53 min

[REPLAY] How To Not Be A Guru The Holistic Herbalism Podcast

    • Alternative Health

In August we're going to re-air some episodes we think may be helpful given everything going on right now. We'll return to our Accessible Herbalism series at the end of the month!

Things are complex, and there are many factors. But guru syndrome is bad for the teacher and for the student, both. And believe it or not, active measures are required if you want to know how to not be a guru. Because humans have these tendencies: as students, to seek a guru; as teachers, to seek that status.
When the student believes their teacher is a guru, it may be comforting, but it’s also disempowering. It makes the student feel & believe that they have to depend on the teacher. But it’s important for students to make their own experiments, and express their own experiences!
When the teacher comes to believe they’re a guru, they start to think everything they’re doing must be right, down to finer and finer detail. But it’s important to question yourself first of all, otherwise you stop learning – and to step back and see the big picture, on the regular.
So here are some ways we’ve come up with when working out how to not be a guru in our own work, that we do our best to live up to.
As teachers – and as students, because we’re that, too – this is something we think about a lot. We know a lot of teachers and students who feel the same way! We hope that this discussion spurs some spark of recognition, as we’ve been gratefully sparked by plenty of others before.


We really appreciate it if you can take the time to subscribe, rate, & review our podcast wherever you listen, so others can find it more easily. Thank you!!

Our theme music is “Wings” by Nicolai Heidlas.



Support the show
You can find all of our online herbalism courses at online.commonwealthherbs.com!

In August we're going to re-air some episodes we think may be helpful given everything going on right now. We'll return to our Accessible Herbalism series at the end of the month!

Things are complex, and there are many factors. But guru syndrome is bad for the teacher and for the student, both. And believe it or not, active measures are required if you want to know how to not be a guru. Because humans have these tendencies: as students, to seek a guru; as teachers, to seek that status.
When the student believes their teacher is a guru, it may be comforting, but it’s also disempowering. It makes the student feel & believe that they have to depend on the teacher. But it’s important for students to make their own experiments, and express their own experiences!
When the teacher comes to believe they’re a guru, they start to think everything they’re doing must be right, down to finer and finer detail. But it’s important to question yourself first of all, otherwise you stop learning – and to step back and see the big picture, on the regular.
So here are some ways we’ve come up with when working out how to not be a guru in our own work, that we do our best to live up to.
As teachers – and as students, because we’re that, too – this is something we think about a lot. We know a lot of teachers and students who feel the same way! We hope that this discussion spurs some spark of recognition, as we’ve been gratefully sparked by plenty of others before.


We really appreciate it if you can take the time to subscribe, rate, & review our podcast wherever you listen, so others can find it more easily. Thank you!!

Our theme music is “Wings” by Nicolai Heidlas.



Support the show
You can find all of our online herbalism courses at online.commonwealthherbs.com!

53 min