Guru Mantra - Guru Stotram 

gurur brahma, gurur vishnu, gurur devo mahesvara,guru sakshat, param brahma, tushamai sri guruve namaha

I offer my efforts and bow down before all my teachers (guru), that teacher which is this birth, that I have taken, that teacher which is this life I continue to lead, that teacher which is all hardship and calamity in my way, that teacher who sits nearby and that teacher who is beyond all this formless and supreme.  Translation - Shri Brahmananda Saraswati

Guru - remover of darkness
Brahama -  creator (birth) life is always regenerating
Visnu – preserver (life) the quality of life how you live it, not just surviving but also living with compassion.
Shiva – completor (death) creates room for life, everything and everyone is dying if we can come to terms with this idea we find peace.
Sri – beautiful, we acknowledge there is beauty in the guru
Namaha - bow,  we bow down to this cycle, we call guru

Birth, Life and Death…the trinity, a beginning, middle, end!  The father, the Son, the Holy Ghost.  This is a beautiful cycle, everything and everyone is an opportunity for each of us to remove the darkness within.   All colors reside in the color black, if we can see that in darkness there is light then we will not be disheartened by the facade of darkness.   As we evolve and understand life, we will see light even in the dark so rather then see black as dark we can see it as the color of change.   If we can see all situations in our life as a springboard for change and growth then the darkness that comes with difficulties, can be transformed.  There is a cycle, dawn, daylight and night, not one of of us is free from birth, life and death.   The life of a Jivanmukta is one who is free from bondage and delusion and understands  the role guru plays in life.  As a yogini, I have come to see life as a play and that part of myself (that is everlasting) watches the drama unfold, when I am IN tune, I live a life of non-attachment.   Understanding a yogic lifestyle is the way I tune in.  This includes understanding my attachments to something, someone or even this body as my guru. 

Shiva is the transcendental aspect of God, the ocean of pure consciousness, generally known as Brahman.  In Hindu mythology, there are three cosmic Deities, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva who are responsible for the creation, maintenance and destruction of the universe.   Shiva is the Deity that represents ending for the purpose of fresh creation.  These three Deities are personifications of the three gunas in Nature.  Brahma represents sattva, Vishnu represents rajas and Shiva represents tamas.   In Hindu mythology, Shiva is shown to dwell with Parvati (Shakti) in Mount Kailash, a high mountain peak in the Himalayas.  

The holy union of male and female creates completion although the text suggests Shiva becomes enlightened when he is beyond the gunas and YET parvati remains at his side. By embracing all aspects of the gunas, I embrace my earthly existence rather than shun it and I am able to transcend mundane thinking.   In the beginning of my yogic studies, I felt compelled to live a life of celibacy and I did for many years, not because I made a vow to any organization but because I wanted to experience a life not driven by my sexuality.  Now I feel I can approach union with a depth of holiness and a sense of spiritual value.

Dasi - one who serves (female), Shiva - the divine consciousness.

Shivadasi/Felise