Vande Gurunam Caranaravinde | Yoga Balance Blog

Vande Gurunam Caranaravinde

By Tracy • February 23, 2009

I extend reverence to the lotus feet (light of the lotus).

This is reverence and humility to our teachers/gurus and the teachers before them.  It is also the first line in the Ashtanga Invocation.

The lotus flower grows out from the muck and mud at the bottom of ponds and streams.  It grows slowly toward the light moving to the surface of the water were it  blooms and turns into a beautiful flower.  This is a symbol of the sun, creation, rebirth and awakneing to the spiritual reality of life.  Because at night the flower closes and sinks underwater, at dawn it rises and opens again.  As the lotus flower grows out of the mud and muck so do people also grow from dark periods into something beautiful (hopefully), it represents the struggle of life.

A Teacher/Guru is a peson who is regarded as having great knowledge and wisdom and who has the ability to guide others.  In Sanskrit Gu is your goo (darknesss, limitations, ignorance,) and Ru is teacher (light, radiance) so the person to help you remove your goo/darkness is a Guru. In my life I have have had many gurus from my mother, sister, master yogis, ex- husband, students, children, places, situations… Thanks and gratitude for all who have shined light on me allowing me to open into beauty.