July Full Moon - Gratitude on Guru Purnima

Hello Moonchild :)

We are blessed with an auspicious Full Moon on July 10, as it is the occasion of Guru Purnima. A sacred opportunity to pause from all the doing to soak in gratitude for our Gurus, because of whom we are. Gurus come in many forms - be it parent/s, an elder in the family, your teachers in school, a mentor, teachers later on in life or even experiences that altered you inside out! :)

What does the word 'Guru' mean?

The Sanskrit word is generally translated as one who dispels darkness, removes the veil of ignorance from life. There is much more to the word. Here is an invitation to read and ponder on the actual Sanskrit meanings of the word by Sri Sampadananda Mishra*.

What is the significance of this day?

On this day:

Gandhara Greco-Buddhist sculpture of the Buddha delivering his first sermon at Sarnath (Source: Wikimedia Commons, Arun Kumar Singh)

Lord Buddha is said to have given his first sermon at Sarnath.

Lord Mahavira is said to have taken his first disciple, Indrabhuti Gautam, thus becoming the 1st Guru in the Jain tradition.

Sage Vyasa is said to have been born.

Shiva (Adiyogi) is said to have started transmitting the wisdom of yoga to the Saptarishis or 7 sages.

Consider this Guru Purnima as an invitation to remember all your Gurus and honour them. Also, don't forget the times you have been your own Guru, guided by your intuition and experiences! Acknowledge and be grateful for your inner guidance too.

What can you do today?

Begin your day with gratitude and carry the thread of gratitude into everything that you do in the day.

Morning sacred pause

As soon as you wake up, sit in bed with eyes closed and palms on your heart. Sense your breath flowing into your heart space and expanding it. Bring in gratitude for your sleep and for the gift of the day that has just been offered to you. Remember the people in your life who matter and send them a note of gratitude. Remember your Gurus. Seek their blessings and offer gratitude to them. Hug yourself, to nurture and acknowledge all that you do for yourself. Smile!

 Inject gratitude into the day

Let the whole day become mindful. Be more aware of all the usual/mundane activities that you do.

Be thankful for the food that you consume, as you cook and say a little prayer before you eat. Feel fulfilment as you eat.

Be polite, patient and grateful to people that you interact with, offering an extra kind word where possible.

Acknowledge people who you otherwise would not, in the rush of the day.

When someone helps you, take a longer moment to feel the gratitude well up within you, as opposed to just thanking and moving on to the next task.

Watch nature on the way to work/in your garden/wherever you come across some greenery, feeling joyful for the sights and sounds.

Everytime you give or spend money/anything else, take a moment to acknowledge how blessed you are to be able to do so. When you receive, feel abundance flowing towards you.

Think of more such instances and apply them :)

 Evening sacred pause

Repeat the morning pause ritual being grateful for the day and the gift of the night!

HERE IS A MOON RITUAL FOR THE DAY

1. Setting up, Centering, Chanting

Set aside about an hour ideally after Moonrise.

(To know Moonrise timings, I use the My Moon Phase app)

If the weather permits, you can do this outdoors too under the Full Moon. Create a sacred space with flowers/lamps/incense or anything else that holds meaning for you. Keep your journal and pen ready. You might need some light for writing later. Also, if you have pictures of your Guru/s or anything that is symbolic of them, arrange them in front of you. If not, write down their names in separate pieces of paper. Keep some fresh flowers ready as offerings to them.

Sit in a meditative posture on a mat or if outdoors even on the bare earth/grass. Observe your connection with Mother Earth. Remember your ancestors and seek their blessings. Visualize a Full Moon in your eyebrow centre or gaze softly at the Moon if outdoors. As you inhale and exhale a few times, ask the lunar energies to flow through you and guide you.

If you love chanting, close eyes and do the ‘Om Som Somaiyah Namah’ chant 14 times.

2. Movement to Release

Choose either an asana practice focused on heart opening or any other slow movement practice that you resonate with. Make sure you breathe rhythmically through it.

3. Breathwork/Visualization

Choose a position to sit that you can stay in for a while. Use back support if needed.

Allow your eyes to close.

Scan your body and observe the breath.

Follow the journey of your breath into the heart space and out, sensing an expansion with the inhale and a gentle relaxation with the exhale. Let the breath be soft, quiet, effortless and natural.

Visualize a white lotus bud in the centre of the heart. This lotus blooms slowly with every breath. Once it is in full bloom, continue to breathe into it, with your focus on the visual.

Once you feel a sense of calm/completion/fullness, you may end the visualization.

4. Gratitude to Gurus

Maintain your awareness in your heart space.

Remember all your Gurus.

Open your eyes and look the their pictures/symbols/paper with names. Know that you have their presence.

Now take your journal and write down the name of one Guru. Start writing what you are grateful to him/her for. Repeat for the other Gurus. Take your time with this process. Once you finish, read all that you have written, noticing your own experience while you do so.

Then close your eyes. Visualize an energy flow from your heart to your Gurus' hearts and from there back to yours.

Offer flowers to the pictures/symbols with immense gratitude for them being a part of you. You can chant 'Om Sri Gurubhyo Namah' with each offering.

Close eyes, feel humbled, grounded and uplifted by their presence.

5. Closing

Bring awareness to your body and it's connection with the earth. Touch the ground with your palms. Bring back the image of the Full Moon in your eyebrow centre for a few breaths. Close the ritual by offering gratitude to your ancestors, Gurus, the Moon and Mother Earth.

After the ritual, you could wear some of the flowers in your hair or keep them in an area where you spend a lot of time. Whatever is remaining, you may return to the Earth the next day.

Wish you all a grounding and loving Guru Purnima practice!

Love & gratitude :)

Sheetal

*Sri Sampadananda Mishra is an author, speaker and researcher on subjects related to Sanskrit, Indian Culture, Spirituality, Yoga and Education.