Yoga Class Theme: Transforming Negative Energy into Positive Power
Mantra: “I don’t resist the energy—I transform it.”

Opening Reflection – Moving Through the Elements

Welcome to today’s class. Tonight, we begin a sacred journey—one of transformation. Not by denying or fighting the energy that stirs within us, but by learning to work with it.

There’s a principle in physics—the first law of thermodynamics—that tells us: energy cannot be created or destroyed—it can only change form.

The same is true of our emotions. Anger, fear, grief, even joy—these are not things to suppress or escape. They are energy moving through us, waiting to be shaped. Just as nature shifts through fire, water, air, earth, and spirit, we too can shift. These five elements help us remember that we are never stuck. We are constantly evolving.

Tonight, we move with the energy instead of resisting it. Each element invites us to shift something old into something new—to let heat become passion, tears become healing, breath become clarity, stillness become strength, and presence become peace.

So as we explore each element, let this be your intention:
You may not be able to control what arises… but you can choose how to meet it.

Let’s begin.

Topic 1 – Fire: The Alchemy of Anger

Reflection:
Anger is often misunderstood. It is simply energy in motion. Instead of seeing anger as something destructive, we can treat it as the raw heat that, when consciously worked with, transforms and purifies. When we breathe into our anger, we allow the fire within to become our forge—melting away rigidity and sparking passionate, purposeful action.

Anger isn’t something to be feared. It’s a flare that tells us where boundaries were crossed or wounds need healing. Fire, when harnessed, can forge new strength.

Metaphor – The Blacksmith’s Forge:
Imagine a blacksmith placing twisted iron into a blazing forge. The fire doesn’t destroy the metal; instead, it softens and reshapes it, preparing it to be transformed. In the same way, our anger, when met with awareness, can be transformed into strength and clarity.

Quotes:

“Beneath anger, there is always unhealed pain.”

“Anger is a sign that something needs to change.” – Unknown

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

“Temper is what gets most of us into trouble. Pride is what keeps us there.” – Mark Twain

“Do not kill the fire. Turn it into light.” – Buddhist proverb

“Feelings are just visitors. Let them come and go.” – Mooji

Topic 2 – Water: Soften and Flow

Reflection:
Sadness and grief can feel overwhelming, like being caught in a strong rip tide current. Yet water teaches us that soft, gentle energy has the power to shape even the hardest surfaces. When we allow our emotions to flow without resistance, like water slipping through open palms, we learn to let go and heal.

Water reminds us there is strength in softness. It doesn’t resist—it yields, moves, and reshapes. This is how we begin to heal: not through force, but through flow.

Metaphor – The Cupped Hands:
Try holding water in your clenched fists—it slips away. But when you open your hands, the water rests gently. Similarly, when we release our need to hold on tightly to our sadness or pain, we allow for a natural, cleansing flow of emotion.

Quotes:

“Tears are the silent language of grief.” – Voltaire

“Water is fluid, soft, and yielding. But water will wear away rock.” – Lao Tzu

“Allow the sea to carry your sadness out to the horizon.” – Buddhist imagery

“You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.” – Jon Kabat-Zinn

“Let it come. Let it be. Let it go.” – Anonymous

Topic 3 – Air: The Power of Perspective

Reflection:
Fear and anxiety can shrink our world, narrowing our view. Air—in the form of breath—opens up space, allowing us to see beyond immediate worries. Through deep, intentional breathing, we can shift our perspective, lift our burdens, and give clarity to our scattered thoughts.

With each breath, we rise a little higher above the noise. Breath opens the window to a wider view.

Metaphor – The Paper Lantern:
Visualize a fragile paper lantern. Without the gentle support of air, it cannot rise. Once filled with warm breath, it ascends gracefully, symbolizing how our inner light can rise above fear with each mindful inhale and exhale.

Quotes:

“Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor.” – Thich Nhat Hanh

“Worry is like a rocking chair—it gives you something to do but gets you nowhere.” – Erma Bombeck

“Sometimes all you need is a deep breath and a little distance.” – Unknown

“When you own your breath, no one can steal your peace.” – Unknown

“With the right wind, even the smallest kite can fly.” – Proverb

Topic 4 – Earth: Grounding into the Present

Reflection:
When life feels overwhelming, the solid, reassuring energy of the earth grounds us in the here and now. By connecting with the earth—whether through feeling our feet on the mat or by simply being present—we transform scattered energy into strength and stability.

Let the earth remind you: you are supported. You are enough. Right here. Right now.

Metaphor – The Pottery Wheel:
Imagine a lump of clay spinning on a pottery wheel. Only when the potter gently centers it does the clay begin to take shape. When we ground ourselves with presence, even the most chaotic energy can begin to form something beautiful.

Quotes:

“The mind is like a drunken monkey, stung by a bee.” – Buddhist saying

“You are not your thoughts.” – Eckhart Tolle

“Come back to the ground. The ground is always here.” – Jack Kornfield

“Stillness is not about inaction—it’s the ground from which action arises.” – Tara Brach

“To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.” – Audrey Hepburn

Topic 5 – Spirit: The Wheel Turns

Reflection:
All experiences—joy, pain, anger, calm—are transient. Spirit is the part of us that remains steady through it all. It is the awareness that observes the constant change without being overwhelmed by it. When we identify with this unchanging presence, we learn that even in the midst of turbulence, there is a center of calm and clarity.

Metaphor – The Prayer Wheel:
In Tibetan Buddhism, prayer wheels are sacred instruments filled with mantras. As they turn, it is believed that the prayers and blessings inside are released into the world. Though the wheel spins continuously, the center—the axis—remains unmoved and steady. This unmoved center represents our own spirit, our inner awareness.

Let this image remind you that even when life spins wildly, you are the still point within it all. You are the calm at the center of the storm.

Quotes:

“This too shall pass.” – Persian proverb

“You are the sky. Everything else—it’s just the weather.” – Pema Chödrön

“Nothing ever goes away until it teaches us what we need to know.” – Pema Chödrön

“Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.” – Haruki Murakami

“The quieter you become, the more you can hear.” – Ram Dass

Closing Reflection and Mantra

You’ve moved through fire, water, air, earth, and spirit—not just as ideas, but as living energies within you. Whatever you arrived with tonight—anger, tension, sadness, worry—may it feel a little lighter now, a little more workable.

You are not here to be perfect. You are here to transform.

So carry this mantra with you—not just for this class, but for life:

“I don’t resist the energy—I transform it.”

Let’s say it together.

Energy cannot be created or destroyed, but it can be transferred and transformed. The fundamental law of thermodynamics states that the total energy of the universe is fixed and that energy can not be created or destroyed—only converted from one form to another.

Air moves us, Fire transforms us, Water shapes us, Earth heals us and the balance of the wheel goes on and on.

In a small village nestled between the mountains and the river, there lived a wise old monk who was known for his deep understanding of the universe’s rhythms. One day, a young traveler, weary and disheartened by life’s challenges, came to seek his advice.

Sitting by the tranquil riverside, the monk invited the traveler to close his eyes and feel the air around them. “Just as the air moves us,” he began, his voice as gentle as the breeze, “our thoughts guide our actions. Let your breath guide your mind to calmness.”

He then picked up a handful of soil, letting it sift through his fingers back to the earth. “The earth heals us. It supports and nourishes all living things. Just as we take refuge in the stability of the earth during our yoga practices, find grounding in your challenges.”

Pointing towards the river, he continued, “Water shapes us. It carves paths through the hardest rocks not by force, but by persistence. Embrace the flow of life, adapting and growing with every experience.”

As the sun began to set, casting a golden glow, the monk gathered some twigs and lit a small fire. “Fire transforms us. It releases the essence of things and changes them into new forms. Allow the fire of your trials to transform your spirit into something stronger and purer.”

Finally, he looked deeply into the traveler’s eyes and concluded, “Energy flows around us and within us, always transforming, never destroyed—like the cycle of life and rebirth in Buddhism. Embrace these changes, for they are the path to enlightenment.”

The traveler left the monk feeling enlightened, carrying a new perspective on life’s challenges as merely opportunities for transformation and growth, just as the elements continuously shape and balance the world around us.

Plants use energy from sunlight to make sugar and oxygen from carbon dioxide and water. The process by which carbon dioxide and water are converted to sugar and oxygen using sunlight is referred to as photosynthesis.

Most life on Earth depends on photosynthesis. The process is carried out by plants, algae, and some types of bacteria, which capture energy from sunlight to produce oxygen (O2) and chemical energy stored in glucose (a sugar).

“We are constantly evolving and changing either to a higher self or a lower one. What metamorphosis is going on in your life today? What we practice, we get good at. What positive behavior are you practicing and want to build upon in your life and what negative behavior would you like to stop reinforcing?” – David Scott

Open up your mind and let yourself fly high like an eagle!

When it rains, many birds occupy a shelter, but the wise EAGLE learns to avoid the rain by simply flying above the clouds! The problem is common to all but the attitude to solve it makes the difference. Don’t be afraid of change. Accept it gracefully.

“As we grow older and wiser, we begin to realize what we need and what we need to leave behind. Sometimes there are things in our lives that aren’t meant to stay. Sometimes the changes we don’t want are the changes we need to grow. And sometimes walking away is a step forward.”

“Courage is about learning how to function despite the fear, to put aside your instincts to run or give in completely to the anger born from fear. Courage is about using your brain and your heart when every cell of your body is screaming at you to fight or flee – and then following through on what you believe is the right thing to do.” – Jim Butcher

There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.

Where flowers bloom, so does hope. – Lady Bird Johnson

“You are always one decision away from a totally different life.”

“Yoga is about clearing away whatever is in us that prevents our living in the most full and whole way. With yoga, we become aware of how and where we are restricted — in body, mind, and heart — and how gradually to open and release these blockages. As these blockages are cleared, our energy is freed. We start to feel more harmonious, more at one with ourselves. Our lives begin to flow — or we begin to flow more in our lives.” – Cybele Tomlinson

“Don’t try to be strong, simply refuse being weak.”

“We are not born wise. We are born with intuition, but we are also born with ignorance. Wisdom only comes to us through overcoming our struggles and the fog of doubt. Wisdom is the metamorphic transformation that occurs within us, as ignorance disappears and knowledge remains. Through wisdom, our veil of darkness dissolves and with clarity we can finally see path of light guiding us into the future.” – David Scott

“Tears let you know healing has begun, A scar is proof that healing has occurred.”

“It is through the alignment of the body that I discovered the alignment of my mind, self, and intelligence.” – B.K.S. Iyengar

There is only one reality, but there are many ways that reality can be interpreted.” – B.K.S. Iyengar

The past is already written and the ink is dry. Turn the page and begin the next chapter.

“A wounded deer leaps highest.” – Emily Dickinson

“Your willingness to look at your darkness is what empowers you to recognize light.” – David Scott

Nothing is more beautiful than a smile that has struggled through tears.

“The struggle you’re in today is developing the strength you need tomorrow.” – Robert Tew

Courage

“In Buddhism, we learn that the root of courage is in our ability to accept love and to give it freely. ‘Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage,’ let us practice opening our hearts in our poses and in life, nurturing the strength to embrace vulnerability as a source of our deepest bravery.” – David Scott

“Plato once said, ‘Courage is knowing what not to fear.’ As we flow from one pose to another, let us practice discernment—understanding which fears are mind-made illusions holding us back, and which are real. In this way, our practice becomes a meditation on courage, teaching us to release unnecessary fears.”

“Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.”

“Courage is knowing what not to fear.” – Plato

“Courage isn’t having the strength to go on – it is going on when you don’t have strength.” – Napoleon Bonaparte

“Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says I’ll try again tomorrow.” – Mary Anne Radmacher

“Courage doesn’t happen when you have all the answers. It happens when you are ready to face the questions you have been avoiding your whole life.”― Shannon L. Alder

“The two hardest tests on the spiritual road are the patience to wait for the right moment and the courage not to be disappointed with what we encounter.” – Paulo Coelho, Veronika Decides to Die

“You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, ‘I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

“Yoga is the journey of the self, through the self, to the self.”– The Bhagavad Gita

“With no desire for success, no anxiety about failure, indifferent to results, he burns up his actions in the fire of wisdom. Surrendering all thoughts of outcome, unperturbed, self-reliant, he does nothing at all, even when fully engaged in actions.

There is nothing that he expects, nothing that he fears. Serene, free from possessions, untainted, acting with the body alone, content with whatever happens, unattached to pleasure or pain, success or failure, he acts and is never bound by his action.” (BG, 4.19-26)