If you have never meditated you will benefit from someone guiding you in the beginning. In a way this guide is your first meditation guru.

In the west we often think of a guru as someone who is full of knowledge. A guru in the east is a person of wisdom who most importantly has a very powerful and peaceful presence.

They will be a loving example of who you yourself can become after years of dedication. They will show you a technique that has been proven to work for many. Using discernment you can determine whether it is the path for you.

Some self-proclaimed gurus will devise their own methods of meditation, trademark them and sell them to the public at great cost. Some of these have given the true masters a bad name!

So ultimately it comes down to your own choice. You will be told by some that you don't need one. Others will tell you it is the only way. It is about choosing what feels best for you, making up your own mind about it.

You may go down that road for a while and realize it is not for you. It will not be wasted time, it will be an experience. You may also discover that you feel very much at home with your choice.