The concept of guru and yoga as a spiritual practice is often confused with the idea of an Indian religion and the occult. Spirituality is not in any way related to the religious concepts of God or sin. Spiritual topics are based on the fundamental principles of energy and common sense. You must first realise that if you cheat and gossip, then it is obvious no one will be able to trust you. Your intuition will guide you and the inner guru of conscience will certainly help you to make the right decisions and choices when it comes to choosing between a good action and a wrong one. In the end spirituality is a way of life that requires integrity, honesty and humility. The external guru is a mentor who guides you and teaches the proper way to think and behave. Yoga is the system of personal practice that will awaken your intuition and strengthen your personal will to live your life with an understanding of what spirituality truly is.  We all have a conscience; the inner voice that will not leave us alone. Our conscience is the motivating force that comes as an unrelenting thought and it reflects the truthfulness and honesty of our actions. It reminds us of our relationship with ourselves. Of course there are many times when we are tempted to cheat and try to carry on as we please but inevitably we are unable to deny the truth and must accept responsibility for our actions. 

"By listening to our conscience and following our intuition we can be at peace"

Intuition is an instinctive knowing that what we have thought and felt is absolute and correct. Our experiences of pleasure and pain, joy and suffering are all relative to our ability of listening to our conscience and following our intuitive instinct that tells us that we have no choice. Intuition tells us that we must act according to our conscience. We have all suffered from indulging in the temptations of life without regard to what is right and wrong action. When we become caught between success and failure our conscience helps us to realise the truth of our motivations. It is at this point that we begin to develop a little self-discipline and a change of attitudes. When we pay more attention to our conscience then we are at the beginnings of spiritual life. 

"Common Sense is the conscience within all of us. Truth and honesty in our relationships with each other and ourselves leads to fulfilment and contentment in life"

Dharma is the correct use of common sense. Following the path of Dharma maintains faith and trust in others and ourselves. Such a person who can remain within the flow of dharma and live according to their common sense performing the right and appropriate action is loved and revered as someone especially worthy of respect. However those people who carry on without regard for their conscience and colour their lives with misconduct will display a lack of faith and respect. Their intuitive ability to make good decisions becomes weak and they are often easily confused and in conflict. These people become lost in emotional tragedy, often isolated from happiness and security and it is very difficult to work with them. The whole of humanity is confused in a mixture of self-afflicted fears and faithlessness and lack integrity to conscience. i.e. (common sense or dharma) A real commitment is required and it cannot be avoided. Commitment is an inner relationship between spirit and that part of us that is knowing of spirit. It is awareness that allows us to view this relationship. You cannot separate awareness from spirit, the two are inseparable in exactly the same way as sugar and sweetness are inseparable. Spirit and I (awareness) are one. Our conscience reflects the reality of spirit. Awareness of our conscience combined with the intuitive instinct is a recognition of spiritual existence.

"The awareness is consciousness looking back on itself"

Consciousness is the essence of being in the moment here and now.Consciousness is known as the principle of (shiva) and when conciousness is in action the enegy of consciousness is called (shakti) which is also understood to be spirit.  Consciousness is an absolute reality, formless and beyond description, yet evident and undeniably real. When consciousness acts then spiritual life exists. Spirit is all pervading; do not think of it as a separate thing. Spirit has by its very nature of existence generated a field of activity, an arena of consciousness in action. This vibrational activity is known as mind. Mind is the interactive playground of consciousness. It is an inexhaustible matrix of chitta (mind stuff). Mind is a woven weave of impressions, patterns of movement and formulas jumbled into active and inter-reactive thinking. The brain is a functional apparatus that can receive store and transmit chitta. This is why we become confused. We are under the impression that the mind, thinking and awareness is trapped within the brain and that it is a product of the brain's activity. It is a natural phenomenon and in yoga this phenomenon is known as maya. However the truth is that the whole of creation, everything known and unknown, visible and invisible, is a reservoir of consciousness. We are a product of mind. In an effort to reach a point where consciousness can interact with itself, the mind has evolved into the world of objects.

"In every pulsation of every animate and inanimate object consciousness is constantly expanding in an effort to know itself"  

So through the process of evolution consciousness has emerged via vibrational energy through the primal forms of heat, sound and patterns of formation into living matter. Eventually the dimension of mind has reached human form. Mind includes all previous transitions of consciousness and in human form consciousness has created an instrument of reflection. Awareness is made possible by the brain and developed mind in man. Consciousness is always being (in existence) but the ability to communicate and realize itself is a quality highly developed in mankind. Evolution is unending and speculation can only imagine the possibilities.

The realm of mind is both subtle and gross and with awareness we can influence the mind through dharma i.e. (conscience) but it is consciousness that empowers the awareness. The future existence of spirit in form is the destiny of consciousness while the path of dharma and the acceptance of conscience is the destiny of spirit. This breakdown of the process of life is an intellectual attempt to clarify the truth but in the end each of us as individuals must intuitively turn our attentiveness and effort towards fulfilling our conscience and attaining the fruits of existence which is self- realization. The science of yoga offers a comprehensive variety of systems that empower and enable us to perceive, permeate and imbibe the realization of consciousness through the power of our intuitive conscience. The practice of hatha yoga (exercise and physical health) strengthens the body and develops willpower, bhakti (devotion and love) opens the doors to humility and reverence for life as being divine, while karma yoga is the way of living conscientiously within the laws of karma (for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction). There are so many ways available within the yogic sciences to transform our experience so that instead of us becoming lost under the allusion of maya we can realise the existence of spirit and enjoy the play of consciousness we call GOD. The human, moral and spiritual values that seem so difficult to achieve are made possible through the practice of yoga and in the end only one thing is required. All the systems of yoga, religion and social reform are dependent on one thing, it is so simple and yet it is the most difficult task any of us will undertake. The important  thing is honesty. Remain true to ourselves and our conscience. For this one thing yoga and life is dedicated. The prize is freedom from conflict and eternal contentment in recognising the truth of existence.

"Sat Chid Anandam is a mantra from the upanishads that can be loosly translated as That which is absolute truth is the conciousness of the self which is the pure transcendental state of bliss. Sat (Absolute Truth) Chid (consciousness) Anandam (Nature of the Self - Bliss)"

Today we are living in isolation from each other and ourselves. The social evolution is incomplete and we are lacking self-discipline and willpower. When faced with obstacles, we falter and try to avoid the difficulties. In our search for happiness we chase after sensual gratification. Our discontent and ill health is the result of a weak mind and our inability to endure the challenges of life. We lack awareness and focus our efforts in ways that are futile and ineffective. Very often we become complacent with a false sense of security and remain stuck with familiar habits and attitudes. There is often no vision for the future and our reason for living becomes confused. Yoga is the essential ingredient for living a balanced and successful life. It helps us to develop a clear understanding of how to obtain faith, integrity and self-confidence. Yoga is the key that will allow us to experience happiness.