Chavah Aima

From LA Yoga Magazine, March 2010

The Sanskrit word guru has several meanings; the most common is teacher. Gu means darkness and ru is the light. The spiritual teacher referred to as a guru is one who can take away the darkness of ignorance and bring down the light of wisdom. Traditionally, the guru is someone who serves as a sacred conduit for spiritual force that she or he uses to guide others. However in modern times, and especially in the Western world, the word has become associated with anyone who acquires followers in virtually any field.

While there are many reliable spiritual teachers who are real gurus; there are also some false gurus and even good gurus who have lost their way. The student-teacher relationship with a guru can be highly rewarding, ideally resulting in the release of old habits and conditioning, and the establishment of greater awareness, success and happiness in life. For this process to be successful, the teacher must be a true guru, and the student must follow the guidance given. Discerning a true guru from a false one, however, is not always easy…

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The philosophy that underlies all meaningful enlightenment methods is that of Unity or Oneness. Creation takes place upon the stage of manifestation, the lowest arc in the descent of divine energy. Consequently we experience a multitude of forms and images, and construct an endless array of mental concepts while we are engaged in incarnate life.

Form is an outcome of force, a congealing of energetic essence. By viewing the immense number of forms on the physical and astral planes, we begin to get some sense of the limitless light vibration that has created and endlessly continues to enter into all of these objects, images and ideas. Yet, we can never fully grasp the concept of this limitlessness with the limited human mind.

The purposes of the appearance of duality are many: spirit dances out the drama of life for the sake of experience and expansion, drama leads to opportunities to open the mind and heal the heart, duality can be used consciously and deliberately as a spiritual method to lead one into unity. This last idea - using duality as a mechanism to attain enlightenment - begins with a focus on our own form, the physical body. (more…)

Alchemy is a spiritual tradition that has many interpretations and applications for its wisdom. In outer alchemy, it is a science that depends upon the world of nature for the raw materials the alchemist uses for food and to create elixirs for healing and spiritual awakening. This approach stimulates the intellectual and reasoning powers of the alchemist. Outer alchemy requires the practitioner to physically take specific steps to attain each goal. By following the plan, and ingesting the right substances and foods, transmutations take place within the body-mind. These alchemical processes lead to balanced states of well being and enhanced spiritual awareness.

The symbolic language and images of Alchemy also use the world of nature to point to an inward process of spiritual transformation. The forces to be found therein are more subtle and potent than those used in outer alchemy. This inner alchemy draws upon mysticism, intuition, and imagination for its power to transform the human into the divine. These are the gifts of wonder that beckon one to rise above manifest nature and prepare to become one with the divine energy that holds it in creation. (more…)

As I reflect upon the recent news of another false guru being brought into the light, I realize again the desperation felt deeply within so many people. They were seeking material wealth and hoping to find their own power by following a self-proclaimed “spiritual leader”. Indeed, many of his followers are saying that they have found just those things, in spite of the tragic consequences this same search has had upon others.

Those who are feeling so good about their “guru”, and defending him by claiming that it was simply time for those others to die, show the depth of the damage caused by the techniques used by false gurus worldwide. This is not the only false guru, only the latest to come to light. It is predictable that his entrenched followers will defend him, perhaps even to their own deaths. A deep separation occurs between body-mind and soul once one has received repeated indoctrination into such a group.

A charismatic figure, promising unlimited wealth, appeals to the material nature of the human. However, to keep the illusion intact, s/he must somehow weave a spiritual message into the mix or risk losing those followers who see the superficiality of questing only for financial wealth. Though in the beginning, such a “leader” might have been motivated by some inner light, the great accumulation of money, power and fame will ultimately cloud that light while inflaming the ego nature.

In the western world such figures are common. They play upon the inequities that naturally exist within materialistic society. In western culture, financial wealth is given the highest respect and the wealthy wield the greatest power over others. Those who have little money are dismissed by such leaders as “losers”, or those who have not owned their power or taken control of their lives. In society, those who need money the most are given the least financial help; while those who have the most money are given the greatest opportunities to gain even more. Such is the nature of the materialistic world. (more…)

Phase One: 3 Day Juice Fast

Over the course of one to two weeks, gradually reduce the amount of cooked food you eat each day. You may begin by eating only a large raw salad at midday or evening. Next, replace your morning meal with all fruit, followed by the addition of raw vegetables for the remaining meal. You may also drink fresh organic juices.

When you have eaten raw food solely for three days, substitute a glass of freshly juiced organic vegetable juice for the midday salad. The next day, have fruit juice in the morning, drink vegetable juice at midday, and have the raw salad at night. You can also eat a little raw fruit or vegetables between meal times if you feel the need. Finally, replace the evening salad with another glass of freshly juiced vegetable juice.

At this point, you can take three to five glasses of juice daily. It is recommended that the majority of juice be vegetable, with smaller amounts of fruit juice being taken in the morning. Don’t forget to continue drinking pure living water too! You may also drink organic herbal teas. Meditate as much as possible – this is important every day, but especially during any type of fasting.

When you have taken only juices for three days, you may return to a combination of juice and raw foods. If you choose to add cooked food to your diet, make at least 50% of your diet raw, living food. From this time on, choose one day a week as a juice fast day. (more…)