July Full Moon - A Guru Purnima ritual

Hello Moonchild :)

We are blessed with an auspicious Full Moon on July 28/29. Guru Purnima is celebrated on 29th July. A sacred opportunity to remember and honour 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.

Take this Guru Purnima as an invitation to remember all your Gurus, honour them and be supremely grateful for them. Their grace is the reason for many things unfolding for us with ease.

What can you do?

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 that is not possible, you could do it any time in the day, do not take it too close to your sleep time.

Create a sacred space with flowers/lamps/incense or anything else that holds meaning for you. Keep your journal and pen ready. Also, if you have pictures of your Guru/s or anything that is symbolic of them, arrange them in front of you.

Sit in a meditative posture on a mat. Observe your connection with Mother Earth. Remember your ancestors and seek their blessings. Visualize a Full Moon in your eyebrow centre. As you inhale and exhale a few times, ask the lunar energies to flow through you and guide you. Remember your Guru/s and fill your heart in gratitude for their presence. Imagine they are seated in the same space with you.

2. Movement (Optional)

Choose either an asana practice focused on heart opening or any other slow movement practice that you resonate with.

3. Breathwork/Visualization - Grounding

Choose a position to sit that you can stay in for a while - either on the floor or on a chair with feet touching the floor. Use back support if needed, keeping the spine erect.

Allow your eyes to close.

Take awareness to parts of the body touching the floor. These would be your feet if you are in a chair or parts of your hips, legs and feet if you are seated on the floor. Intensify your awareness in these parts.

As you breathe in, visualize breathing in from the earth, prana entering your body from the earth. As you exhale, visualize relaxation and release from the body into the earth.

Do this for 14 breaths.

3. Breathwork/Visualization - Connecting with the Heart energy

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 soft green light in the centre of your heart space.

Allow this light to glow and expand to fill up your heart space with every breath.

Do this for 14 breaths.

4. Gratitude to Gurus

Maintain your awareness in your heart space.

Remember all your Gurus.

Open your eyes and write down their names in your journal taking time writing down each name, with a sense of deep gratitude.

Then keeping your journal open, read the first Guru's name, close your eyes and reflect on what you are grateful to him/her for. Sit with it for a while as you breathe calmly.

Keeping this Guru's image in your heart, mentally offer a beautiful lotus flower to this Guru in total reverence saying 'Sri Gurubhyo Namah'.

Repeat this for the other Gurus.

Take your time with this process.

At the end of it, bow down to the Earth in complete surrender, feeling truly humbled by their blessings.

5. Presenting a query

This step is optional.

If there is anything you are seeking an answer to, articulate this into a question and write it down in your journal.

Read it, hold it in your heart space and visualize placing this at the feet of one Guru or all your Gurus. Know that you are surrendering the question to them. Ask for their guidance.

Then let it go, do not think about it anymore.

Simple watch your breath for a while.

6. 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.

7. Revisiting the next day

If you presented a query, find some time the next day to sit in silence.

Bring back the image of your Guru or Gurus at whose feet you placed the question.

Repeat the breathwork in Step 3.

Sit in silence for a while observing what surfaces and write down anything that comes up.

Continue to stay aware for the rest of the day and the next few days too. Watch out for signs that may come to you in conversations and situations. Examine what shows up in dreams and moments of quietness. Overall be a witness :) Allow the blessings to unfold and be part of your journey.

Wish you all a heartfelt 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.