Finding My Inner Guru

"You don't need to be helped any longer you have always had the power to get back to Kansas" said Glinda, the Good Witch of the North to Dorothy Gale; one of the most famous quotes in the movie The Wizard of Oz; for many reasons this is a movie that has always been my favorite maybe because it makes me feel 'young at heart'.  It also has many metaphorical messages to be captured and learned by watching it.  In some way we are all like Dorothy at one point in life.  Like her, I had to travel the golden path, many times with lots of bumps and bends along the way.  Yet, I think you need to experience that until you walk straight.  It could be a plus to have assistance from someone special like Glinda who magically appears out of the blue in a pink bubble can help map your way to your inner guru.   I believe each and every one of us has the ability to find our inner authentic and adventurous self.   I have so much to say about this revelation - like a compass finding the light that shines bright in you - your inner guru! 

A Guru can be a person such as a teacher or spiritual leader.  But what I experienced after many years of practicing yoga is that you do not need to have a physical person to help you on this path but your inner self,  if you listen real hard can help you just the same.  I have to say one of the best guru's I had in my life was my dad, although he did not practice yoga asana, he always helped me think positive.  To do the best you can and do good deeds in life.  Not to mention forgiveness was important and to not hold grudges.  My dad would say "Ellen things could be worse".  He would also say I might not be smart as you but I think I am wiser.  I hold onto all his little sayings in my heart.  While writing this essay my dad passed away January 19, 2013.  Although he is not here on earth anymore, he is with me in spirit. 

Before I ventured on the yoga path I was living my life in inversion until I learned how to live positively upright.  One day after yoga class I broke down crying, the chakras were opening up my emotional self.  I felt a heavy sadness of   losing all of my immediate family members, a short life for them:  My sister, brother, mother and most recently my father.  All this sadness started to come to the surface, like an ice cream cone melting on a hot summer's day in the sun.  My body, mind and spirit starts to cleanse with sweat and tears after my yoga asana class.  Every time I am on my mat, I could see a dim light at the end of the tunnel just before class ends, while I am in savasana (that is the meditation state after my vigorous yoga asana - meditative) it can also be called corpse pose.

The definition of the traditional Guru can be explained by examining the Sanskrit root.  Gu means dark and Ru means light; therefore; a Guru is one who leads one out of the dark into the light.  The seeker such like me has to tread the spiritual path to self realization alone.  The gate of the student's dormant faculties and awakens the pure energy within.   I should mention a few things here path andsafeguard.    Interestingly enough the connection yelped out to me as we all know, Glinda instructed Dorothy to follow The Yellow Brick Road with specifics to stay on the path and not veer off.  She sealed her safety with a kiss on Dorothy's forehead for good luck that would safeguard her journey. The relationship between Dorothy and Glinda was magical and symbolized not a real person but maybe a guardian angel ~ someone not of this earth, a spirit or inner voice.  Glinda is the glow of goodness and love - the munchkins really respected and felt good to be around her too.  We can tap into our inner guru by practicing yoga in everyday life.  Dorothy and Glinda represent an important role in finding your true self.  Dorothy had the power all along; she just needed a little push, instruction and protection of The Ruby Red Slippers on her feet.  Ruby Red Slippers can symbolize the root chakra, the color of red.

What are Charkas? They are energy centers in our body, flow of subtle energy that runs through all life and through the human energy system.  It is like a ladder that takes us from the physical realm of substance up through the workings of the higher mind and spirit.  There are seven chakras colors - a beautiful rainbow of colors.  The root chakra starts at the base of the spine moving its way up the crown chakra at the top of the head.  The root chakra is called the Muladhara it is concerned with keeping life vibrant and sustainable.  It keeps us safe, keeping chaos and evil far from our door, and ultimately it is concerned with having the patience to see our dreams come true - just like the words in the song Somewhere Over The Rainbow she sings at the beginning of the movie!

I should mention The Wizard of Oz is not so much about religion or this article is to persuade the audience that yoga is the one and only way of life a person should follow to find their inner guru.   I picked yoga and this movie for many reasons and connections to what I want to shout out what I learned after all my research.  Although Christianity, ancient teachings of Tibet or Buddhism, and wisdom from Hinduism has a lot of influence in finding your inner guru, but rather a way of looking at life and the world that surrounds us.  This can enrich the lives of everyone no matter what your faith is. 

The Wizard of Oz is an allegorical tale of a soul's journey along the spiritual path, which in the story called The Yellow Brick Road.  Kansas represents a physical place on Earth where Oz represents heaven or the enteric plane. We are all on a journey like Dorothy to find our inner true self.    The swirl of The Yellow Brick Road starting within the core of the circle, spiraling outward, after doing some research I found out this design meant a life source.  It usually relates to a souls existence within the continuum of life and spiritual protection.  I am not walking as fast as Dorothy did with her pals, I take baby steps, and it takes years and years to reach that inner guru that each and every one of us holds in our sparkling hearts.

Dorothy's virtual pals mesmerized me, The Scarecrow, the Tin Woodsman and The Cowardly Lion.  In a dreamy kind of way her pals represent a little bit of what she needed in life to find her inner guru.  She needed to develop and grow her soul.  The heart: she needed to love her inner self more and not run away from the ones who love her most Aunty Em and Uncle Henry. The courage: she had to fight the fear that we all have hidden inside us - face your troubles.  The brain: through her lesson's that needed to be learned her Guru Glinda was her teacher to help her find the wisdom that resides in all of us through life experiences.  All Yogis know this saying yoga involves: mind (brain), body (heart) and spirit (courage).  As virtually everyone knows, Dorothy wanted to go home but she didn’t know how to get there.   We are not unlike Dorothy in that we have incredibly powerful portals to find our own inner guru.  Most of us don't even know that we too have the power like Dorothy. 

Dorothy's Ruby Red Slippers were granted to her by Glinda instructing her to use it to her advantage and protection.  According to Buddhist interpretation of The Wizard of Oz, the Ruby Red Slippersrepresent the 'inner spark' within all of us.  Glinda tells Dorothy never take off the shoes, she is telling her to never lose her 'inner spark'.  Again the chakra connection, wearing red shoes reminds us to ground our bodies and serves as a reminder to bring attention back to the physical body.  Anchoring your energies to the earth and creating a better balance within yourself.  Let's look at the connection with finding your inner guru and the Ruby Red Slippers; if you tend to ignore your lower extremities, you are ignoring a good foundation upon which the life of the higher self will thrive. 

After Dorothy missed the hot air balloon to return home to Kansas, she felt stuck in the mud.  Once again Glinda arrives; Dorothy said "Oh will you help me? Can you help me?" and Glinda told her she had the power all along.  They were confused, and the Scarecrow asked "Then why didn't you help her before?"  Glinda said "She wouldn't have believed me because she had to learn it for herself - she had to find it out for herself".  Glinda then placed the star wand above Dorothy's head, told her to close her eyes and to click her heels three times and repeat "there is no place like home -there is no place like home - there is no place like home".   Similarly in some yoga classes a teacher will recite Om aka AUM three times before a yoga class because many sacred rituals repeat actions or words three times in honor of the trinity.    

My 'path' in finding my inner guru was to find it on my well used blue yoga mat - like a magic carpet.  Actually this mat is sort of like my Ruby Red Slippers which represents my heart.  I had to move into the postures and work through my troubles on my yoga mat - reminding me to always accept and love myself.  Like the saying goes "you are your own best friend".  Sometimes I am on my mat all day long to help shake off the negativity - like gum on the bottom of your feet.  "When all things are difficult and seem the darkest look within - because that is where the answer to your question has always been".  This is a quote from L. Frank Baum author of the classical book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.   Life was definitely not an easy for Mr. Baum he had a rocky road financially, many people told him he was a failure and would never be a famous children's author - but that obviously did not discourage him to fight all the obstacles that were in his path - this paved the road to fame.  His wisdom taught me a lesson to never ever give up!    Towards the end of the movie Dorothy defeats fear with truth and to be happy and fearless, we create our own reality by living our inner guru by letting go of attachments that hold us back.  Glinda reminds us we have the power all along, if you don't like something - change it.  Be the change!

Somewhere Over the Rainbow was the first song Dorothy sang in the movie, I believe it represented the colorful life she wished to find.   This could mean you are reborn.  I do believe there is a rebirth after each yoga asana practice - I guess you could say you are repented.  Look forward and not backward.  I think when we are ready to let go what is holding you back and it will happen with such relief at least that is what has been happening to me.  Some say Dorothy had a near death experience.  It makes perfect sense to me as we become a new person after a change.  A birth can signify the old way of life.  However, we think of death of some kind of loss - a literal death of some false aspect of our own self.  A door that we go through would always be open unexpectedly slams shut.  Suddenly we are seeing the world with new eyes.  In the wake of this death, I was born to a new understanding.  So long before we die to an old behavior, the way has been paved like the Yellow Brick Road for a new one.  Not realizing until the end of the movie, after she went over the rainbow that she had it with her all along.  I realize that my quest through yoga to find my inner guru has relocated the center of my attention from the brain to the heart, where it belongs. 

We are our own Gurus, if we choose to listen and absorb the wisdom that lies within, a great reminder that our fate is up to us.  In conclusion, being your own guru begins when you add positivity in your life, find happiness in everything and balance in your life.  You do not have to go to Oz or find the Wizard for a magical fix, with a little assistance from a teacher, friend, mentor, guru or parent you can find it. My inner guru is inside of me, the center of my heart and shining like the Ruby Red Slipper!