Mantra – “I am the light that no shadow can touch.”

“Peace is my superpower.”

Class Theme: The Unshakable Light

“The greatest skill you can develop is the ability to stay in a good mood, with a positive attitude, even when there is nothing in the outside world to feel good about.”

As Halloween approaches, the world fills with masks, shadows, and flickers of candlelight dancing in the dark. But beneath the costumes and playful fears lies a deeper lesson: everything we chase or hide from is temporary, yet the light within us remains unshakable.

Opening Reflection

In Buddhism, this calm steadiness of heart is called Upekkhā — equanimity. It is the ability to stay balanced in both joy and sorrow, pleasure and pain, praise and blame.

To symbolize this, the Buddha is often depicted with one hand resting gently toward the earth and the other turned upward in meditation. This is called the Bhumisparsha Mudra, or “earth-touching gesture.”

When Mara, the embodiment of fear and illusion, tried to shake the Buddha’s resolve beneath the Bodhi tree, the Buddha did not fight or flee. Instead, he reached down and touched the earth, calling it to witness his truth.

This simple gesture was more than symbolic — it was grounding. By touching the earth, he anchored himself in the present moment, in reality itself. He did not look to the heavens for strength, but to the ground beneath him.

In that stillness, he became unshakable.

When you see one palm turned upward and the other grounded toward the earth, it reminds us of two truths:

Stay rooted in what is real.

Stay open to what is possible.

So tonight, as we move and breathe together, imagine your own body as that bridge — one hand touching the earth, the other open to the sky. Between the two, we find balance, peace, and the courage to sit with whatever arises.

Topic 1 – The Mask and the Mirror

Metaphor: On Halloween, we wear masks to pretend we are someone else. In life, we wear invisible ones to hide our truth — the “perfect one,” the “strong one,” the “unbothered one.”

Reflection: Mindfulness invites us to gently remove these masks, not to expose weakness, but to meet ourselves honestly. When we remove the mask, we find the mirror — and in that reflection, there is love.

Quotes:

“Peace comes when you stop pretending to be something you are not.” – Anonymous

“We are shaped by what we hide as much as by what we reveal.” – David Scott

“Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.” – Rumi

“In the end, we are only ever hiding from ourselves.” – Unknown

Topic 2 – Dancing with Shadows

Metaphor: Halloween celebrates the night, and in the same way, mindfulness invites us to dance with our own darkness. Like a candle casting light, every flame creates a shadow — yet that same shadow proves that light exists.

Reflection: We don’t chase fear away; we befriend it. When we face our inner shadows with compassion, they lose their power. This is the heart of Buddhist practice — not rejection, but awareness.

Quotes:

“The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek.” – Joseph Campbell

“Darkness is not the enemy of light; it is its teacher.” – David Scott

“Turn toward the light, and the shadows fall behind you.” – Maori Proverb

“Peace is not the absence of fear, but the courage to sit beside it.” – Unknown

Topic 3 – The Ghosts We Feed

Metaphor: The mind is like a haunted house. Old regrets, fears, and what-ifs drift through its halls. But ghosts only linger where they are fed by our fear.

Reflection: When we stop feeding fear with thought, it fades. Meditation is the gentle closing of the kitchen door, ending the feast that keeps those ghosts alive.

Quotes:

“What you think, you become.” – Buddha

“Do not invite your old ghosts to dinner.” – Zen Saying

“When you let go of the story, you release the spirit of the past.” – Pema Chödrön

“Every thought is a guest; not all need to be entertained.” – Rumi

Topic 4 – The Light Within the Pumpkin

Metaphor: A pumpkin becomes a lantern only when it is hollowed out and filled with light.

Reflection: Our practice is much the same. When we empty ourselves of ego, resentment, and fear, our inner light shines through. The work of letting go may feel like carving away pieces of ourselves, but it reveals what was always meant to glow.

Quotes:

“When the ego dissolves, the soul illuminates.” – David Scott

“There is a light that never goes out — it lives in the quiet of your heart.” – Anonymous

“Emptiness is not nothingness; it is the space for everything.” – Thich Nhat Hanh

“The wound is the place where the light enters you.” – Rumi

Topic 5 – The Spell of Gratitude

Metaphor: Gratitude is the only real magic. It transforms ordinary days into blessings, and simple moments into sacred ones.

Reflection: No matter what the outside world brings, gratitude is the alchemy that restores joy. When we pause to appreciate, we turn even darkness into gold.

Quotes:

“Wear gratitude like a cloak and it will feed every corner of your life.” – Rumi

“Happiness is not getting what you want, but appreciating what you have.” – Buddha

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.” – Melody Beattie

“The roots of all goodness lie in the soil of appreciation.” – Dalai Lama

Topic 6 – Becoming the Light

Metaphor: Imagine walking down a dark path holding a lantern. The light only reaches a few feet ahead, but that is all you need to see your next step.

Reflection: When you can stay in a good mood even when there’s no reason to be, you have become that lantern — steady, radiant, and unshakable. You no longer wait for the world to bring you light, because you are the light.

Quotes:

“Be a lamp unto yourself.” – Buddha

“The sun never says to the earth, ‘You owe me.’ Look what happens with a love like that — it lights the whole sky.” – Hafiz

“In a world of masks, be the light that needs none.” – David Scott

“You cannot control the darkness, but you can always choose to shine.” – Unknown

Closing Reflection

As we rest in stillness, bring one hand to the earth and let the other rest open toward the sky.
Feel the weight of your body grounding you, the breath lifting you, and the space between as the balance of Upekkhā — equanimity.

This gesture, the Bhumisparsha Mudra, reminds us that the Earth is always our witness, and awareness our eternal flame. When life tests you, remember: you don’t need to escape the darkness — you only need to remember your light.

You are not the mask, not the ghost, not even the shadow.
You are the flame — the quiet, steady, radiant light that needs no reason to shine.

Mantra Options

“I am the light that no shadow can touch.”