Real wisdom – useful wisdom – is not of the mind but of the body and the energy. It comes when I let go of self-image, a protracted process that is always, and probably necessarily, painful and difficult. A teacher is vital, for guidance and support, because self-image is intimately tied to my values and feelings, and there will always come a point where everything, including my instincts, are telling me to stop the work and rejoin the rat race. A teacher will simply show me that everything I'm holding onto, including the pain and suffering, are illusory, or at least open to interpretation – functions of only my mind.