Gurukul Immersion Program
Establishing a Foundation
To life are ascribed many forces, yet there are none as powerful as our inner-most nature wherein dwells our spirituality. Here at the core of each and everyone one of us is a piece of eternity, filled with the timeless principles of love, bliss, and unity. Human beings are multidimensional beings composed of a physical body, a mind, energy and emotions, yet it is only the spirit that is a part of a superseding reality beyond the limited framework of mind and matter. When we learn to live through the spirit, a complete transfiguration of the very nature of life unfolds. We are liberated from the mundane features of existence and inspired to awaken the sacred element of our essential eternal disposition.
Profound as it may be, yoga is not a practice of spirituality but a science of internal synchronization to which life is adjusted to align with the spiritual paradigm of reality. We can liken it to the aspirations of a novice painter: first they will need to learn skills such as how to use a brush, in what way to mix colors, what are the different types of paint, etc. Next they will need to shift their mind to accommodate new perspectives, learning the precision of dimensions, shadow, contrast, and mood until eventually their skills and training mold them into a Renoir or Van Gogh. A life as a yogi requires similar discipline, moving through the science of spirituality, training the mind, body, and energy until a total transformation launches them into the spiritual nature of life. From here we can rest within a whole new state of being, not just a body, not just a mind, but the transcendental core of our being: light, wisdom, insight, balance, and peace.
Yoga is an evolving life-science, a study of selfhood which is perhaps one of the oldest spiritual sciences. As a cornerstone to the ancient traditions of spirituality in India, yoga has been a permanent guide to many souls who embarked upon the journey towards self-discovery. These yogis and rishis used the power of mind, body and spirit to awaken Truth and insight into the deepest mysteries of the universe. Through their practice and reflection they unveiled the implicit interconnection between all things within the macrocosm and microcosm, discovering that at the heart of all of creation is oneness, illumination, and bliss!
Gurukul Tradition
Every growth phase in life has a guide. We take our first steps as a child under the watchful eyes of our mothers and fathers and they, consciously or unconsciously, teach us of morality, social behaviors, movement, talking, and everything else in between. Later, we join schools where teachers and professors train us in the higher intellectual skills: philosophy, mathematics, science and language. And all along the way we meet many more who offer their insights into living life.
Body is explored by movement, mind by philosophy and thinking, but still the most elusive of our human nature is there, the spirit, to which only some of us pursue. Most teachers of life mentor us through the physical world: how to live, think and act according to the laws of society and nature. But spirituality is contained within a totally different sphere of existence to which it has its own specialized teachers. These are the gurus of the inner world who lead us to the awakening of our spirituality.
The gurukul tradition not isolated to India; Christians have pastors, Buddhists have monks, and Jews have Rabbi. However the word guru originates from the yogic tradition, and unlike the teachers of religion who teach religion to their students the gurus of yoga teach guidelines for spiritual living which can be ascribed to any religious tradition. Yoga is not a religion, it is a science of self study, but there are many paths to which one can come to know their True Self. It is for this reason that many branches of yoga have been developed, traditions of yogic spirituality that have moved through countless ages through the guru/disciple tradition. The path of wisdom, the path of devotion, the path of renunciation, the path of inquiry, and the path of absorption are all different expression of the yogic tradition which have been kept alive to this day through this tradition student and teacher relationship.
There are many mysteries to the path of yoga which cannot be expressed through words, but it is safe to say that the guru/disciple relationship is one integral to the spiritual tradition of India; at the same time yoga was created so too was the guru/disciple relationship, each interdependent upon the success of the another. Any spiritual practitioner throughout the history of India has had a guru or gurus who acted as guides in their quest for Truth. But the guru/disciple relationship in yoga is not one of dependency but of harmony in which the guru and disciple join in heart to celebrate the hidden beauties of the spirituality. Through the disciples efforts in the spiritual path an inner awakening begins to emerge, and as the disciple undergoes internal transformation the guru is there to provide direction, insight, and guidance to journey ahead. In a sense the guru is likened to a light house that gently tends to the student’s adventure through the rocky waters of spiritual awakening until the disciple becomes firmly establish in the spiritual vision of live.
The Gurukul Training
In total it can be said that there are four main principles of yogic spirituality:
1. Heal the physical body from weakness, sickness, disease, and disorder;
2. Balancing and enriching the internal energies;
3. Strengthen and purify the mind to operate in a spiritual dimension of thoughts and thinking;
4. Activate the inner spirit.
Together, these principles form a total reconstruction of life that open the practitioner to a completely new experience of life. Although the change is sometimes subtle, the transformations are profound. When we no longer operate according to the senses, no longer follow the same negative thought patterns, no longer depend upon the external world for our joy, the imperishable nature of the primordial spiritual creation occupies our inner-most thoughts, experiences, and perceptions.
The gurukul training taught at the ashram focuses on each of these four principles to guide students towards the vitalization of their spiritual nature. As the common analogy goes, the transition towards spiritual living is much like the jeweler’s work with a diamond covered in rock and dirt; in the beginning the diamond is barely visible, but with skill and patience, slowly the jeweler removes the derby piece by piece until finally the true glory of the diamond is revealed. Starting from the groundwork of swamiji’s guidance and the spiritual traditions from which he and the ashram have emerged, students are guided through the steps of self discipline and inner purification until the diamond of their spirituality is evinced.
The Tureya Ashram and Swamiji come from the Saraswati (Path of Knowledge) and Tantric (esoteric ism) traditions which together give us an environment balanced between reason/logic and intuition/mysticism. From here we direct students in their spirituality.
Some of the major components integrated into the gurukul training include:
· Body Intuition
o Guided by the practices of Asanas (Vitalizing Body Movements) and Pranayama (Vital Force Regulation)
· Mental Control and Stimulation
o Fine-tuning of perception to accommodation a spiritually centered form of thinking and reflection
o Meditation and dynamic consciousness generation
· Synthesis with Nature
o Self-Knowledge through observation and symbiosis with the natural elements of life
· Inner Harmony
o Enrichment of awareness
o Expansion of the elements of love, bliss, and
unity
These qualities are invoked through a variety of technique and practice conjoined with new ways of thinking and perceiving life and the world in which we live. Although our schedule is highly dynamic and actively synchronic with the unique needs of the students, some of the practices we integrate into the training include: kriyas, shat karmas, tantric meditations, dhyana, dharana, asanas, pranayamas, yoga nidra, ayurveda, and a number of other practices. Another component central to the Tureya Ashram’s teaching principles is Yoga Psychology, the morphing of the mind to accommodate a spiritual reality.
Logistics
In order to procure the process of inner revelation that occurs for each unique student, the Tureya Ashram does not operate on a mass level. The gurukul training works only with a select number of students to ensure that every student receives the attention necessary to cultivate a spiritual life on a holistic level.
The gurukul training is offered several months of the year and during the time of the program students can join for 10, 20, 30 or more days depending upon the schedule and availability.
As mention above, enrollment for this program is limited to genuine students. Our requirements for students studying under the gurukul training are not based upon prior experience but rather upon alacrity in learning the deeper aspects of the yogic science of spiritual living. The gurukul training can be sought for rejuvenation, restoration, healing, or internal reformation depending upon the needs of the students and the depth of their own personal interest. Because of this the nature of swamiji’s guidance to each student will vary depending upon their commitment and aspiration. But whatever depth you wish to take your practice we will be with you every step of the way.
