumstances are a mirror to your inner self. Is it an automatic love you have for yourself? Do you begrudge the flaws you see in the mirror or simply smile at their presence? Do you practice self harming behaviors? Finding a teacher, a coach, a mentor, a sponsor or a therapist is an admission that you require help and an act of surrendering to win not surrendering to lose.
Who is your master and who are the apprentices you mentor?
What do you pass down to others in search of mastering living sanely in this world?
Questions, questions, questions. Now consider the answers.
Much to think about here.
What an amazing experience those 3 days must have been. Very awakening I would think.
Not really in the same line but sort of: Something I try to do whenever it strikes me is say not just think but SAY something positive to the people around me. I’ve never regretted doing that. {I have regretted not} Also try hard not to dwell on negative thoughts about myself & others. That can be hard some days.
I’ve had people coma and say years later how much such a small thing (small to me) meant – some comment or sincere compliment -and how it helped them thru a difficult time.
We’re more powerful than we think and our words can do much.
Your words are very inspirational.
Lafang
May 7th, 2009 at 11:19 pmpermalink
Hi there Ms Marmite! I found this post while preparing to write a post about Sondra myself. Did you know she has just got married?
I like what you say about gurus – I remember that saying Gee You Are You, from my LRT days (late 80s)
All the best – Robin (Australia)
Robin
May 24th, 2009 at 5:24 ampermalink
Hallo Australia – the wonder of the Internet!
Yes I know she married Mark in Haidakhan in Spring and they now work together. Leonard Orr married a few months before ( again ) – bit of sibling rivalry huh? LOL.
I am forever grateful for the work of these two pioneers and the start they gave me but that’s it. I see neither of them moving out of the old teachings, a little more humility is required, a little less diva demands ( from an organisers perspective methinks ). We all need to be careful how we place ourselves centre-stage especially when old behaviors remain challenged but ignored. Breathwork needs an overhaul into the wider world but I don’t think these two Gurus are the ones to do it.
Ironicly Australia leads the way in encouraging many different approaches as I discovered @ GIC 2003 in Queensland and it continues to do so. My own view is that until Gurus deal with their own addictions and codependencies the healing is interrupted. Until we ALL deal with these issues love is farther away, married or not.
Do contact me again Robin ( details on contact page above under Clublands Therapist ). Love from London.
theswarmite
May 24th, 2009 at 10:23 ampermalink