Say No to Dogma. You Are Your Own Guru

One thing I’ve always prided myself on is that I never like to go to extremes…about anything.

Not with food, not with yoga, not with spirituality.

There are a whole lot of folks out there, yogis and non-yogis alike, who like to think they know the way, and that way is the right way for everyone.

This brings me to the topic of dogma.

Dogma is where we so fully buy into a belief system that we lose our ability to think for ourselves. When this happens, it’s no longer about freedom of choice. We simply decide something is “right”, and then go into automatic pilot mode.

I don’t know about you, but I prefer to be in this world in a much more intuitive way. Meaning, I like to check in with myself often and practice deep listening for what my body, mind, and heart are asking.

This means I can’t put another’s voice, thought system, or beliefs above my own.

You are your own guru. Guru simply means “teacher”. A true teacher, a GOOD teacher, should always refer you back to your own deep inner truth, asking you questions to help you find the answers that are within you.

The answers are always within us. Our opportunity, instead of looking for somebody else with all the answers, is to learn how to go within, listen to and trust our own inner guidance (you have a direct line to God, Life, Spirit), and cultivate and deepen your relationship with yourself.

This often means quieting our minds and eliminating external noise.

Politics, the news, social media...

These are all distractions.

But just like living on cookies and cake can be satisfying in the very short term...

It leaves us feeling terrible in the long run.

But back to the whole dogma thing...

Instead of looking for a teacher or a path that can answer all of the questions for you and then tell you exactly what to do and in what order in order to find your own peace and salvation…

Learn to go within and cultivate the most important relationship you will ever have: the one you have with yourself.

Because your relationship with yourself IS your relationship with Life, with God...

With Truth.

Right now we are in the midst of what I’ve heard referred to as “the great pause“. I think this is a wonderful way of looking at this time.

While this downtime may have been (and might still be) scary for some, others are seeing it as an opportunity to get off the busy merry-go-round, slow down, and do some much overdue checking in.

How’s that relationship with YOU going?

To support you in this, I’ve got a couple of new yoga practices complete with guided relaxations at the end, like this GetUp & Go Morning Flow, or this 30-Minute Beach Yoga practice. You can check them out on my YouTube channel here. Be sure to subscribe because I’ve got some great new stuff in the works.

And, if you haven’t already read my book, there’s no better time than right now to dive in and deepen your relationship with yourself. It’s not about telling you what to think, but rather inviting you to think for yourself, and is packed with insightful questions, journal exercises, and more to help you start getting in touch with your own deep inner truth. There’s a special offer for you at showingupnaked.com.